Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay! Taking lots of literature classes can pretty much suck up all your free time. Please enjoy the next chapter!

Chapter 6

Rude knew he was lucky. He was just able to grab Reno before his friend pursued a course of action which he might regret later. He was just as surprised as Reno, but he wasn't about to let his best friend get into serious trouble until he could figure out what was going on.

"Let go Rude! I'm gonna kill that son of a-" The red-haired Turk struggled against the bigger man. But his attention quickly turned back to Tifa and Rufus as a loud smack reverberated in the air.

"Don't do anything stupid." Rude advised.

Rufus paused, stumbling near the two Turks. "Stay here and keep an eye on things. Tseng will give you further instructions later." Though his cheek throbbed from the powerful blow, he couldn't resist smiling. Reno finally freed up one of his arms. Rufus stepped back just out of reach as he felt the Turk's fist sail by him. Choosing to ignore the incident, Rufus hurried to the car. He hadn't felt this exhilerated in months.

"Sir." Rude responded tersely for the both of them. Reno was so angry. Only a strangled sound issued from his throat while he continued to struggle to free himself from Rude. His fingers itched for his EMR which, thanks to Rude's iron-grip, was just out of reach.

"Reno." Tseng called out. "Stay here. I'll find out what's going on." His eyes flickered over to Tifa's still form before returning to the bristling red-head. Tseng then turned his back on them and issued sharp commands to Elena, snapping her out of her own shock.

"Let me go." Reno commanded as they watched the car pull away. He straightened his suit as his gaze turned to Tifa's rigid form. Quickly, he sprinted up the stairs and hugged her in his arms.

"What was that?" Tifa's soft voice sounded against his chest. The feel of Reno's strong arms assured her she was not having some deranged dream. Anger began rising inside her.

Reno gripped her tighter. "I swear to you that I won't let him get away with that." Damn you Rufus! It was one thing to worry about Cloud; it was quite another to have to worry about your boss going after your girl.

"It won't happen again." Reno could hear the hardness in her voice. Tifa pulled away from him and glared in the direction Rufus had escaped. "Why don't you two come in and have a drink? My treat." She disappeared inside hoping no one saw the incident with Rufus. She felt she could use a strong drink as well.

"Tifa! Where've ya been?" Victor shouted over to her. "Without Cheryl here I'm lost!" Tifa managed to crack a tiny smile. He's so dramatic!

"I'm back." She tried to shake off the feeling of Rufus holding her. What was that? Some random drive-by kiss? She approached the bar and picked up the drinks some of her patrons were waiting for before coming to the Turk's table. "What'll it be boys?" She smiled trying to lighten the mood, but she couldn't shake her feelings of uneasiness. Why would Rufus do something like that? They never had that type of relationship regardless of what the gossip papers were starting to report.

"A beer." Rude ordered.

"Your usual?" Tifa asked, but she already knew his answer. He nodded in response, and she turned to Reno.

"Something hard. Make it strong." Reno still couldn't believe what he'd seen. He still felt agitated. Maybe a few drinks will calm me down. He just wanted to relax and enjoy the evening with Tifa and Rude. He'd think of a suitable retribution for Rufus later.

"I'll let the bartender make something special for you." ...and maybe for me too. She added mentally. Tifa wrote something down on her tab. "I'll be right back."

Reno kicked violently at a chair, knocking it over. "Tseng better hurry up and find out what the fuck is going on." Patience was not one of Reno's strong points. His left leg was bouncing a mile a minute, and his eyes continually swept the room, searching for... something. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he'd know when he found it.

"He will." Rude glanced at his watch and sighed. He looked up at the bar. "Who's that guy behind the bar?"

Reno stared at the brown-haired man mixing drinks and frowned. "I don't know. Wait... Why is Tifa waitressing?" He wondered aloud. His mind raced for answers, but he couldn't focus. It was mid-afternoon; the bar was still kind of slow. Then he remembered a conversation he and Tifa had earlier in the week. "Oh yeah... he's some new guy she hired to help out part-time." With a glance, Reno appraised the guy. Not a threat, at least, not to me...

