Disclaimer: Final Fantasy does not belong to me...however much I may like it to. I own no characters, places etc. etc. so please don't sue me! I'm a nice person :)

Author's Note: Chapter Seventeen...PLEASE review as I really enjoy reading your views and they inspire me to get better! It would make me very very happy! Anyway stop reading this and get on with reading the fic! Hope you enjoy! :)

Chapter Seventeen: Close Encounters and Muted Journeys

A warm, orange glow radiated around the room, filling the air with a dense yet bearable heat which made the experience feel altogether rather alien, and yet the space before her was one of incredible familiarity.

The furniture was the same; the sofa, the bookcase, the coffee table placed so perfectly in line with the television and yet within hands reach of any seated individual, but something was wrong, well maybe not wrong, but 'off' about it, for one thing, her living room had never been surrounded by bars.

It was odd; she'd never really been 'conscious' in a dream before; yes she knew it was a dream, there was no doubt in her mind that this was some strange sleep-reality that her subconscious had cooked up for her to enjoy, but she hadn't expected to still feel every forced-upon emotion that dreams so often produced, she'd thought the more aware her condition the more able she'd be to control herself.

A chill crawled up her spine, filling her with a kind of icy unease; the sudden cold rush somewhat jarring her from the surrounding heated atmosphere.

The bars encircling her living room appeared to thicken, and expand; slowly becoming so closely joined that very little light remained, the darkened orange glow becoming fainter and fainter with every second.

The female's skin tingled with a thrilling desperation and yet she made to move to run; where would she go anyway, the room was sealed completely.

She was trapped.

She didn't understand what was going on; had she done something wrong? Was she being punished? Or was it something else entirely.

Whatever it was, it was happening quickly; the room now close to being fully consumed by the oncoming darkness.

The young female took in one, small breath; the air now too dense and too heated to gain much from whatsoever and tried desperately to focus her energies.

Her finger tips twitched slightly before she felt her entire arm become moveable, the process somewhat likeable to someone slowly testing themselves after recovering from pins and needles or a limb that's fallen asleep.

Thought at the exact same moment as her body awakened to an able state, the thick, steel bars came to a complete close; sealing off each and every single source of light.

She remaining motionless for a few moments, seemingly paralyzed by both fear and shock at her new blackened prison.

The space seemed empty now; not that she could see its contents, but it felt different; cold, void of anything that might connect her to home.

Suddenly a small, distant tapping began to sound, its echo increasing with every passing second.

Her senses strained as they attempted to decipher which direction the sound was coming from through the darkness.

A rapid chill crawled across her skin as the realisation hit; the tapping was most indistinguishable from the sound of approaching footsteps and the echoes were now clearly reverberating from behind.

As the tapping sounded closer and closer, her skin seemed to tremble of its own accord, though the steps came to a sudden halt as they reached within a metres distance; the closeness easily estimated by her through her acutely attuned senses which had been the only part of her to have been fully functional since the dream's beginning.

A few strands of hair fell forwards as a warmed wisp of air fell against the back of her head, though as it settled around her, the atmosphere was fumed with a provokingly familiar scent which seemed to cling to the air around her with a controlled desire; both frightening and enthralling to her.

Tifa's crimson-tinted eyes revealed swiftly revealed themselves, along with a light, yet slightly panicked gasp.

Her form quickly relaxed into the cushioned surface of the sofa upon which she was curled.

The room was bathed in a fresh, pale white light; the kind only created during those few hours following dawn, and before the city's inhabitants began to rouse for their morning commute.

She emitted a small groan as she made to rub the back of her hand against her newly awakened eyes.

Strange dream…

A slight, warmed tingle prickled around the back of her neck, causing the small downy hairs upon it to stiffen.

The moment passed though, and she swiftly made to put it to the back of her mind for her to digest at some later point; after all she'd had much stranger dreams in the past that she'd yet to figure out, including one involving Yuffie riding a Chocobo with the face of Sephiroth and the hair of Reno.

A silent, yet rather satisfying yawn escaped her lips, though as she went to stretch out her long-tightened limbs she was made to stiffen once again as a familiarly controlled and ever so condescending voice sounded through the air.

"Good morning Miss. Lockhart, finally up I see."

Tifa quickly straightened herself; making sure to tug her clothes back into place and run a nervous yet soothing hand through her slightly kinked locks.

