Chapter 4:

Tifa walked down the quaint tree-lined avenue, breathing in the clean, crisp air of the brisk autumn morning. She glanced around her at the small shops and houses that lined the street and reflected on how much Midgar had changed in the three years following the downfall of Shinra. Ever since the new president had been appointed, the city had taken on a much more friendly atmosphere; crime had reduced; pollution had been lessened considerably; the city was growing, thriving, and becoming a great place to live once more.

Even the birds had returned, Tifa noted happily as a pair of finches hopped along the sidewalk happily pecking at whatever small morsels they found. Yes, Midgar had come a long way in such a short time, and there was no doubt that it would continue to grow and thrive for quite a while to come.

The young woman approached the entrance of her shop, a small building set along a quaint avenue of similar stores. She reached into the pocket of her skirt, drew forth a key, and opened up the front door. Stepping inside, she flipped the sign hanging on the door so it displayed the word 'open' and assessed the interior of the small building.

It was a one-room deal, with walls lined with various articles of clothing, armor, and other miscellaneous items while flasks of potions and whatnot occupied two long display cases. Tifa's general store didn't carry any weapons, mostly because there had been little need to use them in recent years. Besides, one of the first things the new president of Midgar did when he came into office was to sign a bill which made it illegal for anyone in the city to carry a firearm, an act which had quickly reduced the crime rate by a considerable amount.

Tifa checked her watch; she had made it right on time, and it would only be a matter of time before her early-morning customers began to show up. She busied herself with the necessary task of wiping the dust off of the display cases and making sure all of her goods were arranged and organized nicely. In no time at all, a young man with shaggy brown hair came through the door.

Tifa smiled; it was Johnny, one of her regular customers. She gave a slight wave as she brushed her hand across a rack of shirts to eliminate wrinkles, "Hey, John. Nice to see you."

Johnny smiled shyly and responded, "Y-yeah, nice to see you too, Miss Tifa."

Tifa sighed happily as she watched the shy young man look through the display cases. He had hardly changed since she first met him at the Don's Place all that time ago; he was still the shy, reserved -- yet very polite and generous -- young man that he had been back then. His recent marriage had done little to change his personality, except for the fact that he seemed to be much happier than before.

"Can I get you your usual?" Tifa asked as she stepped behind the counter.

"No thanks. I'm thinking about getting something different today," Johnny said as he pointed to some bottles with greenish liquid in them, "How about some of those?"

Tifa smiled, "You know you're not old enough to buy those."

"Oh no, my birthday was the other day," Johnny said as he fished out his ID and handed it to Tifa.

The young woman scanned the identification card. Sure enough, he was just barely legal age. She shrugged and rang up the alcoholic beverages, "I didn't know you drank. What's the occasion?"

Johnny just smiled sheepishly and blushed. He cleared his throat and said with a goofy grin on his face, "Ah.....well, you see, um, Penelope and I.....we, ah, we just found out that.....we're gonna be parents!" he finished excitedly.

Tifa broke into a wide grin, "Really? That's great! I'm so happy for you. When did you find out?"

"Just the other day," Johnny said happily, "I'm so excited. I've always wanted to be a father, but I've just had such a hard time finding someone who cared about me. And Penelope is such a great person.....I'm so happy I'm with her."

Tifa put the bottles in a bag and handed it to a blushing Johnny, who quickly shelled out some Gil. He accepted the bag and asked, "So what's new with you, Miss Tifa? Is Cloud okay?"

Tifa nodded, "Yes, he and the others are doing just fine. Last I heard, they were exploring a hidden Materia vein they found near Nibelheim. I think they've almost found it all."

The shy young man asked, "Do you know when he'll be back? He's been gone awfully long and I hate to see you lonely."

Tifa just waved her hand dismissively, "Oh, don't worry about me. I've got Marlene to keep me company. As a matter of fact, I was even thinking about taking a vacation with an old friend."

"Really? Where to?"

"Oh, here and there. We haven't really decided yet. But we're probably gonna end up leaving tomorrow, so the shop'll be closed for a while."

"Ah, well, you certainly deserve a vacation," he said happily, "I hope you have fun."

"Oh, I'm sure I will. If you get the chance, make sure you tell everyone that I'll be gone for a while. You know, just so they won't come to the shop every day wondering where I am," Tifa said off-handedly.

"I will, Miss Tifa," Johnny said as he prepared to leave.

As he reached the door, Tifa called after him, "Congratulations on your baby, John."