Tifa returned with the drinks and sat down after she righted the chair Reno had overturned. Crossing her legs, she smiled at Reno and placed her right hand on the table. A sudden thought occurred to her. Tifa's head turned quickly in Rude's direction. "Rude! Oh no! You're not supposed to be here."

"I know. But it's orders." He replied calmly, hoping she would drop the subject before Reno interjected.

"Where are you supposed to be?" Reno inquired, his curiosity peaked.

"No where." Rude's face took on a slight blush.

"You should call her. I gave her the entire day off for this." Tifa hoped Cheryl wouldn't be too upset at the delay.

Rude felt uncomfortable discussing his personal matters with anyone. He nodded his head in agreement. "I will."

"Rude-you dog! Did you have a date?" Reno momentarily forgot about his problems. He slapped his friend on the shoulder. "Way to go man. You should go partner. I'll cover for you."

"We'll wait..." Rude had no intention of leaving his friend when he might need him.

Reno knew he wasn't going to be able to change his mind. "Your call." His hand slid across the table and grabbed Tifa's. "Speaking of dates... You wanna go somewhere Lockhart?" He suggested to her charmingly, kissing the back of her hand tenderly.

With arched eyebrows, Tifa pulled her hand away. "'Wanna go somewhere?'... You're going to have to do better than that Reno if you want a date with me." She teased and then continued, "A lot better." She turned away, a small smile on her lips, a seductive sway with her hips, and went back to work.

It was the second time today Tseng thought he needed his ears checked. "I'm sorry sir. What do we need to do?" They were up in Rufus' office in the new Shinra Company building. He just sent Elena away to get ready for dinner later.

Rufus didn't mind repeating his plan again. "We need to set up some meeting places with Tifa Lockhart. I have some specific areas in mind. The first one will be at The Golden Cactuar-the new high scale restaurant."

"But... why sir?" Tseng interrupted. He rarely ever questioned Rufus, but he needed to know what was going on. Rufus handed him a report, which he quickly skimmed over. "A popularity poll?"

"Yes." Rufus beamed; his smile was huge, and he was practically glowing with excitement. "Since the picture came out in the news, my popularity- Shinra's, has increased. She softens my image with the public. This could bode extremely well for the company and shift support from anti-Shinra groups."

Tseng could feel the excitement emanate from his boss. "You want to have a relationship with Tifa Lockhart to boost your image?" Disbelief and a small sense of dread washed over Tseng. He could feel the imminent threat of a disaster approaching, with a furious red-head at the center of it.

If Tifa wanted to play hard to get, Reno was definitely up for it. Smirking, he collected his thoughts. He absolutely loved a challenge. Where can I take her? His mind raced for ideas. Someplace special... No ordinary place will do for Tifa.

Rude interrupted his musings as he kicked Reno under the table. "Look." He nodded toward the bar.

Reno's eyes whipped over to the counter. Without hesitating a second, he abruptly stood up, grabbed his drink, and made a beeline with Rude to the bar. It was still early evening, so the bar wasn't crowded yet. Reno and Rude took seats right in front of Victor. "You're new." Reno quipped.

"Yep." Victor turned his back on them, instead, focusing on the task at hand.

"Then you should probably know that you have two seconds to stop what you're doing." The remark sounded casual, but the threat was extremely real. Reno's anger returned full force. At last, he had an outlet for his temper.

Victor scoffed at the red-headed man and ignored him. "You got that box Tifa?" His hands clutched her waist as she stretched on a chair to reach up into the cupboard against the back wall. Panic seized him as his head suddenly snapped back; he was having problems breathing. Immediately he let go of Tifa; his hands shooting towards his aching throat.

