Another chpater and I'm sorry again that I kept you waiting so long. I do very much hope that you'll thus enjoy.

varee and Licoriceallsorts: thank you very much again for two lovely reviews.

Kadajklone100: You are prefectly right if you say that Rufus&Turks did some very gruesom things and that in comparison, Tifa should not be blamed too much for what she did. However, I don't think the Turks would see it the same way. While they know perfectly well that they aren't good, I don't think they blame themselves very much for what they did. So, to them, Tifa did not behave nicely. Of course, Cloud and Reeve would see things differently and once perspective changes, the judgement about Tifa's behaviour will change, too ^^


Chapter 44: Tseng: Wherein Shin-Ra receives two unlikely visitors

16. April, Wednesday

"Elena told me something interesting today," Tseng started thoughtfully as he entered the hospital room. He still felt completely overrun by Elena's optimism, unable to feel as pessimistic about the world as he had at the start of the morning – would have felt unable to feel anything else than bustling happiness if he had not been on the other hand still completely overrun by Rufus and his argument. By Rufus' accusation. By Rufus' apology. He tried very much to see it the way it was, that Rufus was just jealous (of course he was, no surprise in that) and that it had been his right not to react to his mobile, that he could not have known Rufus was in distress. … Anyway, the distress had been over, then. Still, he felt so very sorry he had not picked up. And he should not have called Rufus selfish. Well, of course, Rufus was, but... it was not that bad anymore. He had much improved. He had saved his life for Gaia's sake. If he had been selfish, he would have run for it and left him to die. He would not have been so stupid to risk his own life to save him. Gaia, Rufus and his bloody recklessness.

"Has she, now?" Rufus was buried in some files.

Tseng took a seat next to him. "She said she sometimes feels as if we are all lost in the woods and can't find a way home because thereisnothometoreturntoanymore."

"Of course there isn't. Burned, didn't it? Several times, actually."

Tseng closed the file Rufus was working on. Why was he always that difficult, that cynic? "That's not what she was talking about, I think."

Rufus looked up, eyes red-rimmed and as tired as the days before. "Are you expecting me to give up Shin-Ra now, Tseng? Looking for a new home? I know I – well, I made you, too, work too much lately, which I'm sorry for. But – I'm not going to give up. I will rebuild Shin-Ra and if it takes my life... and... that's not reckless. Shin-Ra is my company I will not let it go to waste."

Tseng felt a pang of guilt, even if he had been right about those things. "Rufus, I don't think you should give up Shin-Ra. I would never suggest that. Still. Things cannot go on the way they are."

"As far as I am seeing things, they will get better now, won't they? Reeve sent in the cavalry and we've caught ourselves a terrorists whose room might or might not yield some clues. I have been thinking, too, though, for I entirely agree with you that we are all working too much, and that it can't be good for the company in long run."

Tseng almost sighed, asking himself if Rufus might actually fear that if he lost the company, he would lose everything that defined him. Rufus would, Tseng was sure do anything not to suffer that. Perhaps, Rufus also thought he had to proof that he was not his dead father. That he actually could do better with that gaia-damned company like he had claimed all the years back. It certainly had never been about money, even if Rufus did not like to see it wasted. Rufus liked efficiency, not things money bought easily. He liked the simplest solution to equations, the one that cost the least possible energy but yielded the biggest effect. Money was usually not part of that equation because if one started bribing people, one could not stop and people grew greedier and greedier and... well, Rufus' father had been often enough topic of discussion for Tseng to know that Rufus had always seen money as the crudest solution to a situation that could be solved much more effectively. After one had paid for the startup.

"So, what have you thought up?"

"You are right. It is impossible to deal with both companies and the terrorism at once. So, I'll concentrate more on Sulfur for the moment. It takes enough to built it up, and Shin-Ra might be left more in peace if people actually saw it …," he turned the pen between his fingers, "crumbling. As long as nobody finds out, nobody is going to raise a hand against Sulfur. Much on the opposite. I expect Reeve to happy about the concurrence Sulfur means to us."

Tseng shook his head. "You aren't going to deal with the terrorism."

"Am I not, now?"

"We are still the Turks, and it's still our concern."

"I need you for Sulfur. And Shin-Ra. I don't want you to also work on terrorism, too. Not because I don't think you can't handle it..."