"Oh…"

Her eyes darted to the floor for a moment before returning to the young male whom sat a few metres away upon one of the more uncomfortable looking armchairs.

"Hello."

Rufus appeared to be casually reading a paper; though it was not one that she'd ever recalled getting through her door.

The female's brow furrowed as her gaze wandered over him; the previous night flooding back to her with a stinging clarity.

Her eyes narrowed accordingly, though the President seemed equally unaware and unmoved by her supposedly piercing display; instead he chose his attention to remain within the thin folds of paper that rustled lightly between his fingers.

She thought about confronting him, though eventually she decided, at least for the moment, to forget about it; there were other more important, more pressing things on her mind at the moment.

Her fingertips curled slightly as she applied a gentle, testing pressure to the sofa's cushioned surface below.

"So when…when can I see Reno?"

Her tone surprised even her, it was true that it was still hard for her to always be to confident around the man that could, quite easily, destroy her completely if he wished, but still, it felt weird having to ask so pitifully, to go see her injured friend.

The young male emitted a somewhat tired sigh, though his icy gaze continued to flicker over the various printed articles.

"If I must I can have my driver pick us up within the hour, but you should get cleaned up first."

He released one side of the paper and waved his now free hand towards the stairs.

"You can use the spare bedroom upstairs; it has an en-suite."

Tifa rose and began moving towards the doorway; not sure whether to be grateful for the offer or insulted, but seeing as the male seemed to be paying no heed to her whatsoever, and the sound of a shower was rather pleasing, she decided that refusal would be somewhat childish, and carried on through to the stairs.

The soft, white towel hugged tightly to her newly moistened skin; the small beads of water quickly absorbed into the fluffy cotton threads.

Her usually pale, porcelain skin had flushed a warm pink from the prolonged presence in such a heated atmosphere, though as the steam began to clear a slight chill could be felt slowly crawling into the space, causing her skin to form small patches of goose-pimples across her shoulders.

The shower had been refreshing enough, and certainly had helped to clear her mind, though now she was left wishing she had one like that of her own; her bathroom being distinctively disappointing compared to this, and it was even more impressive when she considered it to be only a guest en-suite.

She let out a satisfied sigh as she went to stretch; the towel staying perfectly fixed even with the added movement, before proceeding to place her hands around her dripping hair and squeezing it; the excess water splashing pleasantly against the marbled surface.

Once the process was as complete as she could get it, Tifa twisted the now damp locks and slid in a clip; the item brought with her from her trouser pocket, which now lay in a rather crumpled heap upon the guest bed along with her other garments, though the clip was unable to hold a few of the shorter strands which fell forwards and clung to her reddened cheeks.

As she exited the en-suite and entered the softly carpeted guest room another icy chill swept over her; her skin tingling once again, though all she emitted was a slight shiver; the warmed towel enough to keep her from becoming uncomfortable.

Her brow furrowed slightly as a curious realisation hit; where would see get the bits and bobs to get ready with, like a comb, or a hairdryer. She begun scanning the room, though she hadn't spotted anything like that on the way in, but there was no real reason for him to have any 'feminine' items.

Did he even have women guests that often? It didn't seem likely, though not through the belief that he couldn't if he wanted to; there was no denying he was an attractive male, and the fact he was probably both the richest and most powerful person on the planet certainly did hold some pulling points, but she just didn't see him as the type.

He seemed more to her like the type to admire someone, but then deny any existence of 'feeling' towards her, whilst constantly making her life a living hell and fighting all and any courtesy displayed by the female.

That was more his style.

After her search of the room for a comb and a possible hairdryer turned out fruitless, the young female made to tighten the well-wrapped towel and crept across towards the door, which she proceeded to open so as to create an inch wide gap.

Her crimson-tinted gaze flickered around the landing with a widened exhilaration; the thought of being caught wearing nothing but a towel both incredibly nerve-racking and just that little bit thrilling.

It wasn't exactly something she wanted to do; creeping about inside an unfamiliar house and searching through rooms which she didn't belong felt slightly pathetic and rather embarrassing, though the thought of calling down and asking the young male for help was definitely more so.

When she was meet with nothing but a clear space, she ventured slowly, but surely through the doorway and across the sun-lit landing; the previous paleness melting away within the space of around thirty minutes to a warm, yellowy glow.

As her feet made their way across the space, her heart began to beat painfully in her chest; excitement mixing with the intense fear she still wasn't able to ignore.