Stretched over the counter, Reno had grabbed the man by his long hair with one hand and gripped his throat tightly with his other hand. The indignation he felt earlier returned and served only to fuel his fire. Reno's breathing became labored as if he had run a long distance and felt bile rising in his throat. He finally found what he was looking for earlier-a fight. He slowly increased the pressure on Victor's throat until the bartender released Tifa.

"ACK!" Tifa fell with a hard thud onto the floor. She winced as she gingerly stood up, her back end extremely sore. "Reno! What are you doing!? Let him go." She commanded harshly.

The fiery Turk dropped back down on his stool while watching Victor gently rub his sore throat. "I was thinking he needs to keep his hands to himself." He couldn't do anything about Rufus at the moment, but he certainly could make sure this jerk knew his place.

Tifa's eyes narrowed. "This is NOT going to be a problem Reno, is it? Victor works here. He needs to be able to do his job and help me when I need it." What is his problem?

"I didn't know putting his hands on you was part of his job description. If I'd known that, I would've applied for a job here long ago and saved myself the hassle of having to 'take things slowly.'" He fired back at Tifa. Reno was so furious he ignored his inner warning alarm cautioning him to back off. He didn't even realize that he crossed a line.

The sound of a loud slap silenced the bar. "Get out!" Tifa's hand ached, but she didn't care at the moment. Reno's hand slowly caressed the side of his face as he looked at the angry woman. "I said GET OUT!" She moved quickly from behind the bar. Both Turks could feel the fury radiate from her, which was mirrored in her flashing red eyes. "I am sick and tired of men trying to drive me crazy. I don't need this right now!" Frazzled, Tifa's fingers twitched as the urge to pull her hair out built up. "You, Rufus, Cloud... just leave me alone! How dare you come in here and insult me like this. I'm not one of your cheap floozies you usually date damn it! You have some nerve insinuating that I'm like them!" She couldn't believe him. "I thought you were different." Feelings of betrayal washed over her. How could I have been so stupid?

"You're throwing me out?" Reno couldn't quite get over the indignation he felt at Tifa's command. "You know what... fine. We don't want to be here anyways. The drinks are weak and the atmosphere cold." Pushing Tifa's buttons were his only goal now; he couldn't restrain his anger anymore. "Some blond rich people may find this dump charming, but not this guy. Maybe you should call him," he spat out. He knew that Tifa took a lot of pride in her bar. "Perhaps I'll find some better company elsewhere babe." Reno bolted up off the stool and marched out the door. Rude gave Tifa an apologetic shrug of his shoulders and quietly followed Reno out the door.

"You ok Tifa?" Victor croaked out, slouching on the bar.

"No Victor. I'm not."

Rude wondered where they were going. They seemed to be wandering aimlessly around the city. "She didn't deserve that." Reno remained silent. "Let's take you home."

"I don't want to go home." Reno replied tersely.

"What was that all about?" Rude inquired as they made their way through a rundown part of the neighborhood. Reno remained lost in thought and ignored his friend's question. Rude sighed. "Where are we going?"

Reno shrugged in response. "I don't know. I don't know where I'm going. I don't want to go anywhere." He kicked a stray rock along the side of the road. His temper was cooling, but he wasn't sure what to do about Tifa. I was such an ass. The strong urge to drink was building inside. Before he knew it, his feet had taken him to another bar; this one was very much run down when compared to a bar like Seventh Heaven. Most of the seats were cracked, the wood floor was uneven, and the painted blue walls had seen better days. Reno and Rude settled down on a booth and prepared for a long stay.

"Why?" Rude asked him after they got their drinks.

Reno took a long drink form his bottle. "Why what?" He was deliberately evading his friend's question. He scanned the room, trying to avoid looking at Rude.

"Don't play this game Reno. I want to know why you said what you did to her." Rude looked dead serious, and it was then that Reno remembered his conversation with his partner a few years ago in Wutai; it was there that Rude had actually confessed to Reno that he had feelings for Tifa. He briefly wondered if his friend still harbored any residual love for her. "I thought you were actually serious about her."

