Tifa rummaged through her papers, her numerous notes and reminders -she never had been tidy when it came to paperwork- and flipped through her organizer countless times before coming to the horrifying conclusion that she really had lost the address of the place where the wedding would be held at.
"Damned." She muttered under her breath. What had she done with it?
Brringgg.
Brringgg.
"Walhalla, good afternoon." Tifa answered the phone in a huff. What had happened to the piece of paper she had written it on..?
"Tifa?"
"Yes, that's me. Who's this?"
"..It's me, Cloud."
"I'm sorry, who?" Tifa asked absent-mindedly, not really listening as she shuffled papers. The voice sounded an awful lot like-
"Aw, come on, don't you recognize my voice anymore? It's me!"
"Cloud!" she exclaimed in disbelief, forgetting the paperwork.
"Hi!" he laughed. A smile spread across her face.
"Oh, it's so good to hear from you again! How are you?" she asked.
"It's good to hear your voice, Tiff -how have you been?" he asked at the same moment.
"Nuh-uh, you first."
He laughed again, and he sounded clear and sparkling. He sounded 'right around the corner,' to use an expression Tifa had learned from her mother. "I've been okay.. fundamentally bored and stuff, nothing new. I just.. Shera called the other day and gave me your number, and I wanted to know how you're doing, so I decided to call you. I have nothing interesting or exciting to tell, I warn you -"
"Who needs interesting or exciting! Tell me how you are, where you are, what you've been doing!"
"Well, I was around Midgar for a long time, helping out with survivors, and trying to help clear away rubble and stuff.. afterwards I was using my ample supply of Gil " -he laughed at this- "to get people going, get houses built, shops started, stuff like that."
"You weren't at North-West, were you?" she asked, referring to the north-west quarter of the Midgar Ring. Specifically, the quarter nearest to Kalm.
"No, I was at Sheer-South. But I've been moving my way around slowly, you know, lending a hand and using my gil everywhere.. I'm at Sheer-North now."
She nodded, eyes closed, tracing an imaginary line from where she was, North-West, and where he was, at the most northern refugee-site-turned-town, above Midgar.
"You're kidding.." she murmured.
"Why? What about you?"
"I own the inn at Kalm now."
"No shit. You must have had a lot of people on your hands."
"Yeah. I've been helping out with people coming from North-West for the past year. I've payed for houses and stuff being built.."
"That can't have been costing little-"
"It's well worth it, if you see how many people need a place to stay."
"Yeah, tell me about it. There's so much to do."
She felt a smile play on her lips. Cloud sounded the same as ever, and different. "I know the feeling." she said, softer than she had meant to.
"But Tifa.. you're in Kalm. That means you're two hours away. I had no idea. I asked about you all throughout Midgar."
"I would have called, but.." Her eyes shifted down to lock on the fingers of her right hand, which were fiddling with the phone cord.
"Yeah.. I didn't like it too much either, that everyone lost contact, but it got hard, with people wanting to go back to their own parts. And ShinRa's satellites not working anymore meant away with the PHS system."
"It was too bad. Well, at least these phone lines are up and working again. It's so great to hear your voice, you have no idea.."
"I'm happy to talk to you again too, Tifa."
"Oh, before I forget, you wouldn't happen to have the address of Shera and Cid's wedding location, would you?" she asked. "I lost the piece of paper I scribbled it down on.."
"You're going, too? Duh, you did talk to Shera. Yeah, um, lemme see, I should have the address here somewhere.. how were you planning on getting there, if I may ask?"
"Ah.. I guess I was gonna hitch a ride with someone going over there, in that general direction, or maybe the Airship, if it's around. Hadn't really arranged anything yet. It was on the outskirts of Rocket Town, wasn't it?"
"Uh-huh. Here it is -Magdalen's River 17-19, Rocket Town. Do you need the zip or phone number?"
"No, that's okay. Magdalen's River 17-19. Thanks."
"Well, if you want, I'm trying to figure out how to get there too.. it's in two weeks right?"
"No!" she exclaimed, laughing. "In one! Cloud, you would have missed the wedding if it weren't for this conversation!"
"Just checking to see if you were paying attention."
"You ass." she laughed.
"Okay, in a week then. But, if you feel like going up there with me.. interested in getting together?"
"Yeah, of course! I haven't seen you in ages. And yeah, then we can figure out how to get to the wedding."
"Cool. Just the old inn, right? Downtown Kalm?"