"Thanks," he said happily, waved, and walked off.

The rest of the day went along uneventfully. Most of Tifa's regular customers came and went, each of whom she chatted with pleasantly. She got along well with most of the people who were kind enough to frequent her shop, and she made it a habit of learning each of their names in an effort to be friendly. It was no secret why her general store was one of the most-visited shops on the entire sector, and no secret why most of her customers were slightly disappointed when she told them of her vacation plans. Naturally, they all agreed that she needed a break and that they hoped she would have a pleasant vacation, but they all secretly wished she would come back soon. Tifa was well-liked by everyone in the neighborhood, and her positive energy brought smiles to many of the faces she encountered throughout the course of her day.

By the time 5:00 rolled around, Tifa prepared to close up her shop and head home. She counted the money in the register, took stock of the inventory, and replaced everything she had sold today with fresh supplies from the storage room in the back. Once all of these tasks were completed, Tifa placed the day's earnings in her purse, locked up all the doors, and made her way home.

She decided to stop by the bank first to deposit the money she carried before heading home. Checking her watch, she ducked into an alley and walked along the shortcut, humming lightly to herself.

As she passed by a shadowy alcove, a muffled voice suddenly spoke up right next to her ear, "Tifa Lockheart. It has been a while, hasn't it?"

Tifa spun around reflexively, putting her fists up into a fighting stance, "Who's there?" she demanded.

A man walked slowly out of the shadows and stood a few feet away from the fighter, allowing her to get a good look at him. Tifa stifled a gasp when she saw who it was, "Reno.....what do you want?" she asked, wary of the former Turk's intentions.

"Straight to the point, eh? What's the matter, Ms. Lockheart? Not in the mood for small talk today?" the red-haired man asked calmly.

Tifa just sniffed and continued to hold her hands up threateningly, "Well, seeing as how you didn't exactly leave on good terms, can you blame me for being suspicious? Just tell me what you want or go away."

"Fine, fine," Reno shrugged as he fixed the young woman with a bemused stare, "If you must know, I came here because I have an offer for you. An offer that you would be wise to accept."

Tifa's eyes narrowed as she looked over the man she and the others had battled numerous times in the past. His spiky red hair shone with a think coating of hair gel, and the top three buttons of his dress shirt were left undone, exposing his tanned, muscular chest. He carried himself with the same confident, self-assured stance he had always possessed, although the gleam in his eyes was slightly different than it had been three years ago. Whereas before it had been more stable and fixated, now it seemed to be just a bit more desperate and hungry. Just what had caused him to assume this new look?

"I have a feeling I'm not gonna like what you have to say, but let's hear it anyway. What is this offer of yours?" Tifa asked cautiously.

Something flickered across Reno's face for a fleeting moment. Excitement? Eagerness? Joy? Before the young woman could determine the nature of this brief display of emotion, Reno spoke, "I'm here to offer you an open invitation; an invitation to join the organization that will bring this city to prosperity and lead it out of the shallow little false utopia it has found itself in," Reno smiled, a carnal expression, "Tifa Lockheart, I am here to offer you a position in the Neo-Turks."

"Neo-Turks?" Tifa asked uncertainly, "Don't tell me you're trying to reform the Turks."

"Trying?" Reno chuckled softly, "My dear girl, the Turks have already been reformed. Did you honestly think we were just sitting around with our thumbs up our asses these past three years? Oh no, we've been busy, very busy. The Neo-Turks are already over one hundred members strong, and under the firm guidance of their leader -- me -- we shall make sure this city regains its former glory. We've been keeping an eye on you, Tifa. We know you've got what it takes to be a Turk, and seeing as how you don't have anything better to do at the moment, we figured now would be a good time to extend our generous invitation to you. So what do you say?"

Tifa took great pleasure in laughing in his face, "Well, I hate to disappoint you, Reno, but your offer is declined. There's not a chance in hell that I would ever associate myself with a bunch of blood-sucking parasites like the Turks. Go carry out your weak little 'revolution' by yourselves; I'll have no part of it."

Reno folded his arms across his chest and smiled dangerously, "I don't think you understand, Tifa. See, no one -- and I do mean no one -- says no to the Turks, especially when we're generous enough to offer an invitation to you. Now I'll ask you one more time: will you become a Turk, Ms. Lockheart, or will I have to resort to violence to make you see things from our point of view?"

