Chapter 3.
The next day
Tifa was seated in her favorite chair reading the book. Her hair was hanging over her shoulder and her feet dangled over the side of the chair. She was smiling brightly as she was moving onto chapter five of her book.
Just then there was a knock on her door. Tifa put the book down on the table and went over to the door. She looked through the peek hole and saw Cloud. She rolled her eyes and forced a smile. She pulled open the door. "Cloud, what a surprise. Won't you come in?" She asked. Cloud nodded. He stepped in and Tifa closed the door. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to hunt monsters again." She said. Cloud nodded looking around. "I was. But I changed my mind. Tifa, this is the greatest day that will ever happen to you." He said turning a smile on Tifa.
Tifa rose her eyebrow. "Really? What day is this?" She asked folding her arms. Cloud took Tifa's hand placed a ring on her finger. She gave a disqusted sigh but Cloud didn't hear. "Marry me, Tifa. This is the day we're to be married. Everyone is waiting just outside for us to be wed." He said smiling. Tifa yanked her hand away. "Cloud! We've been through this again and again. I can't marry you." She said.
Cloud tilted his head with annoyance. "And why not?" he asked. Tifa pulled the ring off. "One, I don't deserve you. Two, I don't love you. We are friends and that is all there is going to be between us." She said. Cloud's eyes narrowed with anger. "You will marry me, Tifa! It's our destiny to be together. It's always said that best friends of the opposite gender always get's married together." He said.
Tifa sighed and took Cloud's hand. She slapped the ring into it. "Get out, Cloud. I'm not marrying and that is it." She said going towards the chair. Cloud growled and grabbed Tifa's arm. Tifa gasped as he spun her around and placed his lips against her's.
She let a growl out and snapped her fist back. She punched Cloud hard in the face. "Cloud! You filthy jerk! Get out of my house now! Out!" She screamed snapping the door open. She grabbed Cloud by the collar of his shirt and shoved him hard out of the door. Cloud stumbled and fell down the stairs. He gasped with abit of pain and sat up. He heard the door slam shut. He then growled and stood. "You will marry me, Tifa! I will have you as my wife!" He yelled at the door. He then stomped away.
Inside, Tifa was leaning against the door wiping her mouth. She was so angry for what Cloud did. She then grabbed the bucket near the door and pulled it open. She stomped down the stairs and went around the house to where she kept her chocobo, Rogue.
Rogue was a runt chocobo when she was a baby. Her mother had refused to accept her so Tifa took care of her. She was a brilliant blue color.
Tifa started to feed her. "That stupid jerk! How dare he tell me that I'm to marry him! That brainless, no account jackoff!" She muttered angrily. She stroked her chocobo's beak. "Can you believe him, Rogue?! Kiss me without my permission?! I'll hit him so hard if he ever touchs me like that again!" She said angrily.
Then there was a familiar wharp. Tifa spun around and saw Boco run up. But he was alone. Tifa gasped and hurried towards him. "Boco! Where's daddy?" She asked. Boco whimpered. "You have to take me to him!" She said hurrying into the house. She grabbed her blue cloak and threw it on. She quickly climbed on Boco and raced away from the town of Kalm.
Hours later after dark, she reached Midgar. Boco took her into Sector 4 slums and followed Mr. Lockhart's scent to the stairs. Boco refused to go up the stairs so Tifa climbed off and started up the stairs. Boco looked around and saw the same thieves that attacked his master the night before. He let out a frightened wharp and hurried after Tifa up the stairs. He followed close behind her as they went up.
Finally reaching the top, Tifa looked around the yard. The giant mansion surrounded by grass. She bit her lip and started towards it but Boco grabbed her cloak with his beak stopping her. Tifa looked up at him. Boco started hurrying across the yard towards the east side where there was a few small buildings.
Tifa hurried after him. But by the trees, Boco stopped. He let out a small chirp and pointed his beak towards the buildings. Tifa looked at him and nodded. She walked towards the buildings and began looking through each window.
There was a security guard sleeping on the job. Tifa wondered if she should wake him and ask if he had seen her father but then again something told her not to. She wandered into the jail house section on her own. "Father?" She whispered looking at the stone built cells.
