Slowly getting back on track with ideas! But if anyone has any ideas or suggestions, feel free! I might use them! :D

Enjoy!

Chapter 4

3 Days Later

"Tifa, what do you think about this?"

Tifa blinked and looked at Aerith, who was holding up some clothes for Tifa's inspection. "I'm sorry, what?"

Aerith's brow furrowed. "Is something on your mind?"

"No…just zoned out for a second." Tifa smiled. "Now what were you saying?"

"I was asking what you thought about this." Aerith displayed a pale blue-and-white sundress, lined with rose-colored pink around the thin straps and the scooping curve of the neckline.

"That's really nice," Tifa said sincerely. "Might I inquire as to the occasion?"

Aerith gave her a beatific smile. "Zack gets discharged tomorrow."

"Oh, now I remember. Your dinner date, yeah?"

The familiar pink blush rose in Aerith's cheeks. Tifa laughed.

"You like this guy, huh?"

"Tifa, we barely know each other."

"So?" She folded her arms. "I get to meet him, right?"

"Of course," said Aerith. "I don't have to work tomorrow night, so he's coming around five o'clock."

"Good." Tifa cracked her knuckles.

"Tifa, he's not some pervert," Aerith said.

"I thought you said you barely know each other," she retaliated.

Aerith shook her head and turned back to her closet. "You can be so impossible, you know that?"

"I act out of love," Tifa replied sweetly.

"Tifa…" Aerith sat down on her pink comforter, rubbing the soft fabric of the dress between her delicate fingers. "What about you?"

"What do you mean, what about me?" Tifa raised her eyebrows, flummoxed.

Aerith sighed. "Tifa, you're lonely. Don't think I can't see that. Don't give me that look- you know I'm right."

Tifa stiffened, then forced her muscles to loosen. "Believe me, Aerith," she said, "the last thing on my mind is boys. I could seriously care less." And she meant it, at least for the most part.

VVVVV

Reno was seated in the living room when Tifa came down from her before-work shower. For a moment she stood with her back pressed against the wall after peering over the banister, breathing deeply as her stomach slowly knotted itself. She knew what she had to do.

But she really, really didn't want to.

"Hey," he said, standing up upon her entrance. He looked slightly nervous, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his ripped jeans. "Aerith let me in," he said, by means of an explanation.

Tifa nodded, not knowing what to say to that. The air seemed to spark with awkwardness. Finally Tifa couldn't stand up and opened her mouth.

"Reno-"

He held up a hand, and she fell silent abruptly. "It's okay, Teef. You don't have to say anything- I understand." His blue-green gaze avoided hers, betraying his easy tone. "Uh. Is there, uh…is there someone else?"

"No." Tifa shook her head, her slightly damp hair brushing against the skin of her arms. "Reno, please look at me," she begged, approaching him. "Please."

He obliged, and he lifted his hands to her face. His lips brushed against her forehead softly, hardly lasting for more than a second before moving away. "I'll see you later, Teefie," he said, with the faintest trace of a smile. Then he was gone, the front door clicking shut behind him.

It had gone just the way she had expected it to. "Damn it all to hell," she said, pressing her fingers to her temples. She could feel a headache coming on. Of course there had been no way to get around telling him. Reno deserved the truth. Well, at least in that particular aspect. And, above all else, he deserved someone much, much better than her.

VVVVV

The 7th Heaven was almost always packed on Friday nights. It was also when the most fights broke out, and Tifa was not surprised when two men who had had a bit too much to drink began throwing punches, knocking over their table in the process. Tifa threw down her polishing rag, stepped out from behind the counter, and pulled the two men apart by their shirt collars.

"If you're going to fight, take it outside, or I'll throw you both out myself." She glared at each of them in turn. They mumbled apologies. Tifa released them and returned to the counter as Jessie righted the overturned table and began cleaning up the shards of broken glass, as well as their former contents.

"Same old, same old," she said once she had finished, dumping the shattered glass in the waste basket below the counter. She shook out her long hair and retied it into a messy bun.

"Yep," said Tifa, polishing a mug. Jessie began serving drink orders, and after a few moments she paused.

"Hey, Teef?"

"Hm?"

"What made you decide to join Deliverance?"

Tifa was so startled that she nearly dropped the mug. "Where did that come from?" she asked, setting it down and picking up another.

"Just curiosity." Jessie looked embarrassed. "Sorry if that seemed rude."

Tifa was silent for a long moment, polishing the glass mug mechanically. She could still clearly remember, as if it were only yesterday and not a month ago…

She walked along Schuyler St., thinking about Reno and why he had suddenly seemed so nervous to her. She wasn't aware of the tall man walking behind her, not out of place in the bustling area. He had been tailing her for the past few blocks. She had not taken her car, as the weather was beautiful, and had decided to walk the few blocks to the police station. She smiled, thinking of Reeve building that bizarre robot cat.

She turned onto Crescentview Dr., her purse thumping rhythmically against her upper left thigh. The streets were slowly depopulating as the sky darkened, the scent of rain on the wind as it fluttered her long hair. Suddenly she felt a sharp tug on the strap of her purse, pulling her to the side as a hand slid over her mouth. She struggled violently- the grip on her was surprisingly strong- and froze instantly when something cool and circular pressed against the bare skin of her collar bone. Her eyes widened.