"I am." He looked sharply sideways at Rude who still hadn't moved since they sat down. "Look... I was angry alright? I'll make it up to her tomorrow when we've both calmed down."

Frowning, Rude shook his head and snorted. "Do you even realize what you said to her? She might not forgive you." Reno's face reflected his confusion, so Rude continued. "You know... you basically told her you were using her. Treated her as if she was another notch in your belt."

"What are you talking about? I was mad, ok? I know I insinuated something about Rufus and insulted her bar." Reno shrugged, trying to recall the argument. "I don't really remember what I said exactly..." He replied to Rude's exasperated look.

"'I didn't know getting to touch you was part of the job. If I'd known that, I would've applied here long ago and saved myself the hassle.'" Rude repeated to Reno. "Sound familiar?"

"I-what!? I said that?" The conversation started playing back in his head at Rude's prompting. Now I really feel like a jerk. He set his drink down. He really didn't remember what he'd said; he was angry about Rufus, so he lashed out at Tifa. Witnessing yet another man putting his hands on her sent him over the edge. She'll never forgive something like that. Why do I let me temper always get the best of me? Inside, hopelessness was beginning to creep through his body; he felt as if his soul was being crushed. Staring at his bottle, Reno became lost in dark thoughts. It's over before it had a chance to start...

An attractive woman suddenly appeared before the booth the Turks had chosen. She flipped her long blond hair over her shoulder, a haughty look on her face. "It's been awhile Reno." She sauntered over closer to the cracked green bench seat Reno occupied. "I've missed you."

Reno looked up nonchalantly into her face. "Not tonight sweetheart. Maybe some other time." He turned his head away, but her hand shot out and grabbed his chin, turning his face back towards her.

"Come on Reno." She was pouting now and bending forward. Her skimpy low-cut silk shirt didn't conceal much. "You look like you had a rough day. Let Helen take care of you." Reno could smell her perfume; it was overpowering. He took a good hard look at her then. What do I see in her? He noticed her artificiality-her hair, nails, body... Everything about her was fake from top to bottom, inside and out, and he suddenly found himself very disgusted. Yet Helen was one of his usuals, definitely part of his fan club he had acquired over the years; he could always count on her as a standby if his plans fell through. And then he realized. There's only one girl I'm interested in. He pushed Helen's hand away in irritation. Damn it Tifa! He cursed as he thought. She's ruined me for other women. For a self proclaimed ladies man, this was going to have serious repercussions for his love life. He just knew it. "I said I wasn't interested. Why don't you try somewhere else?" Reno had his focus back. He would win Tifa back. I'm not giving up yet! I'll prove to her I can be faithful and dependable.

But Helen wasn't used to being rejected, especially by Reno. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and before Reno knew what was happening, she threw herself on him and planted a fierce kiss on him. His arms shot out quickly as he tried to push her off. He barely registered Rude in the background jumping slightly in his seat.

"You should get some fresh air." Victor advised her a few hours later. "Seriously Tifa. I can watch the bar and check in on the kids every now and then. You need to get your mind off your problems." He noted her tired appearance and wondered what was going through her head. "Hey Tifa... um...I need to make a phone call. Is that ok?"

Tifa nodded and watched the bar for a few minutes. She never bothered getting up from her seat. She sat on a stool at the end of the bar, staring off into space. She felt like a fool. Nothing like public humiliation to put things in perspective. She mused. How could I have fallen for that? It just felt...no...we felt so... real...Reno had seemed so incredibly sincere with her. They had spent many evenings hanging out in Seventh Heaven-talking, laughing, and getting to know each other. Or so she had thought. She had grown to depend on his carefree attitude and engaging demeanor.

"Hey Tifa! Want some help?" His bangs hung down in his eyes. His smile was disarming.