"Who says my men aren't capable of doing proper jobs and reporting to me? Besides, I thought Rude handles quite a part of Sulfur. And Veld is a very capable man. Loyal. Just because you don't like him very much doesn't mean he isn't doing a good job. We've got enough Turks running Sulfurand they know their business."

Suddenly, there was a smirk on Rufus' face. "You talked to the others, didn't you?"

"Of course, Shachou."

The smile widened. "Well, you are right. As always, I suppose. Things can't continue on the way they are." Actually, he did sound relieved, tapped the file with his fingers, and then looked at him. "Thank you."

Tseng felt slightly unsettled by being thanked by Rufus. Perhaps that, more than anything else, was a sign of how tired he actually was. Maybe, it was a way of saying sorry. One never knew with Rufus.

"Don't worry about the terrorists, Rufus. We found a transmitter in that woman's room; we'll soon know who they are. And – they won't ever do such a thing again."

"At least, I won't ever order food to my room again."

Tseng almost smiled. "It was poisoned, by the way."

"So they were planning to kill me anyway."

Tseng nodded. "Seems like it."

"Hn." He was silent for a few moments. "I could move onto your floor. That would mean you were closer around. At least, if that makes you feel that it would protect me more."

Tseng almost smiled, simultaneously realizing that he would not have to lock Rufus away again. That, perhaps, there were other ways, too.

"What do you think, then?"

"I think the idea isn't too bad. We will additionally make sure that no one but us has access to the floor anymore, though."

Rufus almost pulled a face. "That means I'll get to clean my room again..."

"We all will," Tseng pointed out. He would like living on one floor with Rufus again, even if he was trying at times. How could he have even dared to say that Rufus was no Turk? Even if he had not gone through the fighting training, he was – and had been for years – one of them. Ever since Junon. Maybe, that had been the moment when this world had slowly started to descend into madness. "But at least, that will prevent us from being blown up with the sink because someone placed explosives there."

Rufus smirked. "Mild consolation. - Will you be joining me for lunch, perhaps?"

Tseng nodded. "I'd like to."

Rufus got up. "Let's go, then."

Tseng thought a moment, then nodded. It might be best to go before Rufus got restless and started wandering around. Besides... maybe, he could stop by at Elena's bureau on the way back. It had been such a beautiful moment to just hold her... he looked at Rufus, the way the man moved that still suggested the slight awkwardness potion treatment left back. He only wished Cloud had not come back at such an awkward time. A few months later, maybe. He wished that people actually were like they acted, but that was not even true for them.

"So, how is you arm?" Rufus asked after they had set into motion a few minutes later, out of the hospital, the five Turks behind them and to their sides.

Did Rufus care indeed or was he just trying to make up or... was he hiding something else?

"You are always rubbing your joint," Rufus precised. It almost took Tseng by surprise that Rufus had noticed. He never seemed to care about such things. Although that was certainly a mean kind of thought because, well, yes, of course Rufus cared.

"Oh," Tseng made. "Well, the doctors tell me that I should train it more, but I don't always find time."

"Was it nice, then, to spent the evening with Elena? Is she still so shy around you?"

So Rufus was indeed trying to apologise. Tseng remembered how he had been sitting on the couch with Elena, how he had almost fallen asleep to her warmth, how he had been angry that Rufus had to call, and how strangely much he had cared when Rufus had said that he was glad he had not drowned.

"Yes," Tseng replied. "It's getting better."

Rufus gave him half a look and half a smirk, and pushed the door to their common room open. While Tseng was still wondering about that expression, Rufus suddenly froze in the doorway, door half opened. In the same moment, his hand slipped for his gun.

"What's wrong?"

"Since when does Elena bring friends?"

Tseng frowned, reaching out for his own pistol. The way Rufus said it, it did not sound good at all. He pushed past, pushed the door open, carefully, and almost froze in his tracks in the same moment. Elena was indeed sitting on one of the sofas which made his heart almost stop with concern. But then, as the door swung wider open, he took in her rather stern but relaxed posture – and two children on the other couch.

All of them turned their heads when the door struck against the wall and Tseng knew he was standing dumbfounded in the doorway.

"Where's Tifa?" where the first words he was actually capable of uttering.

Elena smiled at him, such a warm and open smile that had the indecency to accelerate the rate of his heartbeat. "She's not here."