"Don't move, said an oddly soft male voice. Tifa stiffened, not daring to turn around and get a glimpse of his face, though the urge was very strong. Her mind worked furiously as she struggled to remain calm; she'd get out of this. Of course she would. All she had to do was think rationally, and not panic. Dammit, dammit, dammit. How could you not panic? The guy had a gun!

"My, you're very pretty," said the man. "I hope you're not busy tonight, baby, because I'm very, very lonely."

Tifa did not move a muscle, not even when the man rubbed his crotch against her. She took deep, even breaths through her nose; her mouth was still covered by the man's gloved hand. Wait for it. Just be patient…

He removed his hand finally, and Tifa swung her foot back into his shin. She had barely broken free and moved away when the gun went off, and she was spun around by the shot as it hit her shoulder like the blow of a metal bat. She fell to her knees and pressed her hand to the wound, blood seeping through her fingers while she gritted her teeth against the pain. She heard fast footsteps as the man retreated down the alley. They faded quickly, and Tifa was left alone.

A few minutes passed, but it felt like an eternity. Then she heard approaching footsteps, and a man with spiky blonde hair and brilliant, shockingly blue eyes knelt beside her and said, "Don't move, I'm calling an ambulance."

"No, don't," Tifa ground out between her teeth. She was beginning to feel light-headed. The man's brow furrowed as he gave her an are-you-kidding-me look, his phone in his hand.

"I don't know if you've realized this yet, but you've been shot," he said in a dry tone.

Tifa gave him and icy glare. "Thanks for the enlightenment. Your brilliance shocks me."

The man took out what appeared to be a black bandana and leaned forward to examine Tifa's shoulder."Looks like the bullet went straight through," he observed in his low, smooth voice. He tied the bandana tightly over the wound.

"Good," said Tifa. "Then I don't need the hospital."

"On the contrary." The man's dazzling eyes swept over her face. Then he pressed a button on his phone and called an ambulance.

Jessie looked at Tifa in amazement. "And that was Cloud?"

"Yep, though I found that out from Yufie." Tifa's tone was amused when she added, "She said no one else had hair that spiky. I had to admit I was surprised when I found out that she knew him."

"How did you hear about Deliverance?" Jessie asked.

"Yuffie. I told her what happened to me and that's when she mentioned it. I couldn't believe that Cloud was the leader."

Jessie was silent, so Tifa went on. "I told her that I would think about it. A week later I heard that a woman had been raped and shot in that same alley, and that's what clinched it for me." She put the polished mug away and rinsed her hands. "I think it's the same guy who did it," she said. "There's no way its coincidence."

"I agree." Jessie's face was serious. "Barret's keeping an eye out for any related incidents."

Tifa flexed her fingers, secretly hoping that she would be the one to settle things.

VVVVV

When Tifa arrived at the house, Aerith was once again waiting for her on the couch.

"How did things go with Reno?" she inquired.

Tifa pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "Do you really have to ask?"

"No, I suppose not." Aerith let out a small sigh. "I expected as much."

"You need to go to bed, little angel," said Tifa, not wishing to dwell upon the subject of Reno. "You don't wanna be half-dead when loverboy shows up tomorrow."

Aerith blushed. Tifa was relieved that she let Reno drop from the conversation, but she could feel her green eyes on her as she bid Aerith goodnight and headed for her bedroom.

VVVVV

"Aerith, hold still!"

"I'm sorry! I'm just so nervous!"

Tifa rolled her eyes as she finished twisting Aerith's hair into its long plait and tied a long pink ribbon around the top. "There, all done."

"Thank you." Aerith fingered the end of the braid anxiously, shooting glances at the clock so often she appeared to have a twitch. Tifa suppressed a snort of laughter at the thought.

The doorbell rang from downstairs, and Aerith let out a squeak. "He's early!" She snatched up her purse and pink wedge-heeled sandals, then darted down the stairs with Tifa close behind. But instead of opening the door, Aerith ran down the short hallway leading to the kitchen and turned left. Tifa heard a door shut and suppressed a sigh of both annoyance and amusement; true to her word, Aerith was nervous.

She turned her attention to the door and opened it. "Hi," she said to the raven-haired man standing on the top step. "You must be Zack. Aerith's in the bathroom at the moment- come on in."

Zack gave her a dazzling white grin and stepped inside. "You're Tifa, right?" he said to her once she had closed the door.

"Yep." They shook hands. He seemed nice; Tifa wasn't getting any negative thoughts off him. On the contrary, he seemed extremely cheerful. And extremely cute. Aerith words had been true yet again.

Less than ten seconds later she came out of the bathroom, the fluttery nervousness now gone. Tifa was once again amazed at how well Aerith controlled her emotions. She could be serious and serene one moment, giggly and anxious the next.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." She gave Zack a beatific smile. Tifa had to hold back a snort of laughter; Aerith had this guy hook, line, and sinker, even if she didn't realize it. Zack was looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. His eyes, Tifa realized, were that same blue-green that Reno had. They seemed to glow with their vibrancy, just like Cloud's.

"All right, you two, get a move on," said Tifa. She dropped Zack a wink, her unspoken sign of approval, and he grinned.

"Right this way, madam." He opened the door an gestured beyond to his car. Aerith gave a small giggle, and moments later they were gone.

Twent minutes later, Tifa's phone went off, and she snatched it up. "Yuffie?"

"The one and only. Get down to the bar. I have a mission I think you'll be interested in."