Disclaimer: The usual. I only wish that I were profiting from this!

Chapter 3

Her muscles were burning.

Each inhalation was a searing stretch that sent her bosom heaving, her soaked white tank top reattaching itself to her skin with each breath. Marbles of sweat coursed down the planes of her face, dripping and flying off with each fierce movement of her entire body. She was pouring everything into her training.

It had been so long since her limbs went through Zangan's teachings even though her mind repeated it daily, like locking her door on her way out. Her body hadn't been through such rigor since Loz. Tifa grimaced at that brief memory.

She flew through the hot air with a side kick, landing against the rock face and leaping quickly away, taking only enough time to swipe a lock of hair from her eyes. Tifa twisted around and pummeled that rock, leaving a crater the size and oddly enough, roughly the shape of a chocobo. The woman stood back and wiped her forehead with the back of her arm as she appreciated her work. Her hand pleasantly thrummed from the impact and pulsed against its protective binding as it hung at her side.

A laugh snuck out, completely unbidden from her sore throat. A chocobo! Tifa covered her mouth. I wonder what that chocobo head would say about that… he'd probably shake his head and laugh at me. The bar maid's bright smile slowly melted away, her contemplation growing thoughtful and slightly sad.

"There I go again," Tifa shook her head ruefully, and stretching her arms above her head. Always thinking back to him… do I really have it that bad?

Tifa finished her stretching and grabbed her water bottle to splash over her head and let it refresh her, before plopping down and leaning against a boulder. She pulled from her bag the apple she had bought when she passed through the market. She munched contently, letting the wind cool her heated flesh and dry her hair. The martial artist wondered why she had let herself go so long without truly working out like this. It had taken her a little bit to readjust to the new weight of her hair, grown out since when it was drastically cut two years ago. When she did however, she absolutely flew. Her grace hadn't left her and her ferocity hadn't tamed. She wasn't quite as flexible as she had been, despite stretching every morning but the difference was negligible and quite frankly, there were more pressing matters on her mind.

The two monsters she had come across on her walk lay decimated farther down her path and the small scavengers were feasting happily on the remains. She watched a few more timid creatures join their brethren and had a random thought. 'I should get a dog'.

The lithe woman leaned her head back against the boulder with a tired grin. Her muscles were singing and the first time in a long time, Tifa felt light.

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The mistress of Seventh Heaven hummed as she reached into her pockets for her keys, her thoughts filled with the types of dogs she had seen in the pet store the last time she had noticed it. She knew that small dogs were the style and would probably do well in her bar, but the idea of a larger dog appealed to her. Perhaps a Collie, or a Labrador… her hand twisted the door knob and her nerves prickled immediately.

She had left it locked, and now it wasn't.

Alarmed and with alerted senses, she thrust open the once locked door with a forceful bang… only to see a man sitting peacefully at her bar, wearing a tattered crimson cloak.

"Geez, Tifa. What'd ya do that for?" A small, Wutai girl huffed, with her hands on her hips.

Tifa blinked owlishly. Her sudden scowl instantaneously evaporating into a shocked expression. It made sense: leave it to a kleptomaniac to pick locked doors. Her mahogany eyes studied Yuffie, as her mouth struggled to catch up with her thoughts, before flicking over to Vincent whose back was still to her.

"Y-Yuffie… Vincent-" Tifa finally croaked with small shake of her head, as if not believing they stood in front of her. She hadn't seen them for nearly a year now.

"Yeah, yeah, ya just gonna stand there or what?" Yuffie impatiently tapped her foot and leaned forward with a grumpy expression. "We're kinda in a hurry," she rushed before awkwardly adding, "… sorry."

The bar maid closed the door behind her and set her items on the kitchen counter near the still silent Vincent, passing Yuffie with a welcoming smile. Her eyes searched for his above his cowl and noticed that his eyes were closed, as if meditating. If she hadn't noticed the slight ticking beneath one eye she would have thought he was sleeping. Without asking, Tifa poured water for the both of them as Yuffie continued to ramble on about some man they were meeting.

"I don't know why it's so important to Fath- I mean, Godo. But he's 'got to have it.'" Yuffie explained animatedly. "We're to meet the guy in Edge, but Mr. Death Face over there got us lost."

Vincent, by all appearances, didn't move an inch, but his deep voice resonated from beneath his coat. "She insisted she knew where she was."

Yuffie's face grew pink and crossed her arms with a pout. "I did too… I just, wanted to see Tifa."

Perhaps her words were true, but she didn't doubt Vincent's addition either. Tifa merely grinned warmly and laid an appreciative hand on Yuffie's arm. "I'm very glad that you did. You know that you're both welcome at any time, for as long as you like."

Yuffie beamed up at Tifa and stuck her tongue out at the still 'meditating' Vincent. "Where is everybody anyway? Usually this place is hopping."

Tifa withdrew her hand and turned back towards the counter, busying herself with grabbing a bar towel and absently cleaning a spotless bar. "I'm closed on Sundays and the kids are with Barret for the school year." She explained succinctly.

"And Spikey?"

Vincent's eyes stubbornly remained shut, but Tifa was able to discern his attention to the question by his slight pause in breath.

"Out. On a delivery, I suppose." Tifa turned towards Yuffie with a conjured brightness behind her expression.

Yuffie was never really perceptive when it came to other people… and most things, actually, and she wasn't starting now. "Hmph. He's probably finding more Materia, that jerk." Her eyes began to glow with devious plans as she thought more about that prospect.

Tifa rolled her eyes, knowing that the younger girl was devising ways to steal said Materia. "You said that you were meeting someone here?"

The girl snapped to, "Oh yeah! We're supposed to meet him at some building. 'Idiot' something."

"Elliot's Place." Vincent growled.

Tifa smirked, "Yeah, I know that building. It's right in the middle of downtown, facing the new memorial in the city's center. Big green doors. Can't miss it."

"Great! Thanks Tifa! We'll try to come back after we're done. Can't be more than an hour. C'mon Death Face!" The brazen girl marched up to the pale man and yanked on his arm.

Vincent finally opened his eyes and stared hard at Tifa, conveying a silent plea for pity. Tifa laughed and smiled at him and gave a helpless shrug of her shoulders. Vincent looked down in nearly imperceptible disappointment, but glancing back at her before being completely removed from his stool.

"Nearly a year and they only needed directions," She murmured to herself after the abused door was slammed shut. 'Well, at least they'll be back.'