Disclaimer: Anything that is not mine, is not mine. The games, the characters, they are not mine. The concept of the story is mine, but the elements added that were not originally mine, are definitely not mine. I hope that's enough disclaimer!

Author's Note: Abandon all hope of CloTi before reading this chapter! Don't tell me I didn't warn you! I still hope all of you will read and enjoy this story—this is after all open for everybody who is willing to read about this ship.

Again, thank you for all the reviewers! derekctomlinson, thank you for always reading my story! Guest, thank you for reading as well and I'm glad you're enjoying this!

Special thanks to Angel-Wings Naya for being an amazing beta reader! She also saved this chapter, once again, when she fixed a plot hole with just a few words!

Tifa had never seen a bathroom so pristine as the one Rufus had in his bedroom. White like snow with plain white walls and floors that seemed to be made of crushed diamonds. A chandelier hung in the middle emitting a yellow light contrasting perfectly with the dusky sky from the window and the intricately-carved gold legs of the white tub in the middle. She did not even notice the almost-bare counter or the toilet bowl that had too many buttons. Too delicate to be blotched by her own grime or anyone's, except maybe by its owner's himself.

But she really wanted that shower. And she needed to pee.

She tightened the thick robe she was provided around her and headed for the door. As she had expected, the interior of the flat was lit by gentle white and yellow lights and was surrounded by high glass windows and graced with the sight of the dusk and snowfall outside. She found Rufus sitting on his midnight blue settee, studying the contents of the folders in his hands under a focused gaze.

"Rufus?" Tifa called gingerly, not wanting to impede his concentration.

He did not seem to hear her, so she called again, more loudly this time.

"Rufus."

He broke free from his folders and lifted his detached scrutiny to Tifa.

Tifa nodded apologetically. "Sorry, really sorry to have interrupted you there. I just wanted to ask if I can use your bathroom?"

Rufus frowned and said nothing.

"I don't know if you— do you even use your bathroom?"

Rufus sighed loudly and returned to his folders. "Just use whatever you need and stop asking me ridiculous questions."

Tifa tightened her lips and nodded once, her chin lowering to her chest. "Sorry," she muttered to him then thanked him briefly before turning back around for the bathroom. But instead of a shower she had initially wanted, she found herself dipped in a warm bubble bath that smelled of tranquilizing sandalwood.

The medic did an impressive job at using the Curaga spell and fixed her shoulder, bruises, and the blisters. Aerith could have done better for sure and shorten the time the medic had spent, but there was really nothing to complain about. Aerith was not around and the medic was the best anyone in the place could do for her.

She tilted her head back, down against the curve of the tub. She wondered how long had she been gone and if the others were already looking for her. She sighed and waddled her hand through the sailing bubbles covering the rest of her body. Aerith and Yuffie would be the first one to notice she was gone, though she hoped that Cloud and the rest of the group had gotten there in time to stop the two from looking for her by themselves. She would have to tell them— no, she needed to go back. She would have to tell Rufus that she could not wait until the next morning to get back.

When she stepped out of the bathroom with nothing but the thick bathrobe on her, she was halted by the sight of a loose white sweater, maroon leather skirt, and a beige coat laid out on the bed where she rested before. A short pile of folded clothes sat beside them and Tifa could tell they were meant for women judging by their colors. Their respective tags were still attached.

Elena entered the room carrying another pile of folded clothes and paused when she met Tifa's startled eyes. She gave the latter a friendly smile.

"Hey! You're up!" Elena greeted and then placed the clothes on the bed. She gestured at all of Tifa. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm better, thank you," Tifa replied. She nodded at the clothes. "Is Rufus expecting company?"

"Oh, no," Elena chuckled and looked over the garments. "These are all for you."

Tifa widened her eyes. "What?"

Elena shrugged. "You're our guest."

"He didn't have to get this much."

"The President wants you to have a wider selection of clothes."

Her eyes motioned back at the scattered wardrobe. "Does he do this for every guest?"

Elena rolled her eyes and did a lip-trill. "They wish."

Tifa tilted her head then blinked at Elena.

Elena giggled. "Well, this did not come from me, but between the two of us, if you ask me, this is just his excuse to make an impression on you."

Tifa's brows knitted together, asking Elena to construe it for her. "Impression?"