They were small and as big as sheds. A single window on each door with bars. "Hello?" She called softly. "Tifa?" She heard her father called. She saw him in one of the cells and hurried over to him. "Father!" She said placing her hands on the bars. Mr. Lockhart looked out. "Tifa?! What are you doing here?! You have to get out of here before your caught!" He whispered fearfully.
Tifa took his hands and shivered. "Your hands are like ice! Who has done this to you?! I'll teach them a lesson!" She said angrily. Mr. Lockhart shook his head. "No! He's a very powerful man! You must go home! Leave me here and go!" He said fearfully. Tifa shook her head. "No! I'm not leaving you!" She said.
Suddenly someone grabbed her arms. She gasped and swung her fist by reaction. Her fist nailed a security guard in the face. She covered her mouth with shock. "Run, Tifa! Get away!" Mr. Lockhart yelled. Tifa was too shocked.
Just then a pair of arms wrapped around her and yanked her arms behind her back. She gasped with pain. She then flipped the guard over her shoulder and sent a punch into him. Several more guards came at her. She was using her martial arts skills to knock them out. Mr. Lockhart was yelling at her telling her to run.
Suddenly when she turned to see another guard, the guard decided to be too rough and punched her in the face. She let out a shriek of pain and fell into darkness. She could hear her father yelling her name.
Tifa felt someone's hand on her forhead. Pain on one side of the face. She heard her father yelling at someone telling who ever it was to let Tifa go. She winced abit and opened her eyes. One eye hurt so she only opened one. She was in the security house.
Several people all around her. Tifa moaned and tried to sit up. But someone wasn't letting her. She looked up and saw a hansome man with black hair and red eyes holding her down abit. "Don't move. You have just been hit in the head with the butt of a rifle and you may have a concussion. It would be unwise to move, miss." He said.
Two guards were holding her father back from moving who was yelling at a hansome young man with blond hair and wore white. Their eyes all went to her when she sat up. The blond man looked abit surprised seeing her up already but his surprise was replaced by anger.
"You! Why have you come here?! You have trespassed on my land!" He exclaimed. Anger filled Tifa. "I was looking for my father! Why was he locked up?! What wrong has he done?!" She exclaimed. The man growled looking ready to back hand her but he stopped himself. "He is a thief! He had stolen from my home!" He yelled.
Tifa forced herself up ignoring the black haired man's requests of laying back. "Listen, Mister Blond boy! My father would never steal! He is not a theif!" She yelled. The blond man rose his hand as if to back hand her. Tifa flinched and jerked her head to the side ready for the blow.
But it didn't come. The man had held his hand. He looked outraged. "Listen, girl. I am Rufus Shinra, President of ShinRa Incorp. and your father had tresspassed on my land and we found one of my mother's treasures on him! He will be going to prison for his crimes of stealing from me! You can scream, rant and rave all you want but nothing you do will change his sentence! Now get off of my land and go back to where you came from!" He yelled into her face. Tifa cringed at his anger.
Rufus Shinra turned to leave. Tifa was trying to think of a way of helping her father. She knew he was sick and needed to see a doctor soon. He couldn't stay in that awful jailhouse all night. It was cold outside.
She bit her lip and only one thought came to her mind. "Wait!" She called after him hurrying forward. A guard hurried forward and grabbed her arm before she could move any closer to the young President.
Rufus Shinra turned his head shooting a deadly glare at her. Tifa licked her lips and swallowed hard. She took a deep breath and let it out. "Take me instead. I will pay off my father's debt to you. Please, just let him go. He is sick and he must see a doctor." She said. Rufus was about to snap no but then her words sunk in.
He straightened and blinked several times. "You? You will take his place?" He asked surprised. Mr. Lockhart struggled to get away. "No! Don't, Tifa!" He begged. But Tifa ignored him. "Yes. Will you let him go?" She asked. Rufus was quiet. He was studying her then he turned fully. "If I let him go and you take his place, you will stay untel I say you can go. Is it a deal?" he asked sternly.
Mr. Lockhart tried to pull away. "Tifa, don't do this!" He begged. Tifa glanced at him and then nodded. "Yes. It's a deal." She said. Rufus nodded. "Very well." He said. He looked at his guards and nodded. "Take him out of the city. He has been banished from it and will never set foot in my city again." He said. The guards dragged Mr. Lockhart out.