"What do you mean, she's not her?" Tseng gave back, puzzled.

Rufus pushed into the room. "What are they doing here?"

"Mr. Rufus!" Marlene piped from the couch, jumped up, almost spilled her hot chocolate which she carefully placed on the table before she came racing at them, and Tseng feared for one moment she would be actually launching herself at Rufus who, if he was not much mistaken, would in that case have pointed his gun.

Denzel was sitting on the couch looking quite a bit guilty.

"Well, um, it seems those two came here on their own account," Elena explained.

Marlene nodded vehemently, stopping right in front of both of them. "That's true! We got onto the train in Edge and went the entire way to Junon all on our own!" She seemed mightily proud of that fact, beaming up at them.

Tseng could see Rufus glaring at that child in front of them, whose behaviour he himself found strangely endearing. There were so few people in this world who genuinely liked them and would have chosen to come an visit them.

"I see," Rufus made, studying the child. "I'm sure that's why you're so dirty." He turned back to Elena. "Why weren't they sent back by the guard at the gate?"

Tseng caught Elena blushing while he himself squatted down in front of Marlene, much like he had done so many years before with Aeris... long before he had taken so much of a liking in that girl. "I think we haven't been introduced. I'm Tseng of the Turks."

Marlene looked at him with big eyes, smiled, nodded. "I know who you are!" She took his hand, a small, soft child's hand that gave a little squeeze. "I'm Marlene. I'm Barret Wallace's daughter, although... they say I'm not and my real dad's gone bonkers and killed himself, and Tifa Lockheart is my mother!"

Tseng smiled at her, although he was asking himself what on Gaia had possessed those children to come here. "Nice to meet you, Marlene."

"Well, they told the guard that they were your children," Elena explained in the meantime under continued blushing to Rufus who glowered at Denzel.

"Did you, now?"

Denzel nodded at that, straightened his back. "I'm sorry, Mr Rufus, but they would have sent us home straight away, so, we had to make up something."

Rufus seated himself. "Hn. What makes you think I won't?"

Denzel looked a bit beseeching at Elena, and Tseng also felt the gaze upon him. "Let's go back to your chocolate, shall we, Marlene?" he told the girl.

But the girl's lip was quivering. "You can't sent us home! Please! We want to stay! We don't want to go home! It's horrible there! Please promise you won't sent us home!"

Denzel looked guilty. "Come here, Marlene," he murmured and put an arm around his sister when she came closer. "No need to cry, okay?"

It did not seem that the crying of a child awoke anything in Rufus but irritation which Tseng was not really surprised by.

"Stop crying," Rufus demanded rather sharply. "Tears have never solved anything, nor are they ever going to!" While not the method of choice, the answer certainly stunned Marlene into silence. The jerk of the head with which Rufus turned to Denzel proved that he was rather annoyed with the entire situation. "Explain."

Denzel shrunk even deeper into the couch and looked rather frightened as he drew Marlene closer. Frightened and tired and worn and too exhausted for a child. "It's... well... Cloud and Tifa, they are always arguing and... it's... I'm sorry, Mr Rufus, but, we couldn't stand it anymore! We tried to make them stop, but they wouldn't! And it's not getting any better and Reeve doesn't know what to do and, we didn't know what to do... and... it's, they are always shouting and... they are scaring Marlene, and I don't know what to do anymore! It's just..." Denzel stopped, obviously fighting back tears and looking rather lost with his sister in his arm who was now patting his hand.

Rufus gave a sigh which Tseng thought was a good moment to interrupt him before he uttered things like 'now, people argue, deal with it': "What made you come here, then?"

Rufus frowned at him.

Denzel shrunk even deeper into the couch, pulling Marlene even closer. "Well... um... Reeve would have sent us home directly and... I mean, he said he would deal with it, but he only ever made it worse. And... I mean, you're good at solving things. You're strong and you made the murderers go away and Tifa likes you. We thought you could help...?" He looked hopeful.

"If I'm to venture a guess, I'd say that your parents argue because of Tifa's involvement with us," Rufus remarked more or less neutrally.

Denzel nodded, with big eyes and obviously surprised. "Yes, that's true!"

"Isn't it a little non sequitur to come here, then?"

Tseng had no doubt that the children would quickly be cured of the notion that coming to them might have been a good idea.