"Go screw yourself, Reno," Tifa said as she turned to walk away, tired of the conversation, "I'm not going to accept your offer, and that's final. Now stay the hell away from me or else I may just have to resort to violence to get my point across."

As the young woman turned and stormed down the alley, a threatening click sounded behind her, followed by a sibilant voice warning her, "Walking away would be......most unwise, Ms. Lockheart."

Tifa slowly came to a stop and glanced over her shoulder to confirm what her ears had told her. Sure enough, Reno had a gun aimed levelly at her head, one eye closed as he readied himself to pull the trigger if need be. Slowly, cautiously, Tifa turned back around and confronted the new leader of the Turks. She had impressive reflexes, but she doubted she could dodge a bullet at this distance.

Reno licked his lips and continued, "Like I said, Ms. Lockheart. Nobody says no to the Turks. Normally, you would be dead by now, but I like you, Ms. Lockheart. I see a great deal of potential in you, and it would be such a shame to throw that away so readily, now wouldn't it? However, I'm afraid I must draw the line somewhere. You may consider this your last chance: accept my generous proposal......or die."

Tifa swallowed a sudden lump in her throat and thought desperately of what she should do. Without the aid of Materia to protect her, a bullet would be fatal. She had never necessarily feared the prospect of dying, but now that the opportunity presented itself, she felt terrified. She had not even felt this way when she had fought Sephiroth in all his glory. No, this was different. Whereas her death fighting Sephiroth would have actually meant something -- would have actually been a sacrifice with meaning and honor -- being shot in a dark, damp alleyway held no prospect of pride, no chance of heroism. It would be a dishonorable death, one that Tifa had never thought she would have to deal with. She began to sweat. This couldn't be happening. She wasn't being placed in this situation. No, this wasn't real. She couldn't die here, alone and helpless, while Marlene played happily back at the house, while all her friends expected her to bring happiness to their lives, while Cloud thought about her every day, never forgiving himself for abandoning the love that they held so dear. Everything about this scenario was wrong.

When she didn't respond, Reno raised his eyebrows and said, "Is that a 'no' then? That's really too bad," he cocked the hammer, "You would've made such a fine Turk......"

Then, without warning, a shrill whistling sounded through the deathly silence as a metallic blur cut through the air. Before anybody could react, the blur whizzed towards Reno like a vengeful silver comet.

The Turk suddenly yelped and drew his hand back as if it had been shocked with electricity. His gun fell to the ground -- sliced neatly in two -- as a large silver shuriken lodged itself in the wall behind him.

Reno quickly glanced at his hand, making sure that all of his fingers were accounted for, and lifted his head up with a wild look in his eyes. Shocked, Tifa could only stare in awe as the svelte form of Yuffie jumped down from the rooftops and landed right in between Tifa and a stunned Reno, another sharp shuriken clutched tightly in her hand and a blazing anger burning in her eyes.

In a threatening voice that Tifa had never heard before, Yuffie threatened, "I suggest you get your sorry ass out of here before I take your whole hand off. Nobody -- and I mean nobody -- says no to a threat made by the one and only Materia Master Yuffie Kisaragi."

Reno just regarded the ninja with a look of fury and disappointment as he clutched his trembling hand to his chest, "So......this is the thanks I get for saving you from the Don? If I had known this was going to be how you'd repay me, I would've let him have his sick, perverted way with you."

Yuffie just smirked, "Do you think I owe you for that or something? Pssssht. I would've taken care of the Don myself; I didn't need you or your bald-headed bodyguard to bail me out. Besides, anyone who threatens my friend Tifa is going to get hurt, regardless of what they did for me in the past."

Reno managed an arrogant -- yet unconvincing -- smile as he backed away slowly, "Nobody......nobody says 'no' to the Turks.......don't think this is over. We will get what we want, you mark my word," he said as he turned and walked away as fast as dignity would allow.

Yuffie just laughed and yelled after him, "Just try it, Turk-boy! You even try to get within striking range of Tiff again, and I'm aiming for your manhood next time! And trust me: I'll do more than just take a little off the top!"

Yuffie laughed defiantly as Reno turned a corner and disappeared from view. The ninja skipped over to the wall, plucked her shuriken out of it, and turned back towards the young woman she had just saved, "Somebody owes me a nice big dinner after that, Tiff. Good thing I came along when I did, eh?"

As the adrenaline began to dissipate in Tifa's veins, it was all she could do to simply remain upright. She blinked, and the world began to swim in her vision. What had just happened here?

Before she could form another conscious though, the young woman fainted dead away.