Randomly inspired. May continue. Not sure... If i don't get reviews, I won't. .
Disclaimer: No. I don't. Simple as that.
He didn't know why it bothered him so much. She could definitely take care of herself. He knew that all to well. There was just something about leaving Tifa alone to take care of two kids and run a bar that simply didn't sit well with him. That, and... He missed her when he was gone. Of course, the long and lonely deliveries he made didn't help the matter. And Fenrir wasn't much of a travel companion either.
Cloud had been gone longer than usual. He'd been called to deliver an important package to some remote city hundreds of miles away. Tifa sighed. Why did he have to leave so much? She knew running a delivery service would mean he'd have to leave a lot, but why couldn't he do local jobs? His deliveries were getting longer and longer, the last couple taking almost two weeks. And the worst part was, she'd always just smile and wave as he left. It was usually only a few minutes after he left, when the crushing loneliness would start to set in. Thankfully, Marlene and Denzel were already in bed. She wouldn't have to explain why Cloud had left again until morning.
Tifa looked around the bar with weary eyes. She had polished every glass she owned until it was spotless. And now, she had nothing to do. She sighed and sat down in a chair, resting her head in her hands. Today had left her exhausted, but she wasn't ready to go to bed. She really just didn't want to. The notion of going back to bed alone again, thoughts of Cloud and whether or not he was okay running circles in her restless mind... She didn't want to go through another night like that. Suddenly she heard a floorboard creak behind her, her whole body going rigid. In one graceful movement, she was scanning the darkness behind her, fists raised. Hearing another creak on the other side of the room, she whipped around again, eyes searching frantically for who or what was in the bar with her. There was a sudden blinding pain in the back of her head, and then Tifa's whole world went black. A third board creaked as her limp body fell to the floor.
Cloud smiled as he realized he was only a few hours away from home. He guessed he would be home by around midnight. He had managed to get home quicker by taking a different route and for once was going to be home a day early. His smile faded slightly. 'Tifa'll sure be surprised...' He felt a sudden wave of guilt. He always felt bad when he left her for so long. But it was a delivery service. He couldn't take jobs closer to home. In the tiny, isolated town of Midgar people only had someone deliver a package if it was going somewhere far away. If is was someone who lived nearby, they'd just walk it over themselves. Cloud's thoughts wandered as Fenrir thundered it's way back home. He ran a tired hand through his windblown hair. When he got home, he was definitely taking some time off.
Marlene awoke with a start, hearing a door close downstairs. 'Cloud's home!' She listened carefully, waiting to hear the voices. None came. She stuck her jaw out defiantly as she realized Cloud and Tifa were going to sneak up on her. Falling back onto the bed pretending to be sleeping still, Marlene wondered vaguely if Tifa and Cloud could read her mind. They had stolen her ideas like that before. And how had they known she and Denzel where the ones sneaking candy from the jar? She yawned widely, and it didn't take long before she was soundly asleep again.
Outside, Tifa had been thrown in the back of a car, her wrists bound tightly behind her. A burly man walked around to the front and after tossing in the 2x4, his weapon of choice, sat down and started the engine. He grinned at the image of Tifa in the backseat. Adjusting his mirror for a better view, he chuckled to himself. The boss was going to be happy with this find. Calloused fingers gripped the steering wheel, and the man left town in the cover of the night.