Denzel blinked, seemed a little puzzled. "Um?"

Rufus drew in a breath and looked straight at the child: "Your parents are arguing because of me. If you want them to stop arguing, what on Gaia makes you think they will if Cloud realises you prefer my company to his?" He sounded pretty vexed which Tseng could only agree with. Those children were going to get them into an entire heap of trouble with their nativity.

Denzel, however, seemed to be rather proud of their reasoning. "Well, if you're nice to us, Cloud sees that you aren't all bad and that Tifa is right about that. If you call them to tell them we're here, Cloud won't think you want to keep us, and Tifa will be angry, and they'll have to make up once they realise we are gone."

"Oh, my," Rufus muttered. He looked almost bemused under the displeased frown. "You've done quite a bit of thinking, haven't you?"

Denzel blinked, looked uneasy. "Is that wrong?"

"Not particularly. However, the thing about thinking is that you'll have to come to a smart conclusion at the end..."

"First of all," Elena interrupted Rufus which might or might not have been a good idea. Knowing Elena, whatever she had to say, would not be so very much wrong. "It's not as easy as you think," She continued and certainly used the right soothing tone. She also looked very nice, talking down to both children. "Tifa will be very worried once she realises you are gone – and you should feel very ashamed of yourselves to make her worry so much! But it won't make her and Cloud agree all of a sudden. After they've picked you up here, they still won't have solved their problems and continue arguing. I don't think Cloud will think any better of us. Worse, maybe, even, because... well, as Rufus said, it will seem to him that you prefer us to him. It won't do to prove Tifa right, I think. For him, it'll only do if she's proved wrong, because he's jealous of Rufus..." She hesitated a moment, biting on her lip and Tseng thought she did a beautiful job with explaining to two children a rather complicated situation in easy terms. She looked very endearing biting her lip like that.

The children, however, looked almost as cross as if Rufus had continued scorning their argumentation.

"There, there, I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems. They'll stop arguing soon enough," Elena continued and tried to look cheerful, although Tseng was sure she was well aware that they would not. At least not after the children had appeared here.

"Now, they wouldn't be here if it weren't that bad, would they?" Rufus pointed out in a rather understanding tone, padding Denzel's head, which – in Tseng's opinion – surely was the worst thing to say (or to do) if they ever wanted to get rid of them again. On the other hand, if Rufus was nice and understanding, it was never a particularly good sign for the person to whom all that attention was directed. And Rufus proved him very much right in that assumption as he went on: "For I'm sure they are well aware that they are orphans, and that Tifa and Strife did a most remarkable thing in taking them in and saving them for starving. Something no one else would have done. So, if they ran away and risked that all, things had to be really, really bad at home, now, are they not, you two?" Rufus was all kind smiles.

Denzel gulped, holding Marlene fast in his arm. Guilt was painted all over his face, and even Marlene seemed to understand enough of what Rufus had just said to feel equally guilty.

Rufus pulled up one edge of his mouth. He looked – displeased and bemused and disdainful at the same time. "So, you didn't think about that before you ran. But I'm sure you expected us to keep you. Let me just ask you a simple question: why would we? You bring nothing but trouble to my doorstep. As it is, we have no room here for you, and you will be a burden. One way or the other. So, what on Gaia could tempt me to keep you?"

Denzel looked stunned to death, guilt written all over his face. Tseng would have very much have preferred if Rufus had put it a bit kinder, even though he felt the same kind of anger that had been swinging in Rufus' words inside himself. He knew Rufus could. He also knew that Rufus had not bothered to make his point. But... the children were children. They did not know, yet, that the world regarded them as nothing but a nuisance and that they had been very, very lucky indeed to have found two people who were willing to look after them. He expected very much that they would have quite an amount of tears at their hands any moment now and Denzel truly looked crestfallen. From that point on, things would go rapidly downhill.

Marlene, however, disentangled herself from Denzel, and brushed over her eyes, looking straight at Rufus. "We can work," she said with a quivering voice. "We can work for the Turks. Denzel'll make a good Turk, and I'll learn rebuilding guns reeeal quickly, too."

Maybe, Tseng thought, that had been the right thing to say.

"We can't just put them on the train back!" Elena exclaimed in her inexplicable talent to always choose the wrong moment for saying the right things. "They are way to young!"