Elena did a quick peek outside the door then leaned forward to Tifa and lowered her voice. "He has never cared about women's fashion before. He just compliments their clothes if they were lucky enough to wear the right ones, or comments on them to put it kindly if you know what I mean."

Tifa may know what she meant. "Uh huh…"

"I don't think it's the issue right now. I can tell he's not sure which clothes you'll like or not, so he just asked me to bring in all the good ones I could find hoping he'll get lucky enough to catch your preference."

Tifa shook her head. "But anything's fine with me."

"Oh, but he doesn't know that, does he?" Elena winked.

Tifa nodded hazily. "Right. Although—" she swiftly glanced to the door then back to Elena, "—I'm actually planning on leaving now. Aerith and the others will worry if I don't show up soon."

Elena lifted her hand to her jaw and bent her head against it in thought. "Not sure if the President will allow it. He insists that you stay here until morning because it is getting late. And your attackers might get back at you, and on a winter night at that. He's really concerned about that one."

"Then maybe I'll ask him?"

Elena's lips stretched to a contrived smile. "Uhm… I guess you can try? But don't tell him I told you that!"

Tifa smiled and nodded. "Got it. Thanks." She glanced around the room. "So, do you think you also know where my things are?"

"Your equipments are over there—" Elena pointed at the dresser where her gloves, armor, and shoes were, "— and your clothes are still in the washer. Maybe you can change into something else." Elena gestured at the clothes brought in. "The housekeeper will hand them to you when they're done."

"Okay. Uhm…" Tifa gave the bed a single glance then picked the sweater and the skirt that greeted her before. "These ones, then."

Elena beamed. "Perfect. I'll leave you to it, then. Make yourself at home."

"Thanks."

Elena closed the door behind her when she left the room then Tifa worked on dressing herself. Even the undergarments were provided for, and Elena did a great job at sizing her up. She slipped into the linen slippers then headed to the living room where the smell of stir-fried vegetables and soup from the adjacent dining room hit her senses. Rufus was already standing by the settee and facing the window, his face still buried in a folder.

"Rufus?" she called.

Rufus turned around and scanned her with impartial eyes.

"I need to talk to you."

Rufus raised an eyebrow, slid a hand into a pocket, and shifted on his feet.

"I want to return to the inn as soon as I get my cl—"

"No," he said crudely. He reverted to his folder.

Tifa frowned. "My friends will worry fo—"

"You heard me once. No."

"Then watch me."

His eyes still on the report, Rufus scoffed. "You may try all you wish, but every door and manner of exit is guarded by a Turk. And I mean not the ones you're familiar and friendly with. You won't be able to win their favors, I assure you. You will only constantly find yourself back in here."

Tifa's breathing was becoming audible and her frown was digging deeper. "You can't keep me here against my will."

"I can't, and I won't if I don't need to," Rufus replied as irately then sharply flipped his folder close. His eyes traveled back to Tifa, his expression was beginning to tighten. "Those men are still out there and they will keep chasing after you until they could keep you in a place worse than where you are now. They almost had if Tseng was not alert enough to catch you in time," he said in a smarmy reply, almost patronizing her appeal to be let go.

Tifa lifted her chin high and matched his fulsome manner. "Fine. Then you deal with my friends when they begin asking me questions. Goodluck explaining this to them. I bet Cloud will not take it well."

"Oh dear, not the poor man's heart!" Rufus retorted, feigning distress.

If she was holding something in her hand, she would have flung it to him in retaliation. "You're unbearable!"

"Thank you, although I prefer the word 'despicable.'" Rufus retorted in stifled irritation.

"Yes, you are! And a moron, too!"

Rufus snorted loudly and drew a sarcastic grin. "Me? You take me for a moron? Ha! You're in love with Strife who is the more imbecilic character between the two of us! I'd very much like to witness some justice here and demand that you call him a moron instead!"

She gaped at him in disbelief and lifted her hands, her palm pointing towards Rufus. "See? See? You don't even know what you're talking about! You don't know a thing of what I feel about Cloud now!"

"Oh, I think I do. You've shown it to me very much for far too many times!"

"IT WAS DIFFERENT THEN!"

Even Rufus froze at the sudden power in Tifa's voice. She was breathing heavily and scowling at him, fists clenched tightly on her sides as an instinctive defensive response. She took one deep breath then turned around, fearing she might find her defeat if she looked at him any longer.