Her fingertips curled around a close-by doorknob; the metallic material feeling like ice against her warmed hand, and made to turn it as quietly as possible; not only because of the lack of desire to disturb the male below, but also through the lack of knowledge about the room's contents.

The door glided open with a silent delicacy and revealed a room pristine enough to exceed even the immaculate perfection of downstairs.

The carpet showed very little wear and the curtains were drawn back by thin, threaded strands of ribbon that were tied creating two bows of exact equal proportion, leaving her to wonder how long it took the male to fashion the ties each and every day after revealing his room to the morning-light.

The cabinets lay aligned at a perfect angle with the double bed; the sheets smoothly tucked under, making it look somewhat like a hotel room freshly made, whilst little details in chrome coordinated each piece of furniture to the other.

The atmosphere was particularly clear for such a frequently used room, and although the windows remained shut tight, she could have sworn the air was in constant movement, creating a gentle chill that eradicated any hint of 'stuffiness'.

Her crimson-tinted gaze trailed over every detail; memorising it to a point, whilst also scanning the space for any hints of whose room it was and if any of the cupboards might hold the items she desired.

As the young female ventured further into the room so as to begin a somewhat more 'thorough' search, a small light glinted in the corner of her crimson-tinted gaze.

For a moment she just assumed it was the chrome detailing catching the brighten sun's rays now streamed through the glass panelled window, though as the annoyance continued, Tifa eventually made to draw her attention towards the offending object.

Her gaze met with one of the chest of drawers; the wooden top dotted with various decorative and functional items, including a photo held within a silver frame and an equally beautifully crafted box, its dark wooden embossed with lines of highly polished precious metals.

She edged closer, making sure to take care not to emit any noise that might alert the male downstairs to her presence, whilst her eyes remained fixed upon the box; seemingly mesmerized by the gleaming item.

Soon enough the young female was standing within hands reach, and although ever fibre of her being was trembling with nervous energy, there was also a hint of excitement.

The box itself wasn't exactly hidden, but the items inside were certainly not meant for public view, and whilst she knew that riffling through the male's personal belongings was both immoral and rather dangerous, her sense of curiosity was just too strong.

Her fingertips reached out and tentatively stroked the break line where the lid met with the box's base; her lips parting gently as she did so.

"Just a peek."

The words emerged at nothing more than a whisper, though they had the desired effect and successfully fuelled her wavering mind to take decisive action.

With a firm pressure from her fingers and a slight upward push the lid came away and slide back so as to reveal a silk-lined interior.

The contents appeared to be that of a rather fancy jewellery box; rings with the Shin-Ra logo neatly lined up within velvety restraints, gold embossed bracelets and platinum chain necklaces piled within one another, and two designer watches lay face upon the base, though it was a white-silver ring in particular that caught the young female's attention.

She cautiously reached out and placed it into her grasp so as to have a closer look; the surface cold to the touch and the somewhat aged chain that accompanied it entwined itself perfectly within her fingers.

It seemed plain enough, though it was precisely this that had drawn her eye; after all Rufus Shin-Ra was hardly a man known for his simplicity, and the band's size and delicate design appeared rather different from the kind usually worn by the male.

Her crimson-tinted gaze carried on its inspection of the metal item, and though it appeared plain enough, markings, close to an inscription, could be seen upon the inner band and swiftly focusing her interest.

"What are you doing in my room?"

The female's damp brunette locks whipped through the air with a sharp fluidity and a silent gasp escaped her throat as her lips parted with a dazed nervousness.

The young male stood but a metre from her; his approach undetected through her back having been turned from the door and her concentration centred upon her inspection.

His icy blue gaze was noticeably narrowed, through both suspicion and confusion.

Tifa clutched at her towel protectively, as though believing it might fall off at any moment, even though she knew it was securely fixed around her slender form.

Her bottom lip wavered slightly, and her gaze flickered, though eventually she tried to pull herself together and managed to emit a few words.

"Oh- sorry, I was just looking for-…for some stuff…"

Her toes curled upon the carpet as she struggled to keep her nerves steady; guilt now starting to creep into her system even though she didn't truly believe herself to have wronged him.

Rufus's brow cocked.

"Stuff…?"

His tone had been somewhat sceptical and ever so slightly amused.