Rufus studied her, studied Marlene, studied Denzel, and then shrugged. "Why, of course not. They are children, after all." He turned back to the two. "I disapprove heartily of what you did, because you owe your parents very much, and good children shouldn't distress their parents." Right, Tseng thought. If Rufus did not care about anything, it was that. "However, I can see why you acted that way. And Elena is right. We clearly can't put you back onto the train, you're too young to travel on your own, and it does seem it would not make much sense to sent you back to Edge by helicopter as you'd try running away again. It might do you some good to stay here and think about what you did, while your parents will have time to think about how to deal with you once they picked you up."

Tseng had very much trouble to hide a laugh. He did not know one person on the entire planet who would have been more hypocritical in uttering those words than Rufus. That it was certainly not the worst way of approaching the entire situation, was quite another thing. Tseng also supposed it was the way Tifa would approve of most, and he was not quite sure if that was not Rufus' true motivation behind it all. It was true that they could hardly put them onto the train again and sent them back to Edge on their own. It was also true that it would mean quite a bit of trouble to sent them back to Edge via helicopter – but certainly less than keeping them a day or however long it would take their parents to pick them up. Was Rufus aiming at ingratiating himself with Tifa again now that he knew for certain that Cloud and she were not getting along? Or... maybe, Tseng thought, he was hoping to bargain with Cloud; we were nice to your children, so tell me what you know about New Geostigma and the terrorists. That would be a dangerous game to play.

Elena, too, was eying Rufus rather suspiciously.

"Thank you, Mr. Rufus," Denzel muttered into the silence, still looking crestfallen and very much ashamed. "I'm sorry we didn't think about all that before... before we left..."

"Do you hate us very much?" Marlene asked after another few moments, her eyes full of tears.

Rufus blinked, Tseng felt touched by the uneasiness and fear in her words, and Elena looked just beautiful with her heated face and that worried looked in her eyes.

"Why, of course not," Rufus replied with a smile that was actually kind, hesitated a moment and then ruffled the girl's hair.

Marlene almost beamed happily at that. "Okay."

"Elena, would you be so kind as to get those two washed? I think they may leave their bags next door until we found a room for them. You can join us for lunch afterwards."

Elena nodded, solemnly, but didn't seem too happy about the assignment. Maybe, Tseng suspected, she was feeling guilty because it was her who had brought the children here. He would have to talk to her about that, he thought.

"Come," she told the children with just one of her smiles, and the children got up obediently.

"Thank you again," Denzel said when he had gotten up. "I promise we will behave very well."

It earned him another smug smile from Rufus. "I'm sure you will."

Elena shepherded the children out of the room and Tseng almost smiled when he heard her explaining that Rufus was not evil – only worried. It almost made him laugh. He had never thought that Elena was that creative where lies were concerned.

Rufus let out a sigh when the door had closed behind them, got up. "I guess it might be a good idea to call StrifeDeliveries now and tell him that we have two packages to deliver for him... it might be better if you did that. And I should call Reeve. - Why couldn't they have just gone to Reeve? Why come here?"

Tseng gave a shrug. "Before we start complaining about life's unfair ways, I would like to point out that I don't think it's a good idea not to sent them back directly."

Rufus sneered. "Do you think they pose a security risk?"

"Not they," Tseng gave back, unperturbed. "Cloud."

"Oh, him... maybe. We will have to play this carefully. It would be best if we tell Cloud to come without Tifa, but directly to pick the children up. We should emphasise that we feel disturbed by them... Of course, I'd talk to him once he's here."

"Might be better if you did not," Tseng pointed out. If Cloud was still jealous, that would be entirely the wrong approach. Especially because – however impartial Rufus might act, Tseng was well aware that in love matters, one was never truly impartial, as much as one tried. Way too many years of experience with that. "It would seem as if you couldn't care less, and Cloud could talk to one of us which might make him more willing to tell us what he knows. - That is what you're aiming at, aren't you?"

Rufus smirked, satisfied, as it seems. "Among other things."

"Just – don't underestimate Cloud. We should not play games with him. And don't think that Tifa will be happy when she hears about this."

