A/N: Okay so I lied. I can't do the one-shot thing, this is definitely turning into a little drabble series! And besides, it's Tifa's birthday!
Disclaimer: Oh, I wish, but I don't.
Summary: Worried and running around the house was not how Tifa thought she'd spend her birthday. But, surprises come in all sorts of packages, even through a most of the time evil little puppy. A thoughtful little gift for our favorite barmaid.
The Devil's Own
Chapter 2: Surprise, Surprise
If it hadn't been for the clock on the wall striking the hour, she never would have noticed it.
It was quiet. A little too quiet.
And if this had been any other day, if it had been at any other time, it wouldn't have fazed Tifa. Not one bit. But, much to her misfortune, it wasn't any other day. And that's how she knew…
Something was wrong.
There was no soft scratching of tiny little dog feet running about the wooden floor. There were no tell tale sounds of loud crashes, bangs, or high-pitched barks. Nothing at all, save for the clock's arms slowly ticking away. No signs of trouble. Absolutely none.
She should have been thankful, she thought. But, deep down, Tifa knew that wasn't the case. Something was going on and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Peering around the counter, she dropped the rag she had been using to clean down in the nearby sink. It was one of the slower hours at Seventh Heaven and for the moment, it was completely deserted. Denzel and Marlene were currently at school. And Cloud…well, he was off doing his deliveries.
So, all in all, she was really by herself. Or, at least, she'd like to believe that she was. There still happened to be that one little troublemaker who was suddenly missing.
Refusing to be worried, Tifa began to wash the cups and plates that were dirty. She even had the time to wipe down every table plus sweep away some of the accumulated dust that customers left when leaving the bar.
It had been exactly 30 minutes.
And still, nothing.
Dead silence.
She couldn't get it out of her system. Something was wrong.
Completely startled by how much this was bothering her, Tifa decided to just give in to the inevitable and search for Johnny. She really didn't know how much trouble one tiny puppy could get into, but knowing about his crazy antics, she wouldn't put it past him to be secretly involved in an underground gang.
'What?? I can't believe I just thought that…'
Shaking the random thoughts away, she headed towards the stairs, head cocked aside to listen for the slightest of sounds.
"Johnny?" She called out weakly. Of course, she wasn't exactly expecting him to respond, but hearing nothing didn't soothe her nerves either.
Tifa looked into Cloud's room. Nope, nothing there.
Marlene's and Denzel's? Still no luck.
Her own room? Pshh, yeah right, he'd never be caught dead in her room.
"Hmm…I guess he's not in the house," she muttered under her breath.
Really! Where did that dog run off to? It's not like she was the worst company he could ever keep. Making her way towards the back entrance, she opened the door and stepped out into the sunlight. It was a beautiful day. The sun even managed to hit every blade of grass at just the right angle. The winter cold had finally been driven away, replaced by the warmth of the oncoming summer. Tifa took a moment to appreciate it.
"Arf!"
Of course, he'd ruin the moment. Slightly peeved now, Tifa scanned the backyard, searching intently for any flurries of white running about.
"Johnny-kun! Are you out here?"
The breeze answered her.
"Johnny, I swear if you don't come out right this minute…I'll make sure you'll never get doggy treats again!" she threatened.
Tifa had nearly given up when she saw something zoom past the huge tree at the end of the yard. She'd have thought it was her imagination, but she'd heard a familiar little bark strike the air.
Running towards the tree, she began to yell. "Johnny! I heard you, you know! You can't hide from me!"
A few barks sounded, louder this time. At least she was getting close.
Rounding the corner, she saw him sitting there, panting with his little pink tongue out.
"So this is where you've been the whole time…" she mused.
Surprising her, Johnny trotted towards Tifa and began to bark excitedly at her. She looked at him seriously. "I hope you know that I don't understand what you're saying." Heedless of her reply, Johnny continued his conversation, even running around in small circles.
When Tifa continued to just stand there, he began using his head to push her in a certain direction. It was unthinkable how much strength he had. She almost toppled over when he gave her an especially rough shove.
"Okay, okay! I get it…sheesh!"
Johnny ran in front of her, anticipation radiating from his brown eyes. He started walking towards the trunk of the tree while Tifa followed behind him, arms crossed and with a frown marring her features.
'This better be good.'
"Arf! Arf!" Johnny began to jump up and down impatiently.
Tifa looked at him and then looked at the spot he was jumping on. There was nothing there.
"Arf! Arf! Arf!" Johnny barked insistently louder.
Close to losing what little patience she had left, Tifa kneeled on the ground next to the dog. "Johnny, there's nothing here. I can't believe you put on this little sho-"
She stopped in mid-sentence, a slight gasp escaping her.
Next to Johnny's tail was a partly covered shiny silver necklace, glittering under the rays of the sun. She picked it up, slowly inspecting the intricate detail of the chain. The chain led down to a small wolf's figure, perfectly matching the one on her right ring finger. Her eyes went wide with shock, she could think of only one person who'd give her a present like this:
Cloud.
A small folded note lay on the ground, partially covered by stray dirt. Brushing it away, she picked it up and read the simple message in it.
"Happy Birthday Tifa."
Slowly, a smile spread across her face. A warm feeling tingling through her at his thoughtful gesture.
She'd have to thank him for it later.
A/N: Review pretty please!! I want to continue, but if it all sucks, can you let me know??