"You don't have to do anything. But I wouldn't mind some company." Tifa was turning the chairs over onto the tables. Reno plopped onto one of the only seats still down.

"Busy night." It wasn't a question. Reno had been there all evening and witnessed Tifa hopping back and forth behind her counter.

"Mmhmm. But it's nice you know. People can come here and have a good time. Forget about their worries for awhile."

"How do you do it?" Reno frowned. "You're always so upbeat. Don't you ever feel...I don't know... annoyed?"

Tifa smiled wryly. "I was 'annoyed' when Shinra was trying to kill me."

Reno's head hung down, and he became abnormally quiet. "Tifa... About that." Tifa knew she had accidentally struck a nerve with him.

"Reno-"

"No. I really do want to talk about that." He interrupted her. "It was my job. At that point in my life, there was nothing but the job. It always came first." He became silent.

"And now?" She gently prompted. She was standing next to his chair.

"It's different." He fell silent again. Tifa reached out and touched his shoulder. He looked up into her red-wine eyes. "Sometimes I have nightmares-the screams. The anguish. Who knew pushing a button could-"

She wanted to say 'it's ok,' but it wasn't. Reno had tried to kill her and her friends by dropping the plate in Sector Seven, which had killed many people in the process. "I feel just as responsible." She squeezed his shoulder. "Avalanche has a lot of blood on their hands too." She smiled delicately at him. "The only thing to do is to try and make up for it as best you can. We may never feel like we can ever repair the damage of our actions. But we still need to try."

"Geez Lockhart. You sound like a public service announcement." The pain behind his eyes had disappeared, and Tifa knew his defense had kicked in. She knew he rarely let anyone see his inner self. Tifa let her hand drop away from him. "I better get going. See ya around Lockhart." The next morning, Tifa was pleasantly surprised by a single pink flower lying on her doorstep as she returned from her morning jog with Cloud. Smiling, she picked it up and smelled it. The light fragrance tickled her nose. She ignored Cloud's questioning stare.

Tifa snapped back into the present. She hadn't thought about that night in a long time. Well, my feelings are definitely real even if Reno's ... Tifa stared around the bar. Usually she could take solace in working behind the counter but not tonight. Perhaps Victor is right. Maybe I do need to get out. Clear my head. Deciding to take Victor up on his offer, she quickly escaped the bar after he made his call and went strolling down the streets of Edge in the cool, dark night.

Not really having a destination in mind, she wandered up and down the streets, winding her way to other parts of Edge and out of her own neighborhood. What happened back there? Why did things have to go like that? Thoughts sped through her mind. Why was he like that? I just don't get it. Was he just angry? She turned a corner onto a new street. Of course that doesn't excuse him from saying what he did. She noticed a new clothing store and went to look at the display in the window. Why do I care? He was such a jerk! But...I really liked him. She moved on from the store window and continued to walk on. Maybe I just attract jerks. Tifa turned down yet another street. A vision of Reno appeared in her mind: his laughing eyes, his quirky smile. She had now stopped in front of another shop, only this one was a restaurant. She glanced at the menu posted outside the door. Maybe I was too hasty. The thought caught her off guard and she laughed bitterly out loud. I must be a glutton for punishment. She realized that she was going to give her and Reno another chance. I have to know whether he's for real, or if he's playing me. I'll find him first thing tomorrow. For some reason, she felt she couldn't let go. More significantly, she recognized that she didn't want to let him go even after his horrible comments to her earlier. Our tempers were just flaring.

Tifa continued on her walk. A shop a few doors down actually had its lights on, and she could hear laughter and faint music coming from the doorway. She made her way over and looked casually through the big window in the front. Another bar. Looks alright I guess. Not much going on with the décor. She continued past the window but stopped dead in her tracks. Did I just see that? She backed up slowly and paused in front of the window again. There, on display for the entire public to see, was Reno making out with a blond woman. Tifa's humiliation returned full force. That jerk! Looks like I have my answer. Her fist, as if moving of its own accord, started banging loudly on the window.