He proceeded to eye her carefully, giving noticeable attention to her sparsely covered form, and proceeded to become somewhat fascinated by the clinging strands of damp hair that trailed down her cheeks, before locking his gaze back on to her own with a piercing curiosity.

"So, did you find what you were looking for?"

She smiled inwardly; the amusing realisation sinking in after her previous distraction.

"No actually."

As a brief silence settled between them the male's close proximity became startlingly evident to the young brunette, as the air around her filled with the intoxicating aroma of the President's cologne, her grasp proceeding to tighten upon the towel, even though the corner of her mouth twitched with an almost excited fear.

Though the moment didn't last long as the male's attention drifted over her shoulder to the open box before swiftly falling to her closed palm, through which the aged chain dangled accusingly.

Rufus's eyes narrowed immediately; the icy blue portraying nothing but a cold emotionless command.

"You should get dressed Miss. Lockhart"

He took a step forwards, closing the distance between them within a fraction of a second, and swiftly extended his right arm so it reached over her shoulder and to the box, onto which he slowly replaced its lid, though once his hand had drawn itself back, it made no move to take the item now knowingly held within her grasp; instead remaining mere centimetres from her, as if admiring the effect he'd had.

"The car will be here soon."

The vehicle's interior vibrated lightly as the outer wheels were forced over unsmooth terrain; slight pits and grained stones each binding together to cause a noticeable interference to their journey, though she had never known such comfort as the young male's driver provided.

The windows were, as before, blacked out, providing the female with nothing but a smoky pane of glass to admire.

Her brow furrowed; one of the small pleasures in life was watching the outside world roll by, the trees blowing in the wind, the rain pelting down upon the hard pavement, the clouds marking their way to the horizon, the buildings, the people, whilst you stayed untouched inside the little metal box, catching only a glimpse before the picture changes once again, like a constantly altering photograph; gone in the blink of an eye, it was somewhat heartbreaking that he would deny himself such s simple, and yet wonderful delight.

Tifa sighed and nestled her head against the blackened leather seat, her hands crossing neatly in her lap, as her mind drifted off; her lids lowering slightly, though not as to sleep, but as a condition that came as she began to replay the morning's events.

He'd stayed there, unmoved, back to her, as she walked from the room; ring still in hand without a word of recognition from the male, as if he was displaying his own complete confidence that she would not take it with her that, out of fear and unknown respect, she would take care to leave it somewhere, and he was right. She left it upon one of the small cupboard tops before her form swiftly exited the room; long-held breath finally releasing itself into the air with a pained relief.

The space was quiet, a gentle hum radiating from the engine and a few small rattles from the soft bumps were all that sounded, as though someone had pressed the mute button; cancelling out any emittances trying to be made by either party.

The young female's brow furrowed once again as she wondered as to why he did not try to make conversation, why he let the silence fall, when so many others would try to fill it so desperately.

Her warm gaze flickered over to the closely seated blonde, whom sat staring at nothing in particular, and yet he appeared to be busily thinking; the calm control he always displayed flawed only by the light furrowing of his brow, and the gentle workings of his fingertips pressing against one another like a mirror image.

A short, swiftly stifled gasp escaped Tifa's soft pink lips as her attention became directed to the small, but noticeably darkened bruise marring the outer-edge of the young male's cheek; his placement in the living-room, and then her nervousness, and the one-sided lighting upstairs presumably having favoured the marking so as to make it undetectable.

She had known the hit had been of some force, but she'd never really intended to leave such evidence upon his visage.

Her fingers began to stroke the edge of the leathered seat anxiously, as her lips made to part.

"Sorry."

Rufus rose a solitary eyebrow; his head tilting slightly though not fully turning towards her.

"Excuse me?"

"About…"

She made a gesture at her own upper cheek, whilst her gaze locked completely onto the male's own mark.

His stared at her for a moment before sighing with indifference and returning his gaze to the unspecific spot upon which is had been placed before.

"I've had worse."

The corner of his mouth curled slightly.

"Though it was the first time I've received a blow from someone such as you."

"Such as me?"

Tifa's brow cocked with the begins of displeasure, already feeling the offence meant by his statement.

The male though, appeared to ignore her knowing query completely, and instead carried on with his own trail of insult, with the calm arrogance that own he could possess.

"It was a rather weak hit."

His brow rose with a hint of mild amusement.

"I was surprised; I'd heard you were once a great martial artist."

Tifa's hands began to rise in riled defence, though her tone was rather suppressed.