"Yep, that's the only one. I've named it Walhalla. Are you doing anything tomorrow? You could just come over whenever you like, it's always really quiet on Sundays. Tomorrow is Sunday, in case you hadn't realized it." she taunted warmly.
"Oh, hardeeharhar. Yeah, I'll come over around noon. I'll see you Monday then, bye!" he said. She could hear him snigger as he hung up. She caught herself just in time before she shouted out 'Sunday, eejit!'.
She sat, staring at the phone with a sense of satisfaction inside. The bell at the front desk was chimed for attention, and she put down the note with the address. Let's not lose anything this time.
The rest of the day, Tifa bustled about, feeling fresh and full of energy.
*
Tifa walked into the backroom of the inn, dropping her coat on the chair at the table. With a sigh, she settled herself in front of the computer, pressing the space bar a few times to wake it up from its energy-saving slumber. It rattled sleepily and the screen faded from black to desktop. She worked quickly, familiar with the spread-sheets into which she put in the expenses for the inn, restaurant and shop.
She caught herself staring blankly at the phone. How wonderful that she could actually call her friends, and they could call her now. She remembered when she had gotten this whole inn-manager thing going; the telephone had just lain there sullenly, plugged into a wall that could only offer it electricity to make the pretty green light on the front glow. And then one day a phone company had hoisted itself up out of ShinRa's ruins- and the phone lines were once again operational. Everyone on the Planet had been assigned a new number though..
Several ShinRa sattelites had been reinstituted for international calls. As of yet though, there were no operators, and no phone books, except for the few that had been issued in Shera's area. So yeah, randomly dial a number and you can bet your breeches that you'll get someone on the line. Don't bet your breeches that you'll know each other, though. Tifa smiled and was vaguely aware of a dinging noise at the counter. Her mouth twitched. Would it be Cloud?
She looked down at the keyboard for a moment. Careful, there. Don't get excited.
As she walked out to the desk, she couldn't help the smile producing itself on her face. It had been so long.
It wasn't Cloud at the desk.
A short, plump lady fiddled with the pen lying on the counter.
"Hello, Malien." Tifa said pleasantly, denying any dissapointment.
The lady looked up, her reddish-brown curls bouncing a little. She had a pretty face, but she looked a little nervous.
"Hullo, Miss Lockheart."
"..is something wrong?"
The woman sighed, not meeting Tifa's eyes. Then her mouth tightened a little.
"It doesn't feel right asking you this.."
"Asking me what?"
"Do you have another vacant room?" the woman blurted, turning red. She
met Tifa's eyes. Tifa's mouth opened, but before she had a chance to form her thoughts into words, the woman continued on.
"My best friend Sail.. she lost her husband in the Meteor Crisis. We just found each other again. I.."
Tifa nodded already; she knew what Malien meant to say. Malien had lost her own husband in the Meteor Crisis, and she had been one of Tifa's first 'guests'.
"Malien, of course your friend can stay here." Tifa said, already considering what room she'd give her.
"Does she have children or is she alone?"
Malien nodded a little. "A daughter, Nimuwe. It would be wonderful if they could stay here until they get back on track. I.. maybe they could even fit into our rooms, Merlan's and mine, for now.."
Tifa shrugged. Merlan was Malien's teenage son. He and his mother already didn't have alot of space to take up at the inn. It would be even tighter for them. "I don't think it'll be neccessary.. Where are they now?"
Malien motioned vaguely to the west. "Still at the shelter."
Tifa's eyebrows tightened involuntarily. "All these months?" she felt a burst of guilt. She had forgotten the shelters even still existed.
Malien nodded. "Yes. It's been terribly difficult. At least food has been taken well care of for them, I've heard of others who have had problems getting even something to eat.."
Tifa shook her head, not really knowing what to say.
"Malien, tell Sail that she and her daughter are more than welcome to stay for as long as they need to. And I could use another set of helping hands to run the shop or restaurant."
She smiled knowingly at Malien. Malien had felt so guilty about living at Walhalla for free that she had insisted she repay Tifa by working in the shop. Malien smiled gratefully back.
"I.. Sail and Nimuwe are taking a walk in the park. Merlan has been showing them around." Malien confessed.
Tifa nodded."Bring them over soon so we can see where they'd fit best."
Malien thanked her and bustled out of the door. Tifa was already pulling out information on her rooms to see where she should let Sail and Nimuwe stay, when she heard Malien's laughter, and the woman's voice warm as she apologized for bumping into someone. A man's voice replied in amusement. A voice that made Tifa's blood pound in her ears-
He was here.
*
A/N:: Yes, in my story they're all millionaires. Now shut up.