The room was getting smaller.

Rufus's head fell and he hurled the folder to the settee. He folded his arms against his chest then looked away.

"I don't know why I'm having an argument with you about this. What I feel is none of your business," Tifa said faintly, an effort to calm herself down. "I'm sorry."

Rufus pressed his fingers on his forehead when he felt a shooting numbness. "No. I should not have flouted at you like that. It was uncalled for."

Tifa lowered her head and bit her lip. "But for argument's sake—"

"You no longer have to explain yourself."

"But for argument's sake," Tifa persisted. "I have conceded to the fact that his heart won't ever belong to me." She turned around, now ready to face him with a set jaw. "It's time I move on. I've given up."

Despite the hardened gaze she wore when she faced him, Rufus knew it was forged by the strikes and the cold inflicted upon her burning heart which was beyond what she could brace for herself.

"Good for you, Tifa," he told her.

"It's like what you said. There's no other way but to let him go."

"Then why did you have to bring him up?" Rufus asked, feeling his temper flaring back.

"He's still my friend," Tifa implored. "And he will get worried, just like the rest of them, if I don't get back."

Rufus shifted on his feet again and straightened himself. "I'm sorry, Tifa. I can't. But I swear to you I will bring you back to the inn first thing tomorrow morning."

"But why do I still have to wait 'til then? What difference does it make?"

Rufus took a deep breath, his gaze still fixed on hers. He did not want to tell her, he would heavily prefer the mission kept in the darkest corners of his own grave where it will die with him. The necessity of it called for an action, as with the other orders he released the Turks for. But for the first time, he could not bear having to tell her that blood must be spilled to save hers.

"Because I have Tseng to take care of the situation," he finally said after a moment of contemplation. "He promised me tomorrow morning."

Tifa's eyes widened. Somehow, she knew what it meant but she could be wrong and Rufus could read through it. He spoke again before she could say more.

"The less you know, the better. Trust me on it."

And Tifa had no choice but to trust him. She had her worst fears and a part of her knew them to be the truth. And she was the bearer of it, the burden of knowing that there were people out there getting hurt because she got in the way of what they wanted. But another part of her had doubts, that maybe they were simply apprehended for stirring Rufus the wrong way. But Rufus was a Shinra, and Shinra never punished their prey with a mere slap on the wrist.

Tifa slowly approached the settee and sat on the edge, her eyes staring blankly at the floor.

"Do you regret it?" Rufus suddenly asked.

Tifa snapped her head back to him. "What?"

His gaze was keen but difficult to read. "Do you regret having known me?"

She sucked in a deep breath and opened her mouth before quickly closing them again, finding it difficult to answer with the right words.

His eyes fell and his shoulders sank. She did not have to tell him more, even when she shifted on her seat to face him and parted her lips to say something and nothing came out. He understood.

"I'm sorry. This should not have happened to you if it wasn't for my own recklessness," Rufus said, somewhat regaining his formal tone. "I promise you that I won't interfere in your missions after tonight. You won't see me again, you won't hear from me. We'll be back as strangers— me as the President of Shinra and you among the rebels against my company. As enemies, like we should have been from the start. You and I should be going after Sephiroth and not hindered by this pointless distraction."

"You mean our friendship."

Rufus sighed loudly. "If you call it that, yes."

"It seems to me that you're the one regretting all of this."

Rufus clenched his jaws and began walking away. "Dinner is on the table. Eat heartilly. Tonight, you may sleep in my room."

Tifa shot up. "Wait," she called. And he stopped on his steps. "That's unfair."

"Which part?"

"You deciding to walk away from me like this and refusing to hear what I have to say."

He turned around back to her, a smirk on his lips. "And it's my best decision yet."

Her eyes widened under furrowed brows. His words shot as sharply as his own bullets and stung her with something afflictive, spreading through the whole of her.

This time, however unexpected it was, the bullet ricocheted to him and plagued him with the same blight in the pledge of his words. He looked away, pretending that nothing of it affected him and trudged into another room.

Tifa tightened her lips together and stumbled back a step from the unsteadiness of the moment. She reproached herself from crying this time, remembering the very words he used to console her before. He wasn't worth her tears, and it rang true this time. She chided herself that it was true, over and over until she pushed down all the sting inside her and locked it up in a chest. In spite of it all, even when she counseled her own thoughts, she realized that she had lost her appetite.