Rude was startled. Did he just see Tifa walk by the window? He watched as Reno successfully pushed Helen away, his arms still holding her back. Rude nervously adjusted his sunglasses. A sudden and violent pounding snapped his attention back to the window. This is not his night.

Reno also looked over at the ruckus and paled. "Oh god no!" He shoved Helen forcefully away. "No Tifa!" He was rooted to the spot.

"You arrogant jerk!" She uncharacteristically screamed through the window and took off running. Reno wasted no time and sprinted after her, leaving Rude with the realization he was going to have to pay for Reno's drinks...again.

"Scuse us." Rude stood up and paid the barmaid. He looked back at Helen. "It's over." He turned his back on her and proceeded out the door. Which way did they go? He didn't have to wonder long. Distinct shouting came floating around the corner. He headed in that direction making sure to maintain a discreet distance yet still be close enough should his assistance be required.

"I can't believe you! I can't believe me!" Tifa fumed. "I was actually thinking about giving you another chance." She was tracing her path back to Seventh Heaven.

"It's not what it looked like babe." Reno knew he must have wronged someone (probably a woman, he figured) very grievously in a past life. How else could he explain his rotten luck with Tifa? "I swear to you. She came on to me." He paused to catch his breath. Running and drinking definitely don't mix. "Hold on Tifa!" He was breathing heavily. "Can't you stop, so we can talk this out?"

Tifa ignored him.

This is going to be a long night. Rude sighed, continuing to keep his distance.

Reno finally caught up to Tifa. Grabbing her by the arms, he stopped her escape. "Tifa...let me...explain." His breathing was labored. He tried to pull her close to him, but she resisted and stood her ground. Circling around her, he gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "At least look at me Tifa." But she continued to stare at the ground.

"I don't think anything else needs to be said." Tifa was trying to hold back the tears. Rude could hear it in her voice. He felt awkward being a witness to their drama and took a few steps back. "You can see whoever you want to see Reno."

Rude's phone sounded. He took a few more steps away and answered it. "Yes?"

"Rude." It was Elena.

Reno was trying to gather his thoughts together. God knows he didn't want to mess up any more tonight. "I think you need to understand that sometimes my temper-"

"Reno." Rude sounded urgent. "We need to go. Shinra is under attack."

Of all the... "Just a minute." Time was running out on Reno. He knew he may never have another chance to rectify the situation. "Tifa-"

"I'm sorry. But we need to go." Rude interrupted.

"Reno go!" Tifa urged. "We definitely need to talk. But not now. Now go!" Reno didn't hesitate. He and Rude started running back towards the direction of the temporary headquarters of the Shinra building. Just before he rounded the corner at the end of the street, he caught a quick glance of Tifa and smiled.

Tifa was all alone now. Feeling uneasy still, she started jogging back home. It was well past midnight. Shinra under attack. This is serious. She hoped the Turks would be alright. People still held a lot of resentment towards the company for the near destruction of the planet. Smoke was billowing in large patches into the sky. Fire! She hoped no one was seriously injured. She picked up her pace. Wait. That's not right. The Shinra building is the other way. "Oh my god! The city is under attack!"

Tifa was sprinting now. Panic rising. She was a few streets away from Seventh Heaven. A large knot was forming in her stomach. Where is everyone? Why is it quiet? Panic turned into dread. Frantic sounds were coming from around the corner. Tifa froze in her tracks. The scene that met her eyes was incredulous.

The city wasn't under attack. Seventh Heaven was burning. A large group of people were trying to put out the flames. Tifa's knees buckled and gave way beneath her. A man disengaged from the crowd and ran towards her.

"Tifa!" The man was furious. "Where are the children?"

Tifa looked up into his eyes. She didn't have an answer for Cloud.

A/N: So what do you think? Please review and let me know what you think. I promise not to wait so long again between postings!