"I was-I am. I'm just…out of practice."

A small huff-like chuckle sounded from the young male.

"Clearly... You were quick, I'll give you that, but it was just rather sloppy."

The brunette scowled and let out an increasingly aggravated sigh.

"That's because I was lashing out, I wasn't controlled!"

The President's brow rose knowingly.

"Letting you're emotions get the better of you."

She emitted another sigh, though this one was quiet, and almost self-disapproving.

"Something like that."

Once again Rufus appeared to either ignore or not notice her reaction.

"I'd have thought you'd have kept yourself trained, after all you are a terrorist."

"Was…"

Her brow furrowed, her expression hinting at confusion, and yet she knew she had not misheard.

"…was a terrorist."

Her fingers tightened their pressure upon the seat's edges; she hated saying that word, but she did not want to argue the point with him, or anyone, that part of her life was in the past, and that's where she wished it to stay.

Rufus on the other hand seemed rather keen on keeping it the main subject of conversation.

"Well, I'm sure you wouldn't turn down the offer to start up that little group again."

The female kept her crimson-tinted gaze locked upon the smoked window.

"What would be the point? Midgar's gone, the reactors, everything we were fighting against."

He huffed with a kind of dry amusement.

"I'm sure you'd find a reason."

Tifa's face contorted, and a disbelieving smile swiftly formed.

"Do you really think I could do that again?"

She gazed at him for a few moments with wide eyes, unsure of whether or not to continue, but after his own earnest detailing the previous evening, the least she could do was to give him her own explanation, even if it pained her.

Her gaze lowered to the vehicles darkened floor.

"Rebellion…fighting like that."

Her fingers clasped together; their nervous fidgeting halted instantly.

"All those innocent lives I took…even when I knew what would happen…it didn't seem to matter."

She bowed her head before making a somewhat self-agreeing nod.

"I've learnt my lesson…I've killed, I've fought, and I've grown out of it…"

Her warm shaded eyes seemed to blur; her vision no longer focusing upon a particular spot, as if her concentration was now on an image playing in her mind rather than in front of her.

"My own beliefs, my feelings, my anger…it isn't worth it…it isn't worth the loss."

The male's brow furrowed, and for a moment, he appeared to be considering her, though after only a short while, he emitted a rather unimpressed huff, and swiftly removed his attention.

"Just don't go repeating yourself. I might not be so forgiving the second time."

Tifa's rose her brow, and sighed; the escaping breath so quiet it was unnoticeable.

How different he had been that previous evening, those last few moments of conversation; so calm, so real, and yet now, it was like none of it had matter. Nothing had changed.

She made to view him once again, a slight air of concern hinting about her expression.

"Are you feeling better today?"

Rufus's ice-blue gaze narrowed questioningly, whilst the female's lips wavered slightly as she tried to explain without appearing nervous; somewhat uncertain if the subject issue was still open.

"Last night…you said the Diamond Weapon-''

"I'm perfectly well ."

He response had been both sudden and brief, and if it hadn't been for the softness of his tone she would have thought he had snapped at her.

A few moments passed in silence before the young male made to speak once again.

"When we get there you'll have an hour."

A/N= Yo! Sorry it took me so long to update this…once again I've been buried in a mass of work and stuff I've had to sort out over the past few weeks, but don't worry because my other chaptered fic is coming to an end, so I'll be able to update this one a lot quicker XD

Anyway onto the chapter!

The dream wasn't suppose to make much sense; most dreams don't after all, I mean a few bits are related to the obvious; Rufus, but there were some other aspects I put in there to coincide with some upcoming details and to do with the some of the emotions Tifa may be beginning to experience.

I know this chapter doesn't have a lot of interaction/dialogue between Tifa and Rufus but I thought there should be a little break, plus I thought it might build a little tension for the next time.

This update was rather Tifa focused, but that's mainly because I've either been giving a lot of attention to the 'action' between the two, or choosing to narrate Rufus's pov over hers (not always, but more so than not)

Although this was a rather description/thought centred chapter I did try really hard to keep some sort of tension and interest; seeing as we didn't get to see a whole lot from Rufus.

Oh and hopefully, they'll be a bit more on the Reno issue in the next chapter XD I feel like I've been neglecting him (which is an easy thing to do when he's in the state he is) but they will be at the hospital so he'll get some attention, but don't worry Rufus will still be our main male focus XD