And she could not sleep.

The night had long since fallen to a pitch of nothing save for the white specks of snow flickering against the faint light of the room. Tifa sat up and folded her knees up against her chest and hugging them under the soft thick duvet, her mind once again wandering back to Rufus' scathing words. The indifference of it, the cold notion of his promise had bitten her with doubt that everything they shared together had not meant anything to him as much as it did her. The assumption was a floating fact that was easier to accept just because she was dealing with Rufus Shinra who had been infamous for his black heart. But she had known him better than that, beyond the adversary that he was to the whole world like he had claimed to be. He stood in the ivory tower nobody could reach, not even her, as he took over the Planet under his rule. But it would seem that she was among the very few who knew the worth of climbing it and was willing to.

She slid out of the bed and walked out of the bedroom to the living room where dimmed yellow lights suddenly lit up, alarming her a little and expecting a security team to jump on her at any moment. But the silence that remained made her realize that it was motion-activated, and she shook her head at herself for not expecting that much from Shinra. Her eyes darted back to the settee and found that the folders still laid on it as they were left. Her curiosity arose when she was reminded of Rufus' deep concentration as he read whatever was inside the folders, and what made her even more curious was the lack of confidentiality in those files. Otherwise, they would not be splayed out in the open for anyone to see.

Tifa glanced around to check if she was still alone before picking up a folder that read "Rehabilitation Proposal." The document inside read that it was prepared by Reeve Tuesti who was proposing to rebuild the fallen Sectors starting with Sector Seven. A handwritten note was scribbled on the side, which she could only guess was by Rufus, which read "Include renovation of SEVENTH HEAVEN. Commercial establishment, to hike value of sector; boost morale of residents."

Tifa's lips parted and she brushed her fingers against them at the sudden unveiling of Rufus' truth— that he had planned on redressing the mistakes of his company's past. She glanced over the other folders and caught another one labeled with something she had never heard of before.

"World Regenesis Organization"

The document told her that it was also written by Reeve Tuesti and was supposedly a "more substantial rehabilitation program that encompasses all of the Planet." Another scribbled writing was added on the side— "Explore other means of energy sources: Fuel from monster cadavers, regenerative materia."

Her chest tightened, not for the atonement the program had implied under Rufus' administration, but how he was actively aligning her own cause with his, finally seeing that they stood on the same ground, same Planet. She smiled at the revelation that he was taking this seriously and she wondered if it was because of her, too. It would be ambitious to think that he was making up for everything his company took from her, but she had always known that Rufus had a side that would prove he had always been inherently benevolent, more so than his father.

And there was tugging again, the same one that urged there was something more to it. He was not merely doing this to atone because he was not directly troubled by Shinra's actions. In truth, he had inherited all the advantages of it the moment he sat on his throne. The fact that he seemed to be fixing those at his own company's expense meant that he was affected too, and she wondered if it was because of her for it was the only way it made any sense.

She had to know.

Tifa strode towards the room Rufus entered before. She lifted her hand and hesitated before knocking gently on the wooden door. She waited through the long silence and was about to knock again when she heard a shuffling movement against the bed sheet then footsteps approaching.

Rufus opened the door, his eyes were still very much awake. He was in a white plain shirt and silk gray pajama bottom, his hair tousled over half of his face and casting harsher shadows. His head flinched back slightly upon seeing her.

"I can't sleep," Tifa confessed.

Rufus sighed heavily. "You and I both."

Tifa bit her lip and dropped her chin. "I want to ask you something. And I need an answer before the sun rises, or I might never hear it."

Rufus narrowed his eyes and leaned himself against the doorframe.

Tifa met his gaze. "I'm the unrequited love, aren't I?"

He stiffened and his eyes widened for a split second.

"The one you told me about in Gold Saucer. The one who was in love with someone else."

He sneered in reply and looked away.

"You tried to avoid me, but you couldn't," she perdured. "Ever since you left Sector Seven, you knew better to avoid me, but you just couldn't help keeping me in your sight. Even when we became enemies. Even when you knew I was in love with Cloud, you stuck around. And…" She wrapped herself around her arms to grip onto the sudden courage that threatened to waver as soon as it came. "And it made me… happier that I've known you. Because I know now that I was not wrong about you."

Rufus remained quiet as he stared down on his feet while he listened to her words.