Rufus sneered. "Tifa has nothing to do with this. As I said, I am very much hoping she'll stay wherever she is. She won't be of any use to us, Cloud will. - We only have to be careful that we never even sound as if we might be keeping the children hostage. My other points are the following: we can't sent the children back by train, obviously. If we fly them back by helicopter, nothing will change for them. There'll still be arguments at home, and in a few weeks, they'll run off to someone else. We'd win nothing, they'd win nothing. However, if we were to keep them for a while – why, word will get round that we took them in and helped them. It'll improve our image considerable. Secondly – and I'm sure you won't like this: if word gets round that they are with us the likelihood of another attack on us decreases. Not much, but I don't think hat even those terrorists are too eager to blow up the children of Tifa Lockheart and Cloud Strife." Rufus flicked his hair. "Just apart from the fact that things might actually turn out beneficial for the children as well. For I think that Denzel was at least right in this point: the step those two took was so drastic that Cloud and Tifa will have to think about it. That might improve the situation a little. Most of all, it will give them time to come to a certain arrangement which would be beneficial for the children... Besides..." Rufus hesitated a moment and then added a little lower: "I was stupid enough to save the boy's life."

Tseng remained silent. For one, he was not sure what to answer – it was of course exceedingly immoral to think of the children as a shield, but when all was said and done, it was a valid argument. Certainly Rufus would not have uttered it anywhere else but in his presence, him being not that unaware what norms actually forbade. Secondly, Rufus was feeling responsible. Of course, it was no news that Rufus was capable of doing so, after all, he did feel responsible for the Turks. Tseng felt guilt rising at that. He had called Rufus selfish and, yes, certainly, to most extents, Rufus was nothing but selfish. But not around them and not for Shin-Ra. He was unthinking, as he had explained to Elena which seemed now so long ago. The problem was, it would not do to tell Rufus that he, Tseng, had been wrong.

And thirdly, Tseng suspected that Rufus had chosen his line of arguments exactly in that order to sooth him with the last. While fourthly, he could not stop to think about Elena's rather helpless expression as she had shooed the children out of the room.

"Where do you want to keep the children, anyway?" Tseng asked after quite a while of looking at the table.

Rufus shrugged. "I thought our quarters would be adequate. We can't put them into an orphanage. It would ruin the entire effect... Tifa keeps them in two separate rooms, so should we. Apart from that, I'll hire a nanny who'll take care of them as long as they aren't in their rooms. We certainly don't have time to entertain them. Otherwise... well, of course they'll be sent to school, and it might be a good idea if one of you would find time to teach them something Turk-ish. Not about fighting, Tifa disapproves of that. Perhaps running away? I suppose that pacific enough even for her. At least, the point is that they should keep us in a favourable memory, so they'll tell all their little friends what a good time they had here, and they should learn things here, so the adults will be forced to agree that we teach children useful things..."

"And what exactly will be your part in this?" Tseng asked.

Rufus shrugged. "Teaching them about manners? - You should have seen the girl eat! - Maybe spent half an hour each evening with them and have them tell me what they did, maybe teach them a thing or two about business so that silly bar will run a little better?"

"I hope it'll work out as easily as you put it." So Rufus did indeed like the children.

Rufus nodded, solemnly. "I hope so, too... At least, it is going to be very interesting."

Tseng nodded without replying anything. He had a hunch that Rufus had no clue just how interesting exactly things were going to be. But he was not going to tell him anything about that. Rufus' plan was – as usual – rather sound. And they could all do with the children. Even if they would put more stress on them, they would also help to get their minds off matters and... they were well behaved, as far as Tseng had observed. It would do them all at least a little good to have those two around.

Hopefully.

Hopefully things were not going to end in yet another disaster.

And, of course, he hoped that the children would actually give him some reasons to see more of Elena. He smiled cordially at her when she whisked the two – much tidier and much cleaner – children into the kitchen where he and Rufus had already taken a seat at the table, waiting for the food to be delivered from the kitchen. Two meals more, now.

The children were all beaming, ready to please, Rufus seemed to be rather ready to approve (at least he commended the children on looking much more civil now), and Elena was just beaming over her entire face when she got to sit with him. One of these days, he would really have to talk to Elena about where exactly things were heading. For now, he was just thankful to let them run. For them to be the only thing that was not pressed into any shaped plan.


Thank you very much again for reading. I hope I'll be able to post again soon. The next chapter will be about Tifa and Cloud again and Cloud will do a bit of explaining.

Please review!