Tifa stepped forward to say her goodbyes but another guard held her back. Her eyes went wide and she struggled. "Wait!" She said. The guards dragged her father out. She tried to jerk away but it was hard. "Wait!" She begged. But the guards were gone. Tifa had tears running down her face.
Her angry eyes on the young president. "You didn't let me say goodbye. I might never get to see him again." She cried into her hands. Rufus just rolled his eyes. "Save your tears for someone who has a heart. Put her in one of the cells. She will stay there untel I say." he said to the guard holding her. The guard pulled her out of the security house.
The tall black haired man stepped forward. "Sir! She'll get sick out here! The frosty season is coming! You couldn't possibly mean leave her out her untel her sentence has been fullfilled." He said with abit of worry. Rufus shot the man a look. "Vincent, you are already losing your money as it is. If you wish to be paid the amount I have given you, you will butt out of my affairs. Understood?" He asked angrily.
Vincent looked outraged. "Fine! Take my money! Take my job! But you can not leave her out here! She'll freeze to death! What good is it having her if your going to let her die out here?!" He asked angrily. Rufus shot him a furious look. Then he grumbled and stomped outside.
The guard was pushing Tifa into her father's cell when Rufus approached. "Hold it!" He ordered. The guard stopped. Tifa looked up with a tear streamed face. Rufus sighed angrily. "I have changed my mind. She will reside in my home instead of out here in the cold." He said. The guard nodded. Tifa looked surprised. She wiped her face abit. Rufus shot Vincent a look. "Happy now?!" He shot. Vincent was trying not to smile. Rufus turned to Tifa. "Come." he ordered. Tifa narrowed her eyes after him but then followed him.
They went inside and walked up the darkened stairs. Tifa looked around the house. There was not very much light. Rufus was holding a candle in a candle holder. Vincent behind Tifa watching her every move. Tifa's head was bowed as tears streamed down her cheeks. She followed her captor down a hall and looked around.
The mansion was more like a castle. It had at least five floors. Possibly more rooms than she could count at the moment. The windows were so large and the hall room was huge. Tifa was abit intrigued by the house.
Finally after climbing up several stair cases, Tifa figuared that they were on the third floor but she hadn't been paying attention, Rufus turned and faced her. He looked at Vincent who nodded. Vincent took out a ring of keys and searched for the right key.
After a minute he slid the key into the lock and twisted it. There was a click and he pushed the door open. Tifa stepped inside. The room was pretty big. There was a balconey and curtains were pulled over the window.
Tifa looked around. "I hope you will find your room satisfactory." Rufus said. Tifa turned and looked at him. He was watching through narrowed eyes. He was so sickening to Tifa's eyes. She wanted to slap him so hard but then again, she now under his possession. She nodded. "It's nice." She said lowly. Rufus nodded. "Good. You will be joining me for dinner tonight. It will be in one hour." he said. Tifa shot him a look and opened her mouth to say something.
Rufus rose his eyebrows. "And that is not a request. That is an order. In this house there is rules you will obey and if you do not, you will be punished. And believe me, you don't want to infuriate me. I am the President of this City and it is under my thumbs. No one will help you if you beg for it. No one dares to anger me. There are the punishments if they do. If you listen to my orders, we will get along just fine. The house is yours to explore. But you will not venture off to the west wing." He said.
Tifa's curiousity got the better of her. "What's in the West....." She was saying. Anger filled Rufus quickly. "It's forbidden to you! You will not go in there! It is none of your business what is in there!" He snapped. Tifa jumped abit and looked down. Rufus lifted his head abit. "Now then, my servents will help you if you ask. This is Vincent Valentine and he is the head of the Security. I have other servents you may meet. I expect you in an hour for dinner. Although you are required to show up ten minutes earlier. Vincent, you may give her the key to her room." He said.
Without another word he almost glided away. Vincent sighed and gave a small smile to Tifa. "Welcome home, Miss Lockhart." He said holding up the key. Tifa took it and watched him leave. As soon as he was gone, she closed the door and ran to her bed. She threw herself on it and burst into tears.
A/N: Well there you go. Hope you enjoyed it. Like in Beauty and the Beast, Rufus had to be mean and demanding. Kind of funny, huh? Anyway, review please.