"I admit that I was angry at you when I found out who you really are. But I judged too quickly, and that was my mistake." She shrugged and forced a smile. "I hope you can forgive me for it, although I think you already have. Because I can see more clearly now that you are far from the tyrant you perceived yourself to be. And I wonder if…"

He lifted his eyes to hers, waiting for her words.

"I wonder if I'm the only one seeing that side of you because you deliberately showed me or was it because of something else."

His smirk revealed for a moment with a shot of a dismissive snort. "Does it matter what I think?"

Tifa nodded. "Yes. It does. Because I need you to know that I can only give you so little of what you have given me. Because I can only give you bits and pieces of me from the wake of everything I lost and endured that almost broke me. And it's unfair to you as I am still working on fixing myself."

Rufus's face softened, a slight flush travelling along his cheeks that made him look away. Tifa mirrored his reaction to give him an invisible space to compose himself. He remained silent, however, as he shifted on his feet and turned back to her.

"I understand if you find this foolish," she continued. "But you deserve more than that."

"Then…" Rufus responded promptly. "I'll take what's left."

Her eyes widened, glowing under the dimmed light of his room.

"I'll take whatever little you can give me. That's all I need."

Her chest clenched and her eyes began to water as Rufus gazed back at her with yearning for her answer. Because the truth of it all, the only righteous admission that would salvage what remained of his corrupted soul that had taken part on her fracture, was that she was the purest, most honest thing he had ever had the favor of knowing. And every bit of her deserved more than the whole of his being.

Tifa shook her head "No…" She would not allow it. "No."

It all happened so fleetingly, even for her, when she jumped in to kiss him, and Rufus catching her by the waist then pinning her closer to him because it was the only thing he had been waiting for since that day at Sector Seven. He wrapped another arm around her as she pulled him down by his neck and parted her lips to plunge deeper into their kiss. They broke away only to catch their breaths, their foreheads pressed together, their pulses racing, and their half-lidded eyes sealed to the other as if it was the only thing grounding them in a dream. It was him who dove in after when he fiercely reclaimed her mouth then grew more relentless when a moan escaped her throat.

At that moment, as they found themselves trapped in a time that stood still, she had his answer.

They were back in Rufus' room, the one he had intended to loan to Tifa for the night, splayed naked beneath the sheets of his bed and refusing to count the minutes until sunrise.

Tifa was laid on her side on top of Rufus' arm, facing him. Her arms were folded against his chest, her hand caressing his cheek, and her eyes exploring every detail of his countenance. He held her around in his free arm, gently stroking her bare back with his knuckles while he followed her eyes. He smiled when her gaze landed on his then was rewarded with a smile of her own.

"So the rumors were true," she whispered.

"Hm?"

"You have pale skin."

Rufus chuckled. "Is that right?"

"Maybe you should see some sunlight once in a while."

"Maybe you'll have to force me."

Tifa laughed softly against her throat. "Then I shall."

Rufus scoffed then pulled her in gently for another kiss.

Tifa inhaled deeply when they parted. "What are we going to do about this?"

"What do you want to do?"

"Is it possible to be together without causing trouble?"

Rufus sighed, his breath brushing across her cheek. "That's a little complicated."

Tifa closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him. "Don't you want it, too?"

"More than anything," he replied, and tugged her more tightly against him. "However, we must deal with a few things first."

"Yeah," Tifa breathed. "Sephiroth and AVALANCHE."

"We can take it one at a time and work for the day we can be together."

Tifa opened her eyes and lifted them back to him. "Okay. Let's start with tomorrow."

"Today, you mean."

She huffed. "Is it already?"

"Yes."

"Okay. What do we tell them?"

Rufus' eyes drifted upward and searched for the answer. "Tell them that we helped you fight your attackers. And in exchange for our aid, we needed the Ancient's cooperation as we both track Sephiroth down. So we kept you here, against your will."

Tifa smiled then hummed against her throat. "And then I escaped."

"That sounds about right."

Tifa giggled then settled a circling finger in the middle of Rufus' chest once his eyes returned to hers.

"I don't like lying to them."

"I know."

"I don't like hiding this, either."

"No, neither of us do."

"We will tell them, right?"

"Eventually." Rufus planted a wistful kiss on her forehead. "The truth will always come out. And then we will tell them everything one day, I promise you. But for now, the secrecy will keep you safe."

Tifa took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "With you, too."

He breathed through her hair. "Us," he said.

Then sunrise came, as it eventually would.

Rays of its light peeked through the gray clouds and slipped through the bedroom window, rousing Tifa from her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes just as she was reminded of what happened in the evening she woke up from when she realized Rufus' arm was still laying on her waist. She skimmed her hand along his arm and intertwined her fingers with his, then smiled when she felt him tighten his hold on her.

"Just a little longer," he grumbled against her back.

"We'll meet again," she assured him. She promised him. "We always do."

Rufus scoffed then gently pushed his other arm to guide her around to meet him. She pushed strands of his hair away from his face so she could clearly see his blue eyes she had always admired.

"One at a time," she reminded him softly. "Today, we have breakfast then the 'taking me back to the inn' mission."

"Breakfast should be out by now."

Tifa grinned. "Good. I'm famished."

And just as he had said, breakfast was already prepared on the table— a plate of waffles, bread, pork strips, and a bowl of berries waited for them with the aroma of brewed coffee filling the whole flat.

Tifa eyed the two sets of plates and cutleries placed on either side of the elongated table. She lifted the set by the placemat then laid it beside the other. She beamed at Rufus who was watching her.

"I'll sit here," she said as she sat and Rufus joined in immediately after.

"We need to set some ground rules," Rufus said after Tifa had taken her first waffle and placed another on his plate.

"I agree."

Rufus slid a blue card on the table towards Tifa. Her chewing slowed as she looked at it.

"First order of business," he said.

"What's that?"

"A keycard to this place. And the villa in Costa Del Sol. And the mansion in Junon. As well as all other properties under my name. If I have access to them, so do you."

She blinked as she stared at it then turned back to him.

"No. I can't take it. I won't."

Rufus cocked an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Rufus, you know I'm not that kind of person."

"What is?"

Tifa rolled her eyes. "The kind who takes things like this as gifts. It… makes me uncomfortable."

Rufus furrowed his brows. "Why?"

"Look, I'm not entitled to the things that are not mine. I'm not your wife."

Rufus grinned. "I suppose that's the next thing I must work on, then."

Tifa dipped her chin as blush crept her cheeks. Rufus reached over to stroke her by the lips with his thumb and chuckled.

"Fine, if you won't take it. I'll keep it for you until then."

Tifa narrowed her eyes. "Do you always do this to all the other girls you take home with you?" she teased.

Rufus leaned against his knuckles propped up against the table. "Well, aren't you a curious one."

Tifa raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

"I have taken a few to my other flat in Junon."

"You mean other than the mansion."

"I have never taken anyone with me to the mansion, to curb your curiosity."

"So they have access to that flat, then?"

Rufus scoffed. "No. They're not warranted to anything. They were simply guests who came and went for my entertainment and company."

Tifa's smile slowly fell. "That sounds lonely."

"Story of my life."

"Is this your way of gaining my sympathy? To take your card?"

"Is it working?"

"No."

Rufus chuckled and proceeded to slice a piece of his waffle.

"I have a ground rule," Tifa said as she stood and walked to the counter for two glasses of water. When she placed one beside Rufus, she continued. "No more lying to each other. No more secrets."

"Of course."

"You can open up to me, talk to me just about anything. I promise I won't judge you and that I will listen. And I will even help you if you need it or ask for it. I just want you to be honest with me. I'll do the same with you."

"I can do that. And on that note, might I add that I've been meaning to ask you to stop entertaining men from your winebar. It never sat well with me, and it especially won't now."

"Well, that's not gonna happen soon."

"It will. When we rebuild your bar." He nodded at the settee where the folders and papers were still cluttered. "I am sure you have read those files."

Tifa smiled and lowered her gaze to the floor. "And what if I have."

Rufus sipped from his glass and shrugged. "Nothing of consequence, really."

"Speaking of which." Her eyes strayed back to the folders. "I've been meaning to ask you if I may join you in those initiatives."

"Of course you may."

"It might not be much, but I will be more than willing to help set those programs in motion."

"As you wish."

Tifa eyed him incredulously and smiled. "Are you just going to say 'yes' in everything I say?"

Rufus gave her a playful grin. "Indeed."

Inside the car, Rufus shut the partition to the driver's side and pulled Tifa closer to lean on him with an arm wrapped around her waist. He had dressed in his usual white garb while Tifa was wrapped in a beige coat he had bought for her upon his insistence. She did not dispute it because the eternal winter of Icicle Inn had her strongly entreating for one, and the coat was the thickest, softest, most insulated she had ever worn.

They decided to stop at a spot by the trees, a few meters from the inn itself. Tifa planted one last lingering kiss on Rufus' lips.

"I'll see you soon," Rufus whispered in the small space between them the moment she tore from him.

"You take care 'til then."

"You as well."

It was difficult to part from him so quickly as she pulled away and stepped out of the car. He remained there, waiting and watching as she walked farther and closer to the inn. As she held on the knob, she glanced over her shoulder one last time at the car which was still where she left it, waiting for her to enter. She took a deep breath before stepping into the inn.

"Tifa!"

Aerith ran to her and pulled her in a tight embrace. Everyone else— Cloud, Yuffie, Cid, Red, Barret, Cait Sith, and Vincent walked closer to her, wearing their own looks of worry.

"Where have you been?" Cloud asked. "What happened?"

When Aerith let her go, she recited her answer. "My stalkers had followed me here. And I fought them outside. They almost knocked me out until the Turks arrived to help me. Or so I thought."

"They took you, didn't they?" Cait Sith asked.

Tifa nodded, gulping as she forced herself to expand on her lies. "In exchange for their help, they demanded for Aerith's cooperation while they also chase after Sephiroth. They held me in their quarters here in Icicle Inn until I managed to escape."

"Who're those stalkers?" Barret inquired.

Tifa shook her head and rubbed her arms to get rid of the goosebumps as she thought of the fate of her assailants. "Not sure, but they're gone now."

"I owe you big, Tifa," Aerith remarked and rubbed her back. "You must be tired. Let's get you some rest."

"Yes. Right. Rest." Tifa bowed at the rest of the group. "I am sorry for worrying all of you."

Yuffie jumped to her side and looped her arm on hers. "Don't care. Just glad to have you back!"

Aerith gently led her to their room, a smaller one where three beds fitted just fine. Tifa sat on the bed that was left untouched by the two which she assumed was the one meant for her. She frowned when she felt something thin and hard inside one of the pockets of her coat. She frisked around with her hands and fished it out when she spotted it.

It was the blue keycard.

.

.

.

"Rufus…?"

Rufus opened his eyes at the raspy sound of his name. Tifa was gazing at him with languid eyes, her dry lips weakly parted as she tried to speak more. Rufus sat up and quickly leaned over her, his hand still in hers.

"Tifa."

Cloud, who had also gone for a nap, woke up at the sound of Rufus' and Tifa's voices. He looked over his shoulder where Aerith was leaning against him, also deep in slumber after medicating Tifa with her Curaga. He lifted a hand and almost rubbed her arm to rouse her up, but quickly decided against it. He looked over at the married ones in the room and was immediately caught by Tifa's panicked eyes.

"It's okay," he heard Rufus whisper to her. "He knows."

She glanced at Cloud then back to Rufus. "How did he take it?"

"It's okay, Tifa," Cloud called over as gently as he could. He added a smile, a way to assure her of his support. "It's okay."

Tifa smiled back which grew wider when she turned back to Rufus.

"How are you feeling?" Rufus asked and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Better," Tifa replied and slowly sat up, wincing a little when she bent on the site of her wound. "A little more of Cure or medicine will finish the job."

"Aerith offered her help," Rufus said. "We will thank her later. Here." He reached for a glass of water from the bedside table and handed it to Tifa.

"Thanks." Tifa nodded and drank from the glass, finishing the half of it. "And you?"

"I'm just glad you are awake now." Rufus raised her hand and planted a quick kiss on it.

"He never left, you know," Cloud vouched in. "He refused to, even when I told him to clean up and take a rest."

Tifa smiled and tightened her grasp around Rufus' hand.

"He was just about to tell me how you two got married," Cloud added. "The next thing I know, he had dozed off."

Rufus watched as Tifa took a deep breath, her smile almost wavering at the memory of it. "It was Scarlet," she said after exchanging glances with her husband. "Marriage was not yet in our plans, not yet anyway. We were supposed to go after Sephiroth, both of us. Until Scarlet interfered."

.

.

.

Author's Note: This ain't the happily ever after! Nope!