Chapter 14:

The fight was of a similar difficulty to their fight with Reno atop the Sector 7 Pillar, except this monster would encase a party member in a bubble. Physical attacks didn't work, but magic did, and the group was able to defeat the monster that sprang out of the water to attack them, with Aerith doing mild healing spells to buff up their party. Red had gotten hit the worst and he limped over to the girls, where Aerith put a healing hand on his wounds to help stitch them together faster. Cloud was the least injured, and so he turned his attention to the little girl lying on the beach, the old man still trying to resuscitate her. There were tears in his eyes, and a few of the townspeople were trying to force him away from her. The old man's eyes lit up upon seeing Cloud, and he called him over.

"Please! Please help her! She's just a child, and my lungs can't. . .my lungs can't. . ." The old man bit back tears and choked on his words. Cloud could see him giving up.

"Just CPR, right?" he asked, coming closer and kneeling beside the girl. Nodding the old man shifted to give him some space.
"I had gotten her heart started again while you were fighting that thing that came out of the water, but she hadn't started breathing. Her heart's stopped again, and I fear-" He stopped midsentence as Cloud bowed his head and transferred his own breath to the little girl, before putting one of his fists on top of the other in order to pump her torso to start her heart again. After a few more of his big breathfuls, the girl sputtered and coughed up water, gasping for air as the old man turned her on her side to help get any residual liquid out of her lungs. The girl was crying, the old man was crying, and Cloud was getting a little too uncomfortable.

Standing up, he made to head back to where Aerith was now patching up Barret when the old man called out, "Wait! I must repay you for saving my granddaughter's life!" Standing up himself and carrying Penelope in his arms, the old man let the villages head back into the town before him. "Follow me to my house. The least I can do is put you all up for the night for the next few days until you can get up top." Without another word, he left, leaving the group behind to stare after him.

"What do you think?" Cloud asked the group when he finally sat down to put on his socks and shoes.

"I dunno," Barret replied. "It feels like a set up."

"I didn't see an Inn when we came into town. Unless we have any more tents or we're okay with sleeping on the ground tonight, I think we should take him up on his offer," Aerith answered.

"The ground too hard for you, princess?" Yuffie teased, and Aerith merely gave her a look.

"You could always sleep outside if that is your preference, Yuffie. It would probably give the old man some space, since he wouldn't have to feed you," she shot back teasingly. Yuffie stuck her tongue out and grinned in return.

"Nah, I can't leave ya to be the only girl in a group full of guys. That's just unfair," Yuffie teased back before she hooked arms with Aerith and led her to the path leading back into town, leaving the boys behind. The three just stood there for a moment.

"Did we just get insulted?" Barret asked, confused.

"Speak for yourself," Red replied. "To most people, I'm just a dog who can talk." Without another word, Red followed the girls.

"I think we jus' got insulted," Barret commented, and Cloud just snorted in amusement.

"Let's go. Knowing them they'll get into trouble when we're not around," the blond replied before starting to walk as well. Barret followed after.

"Well, I feel insulted. . ."

Lunch went well enough and on the way back, Tifa had ambushed her husband and managed to thoroughly ruffle Rufus in the elevator, Astasia again pretending to see nothing. They arrived back at the meeting room, Tifa fixing her lipstick with her compact, a dazed Rufus walking stiffly behind her, his face peppered with lipstick marks. Kiani had to stifle a snort, clapping a hand to her mouth to not spew her tea out of her mouth. Jean had no such restraint and started giggling.

"Guuuurl! You sure lunch was the only thing on the menu?!" he asked with a wicked grin as Rufus sat in his chair gingerly and crossing his legs.

"Just lunch," Tifa affirmed with a grin before settling in her chair. "I did have a thought while we were out, though. Did we want to allow AVALANCHE into the city if we want them on that boat?"

"You finally asked her?" Jean asked Rufus before Tifa chuckled.

"Astasia didn't beat around the bush and told when asked," she replied.

"Threw me under the bus…" Rufus muttered, causing Kiani and Jean to both laugh.

"The idea does have merit," the Head Secretary then stated.

"No doubt AVALANCHE would want to use the ship to get to the other continent. By giving them an opportunity to sneak on, it will reduce the damages caused by them should they try to steal and airship or a helicopter," Jean then explained before he shuffled around a few papers. "So we'll have the ceremony at 8 to officially swear you in, President Rufus," Jean then said, reading off the itinerary he and Kiani had made in the couple's absence.

"Lady Shinra will meet you at the ceremony and stand by your side. Once the inauguration is finished, you will have about an hour to yourselves until you need to be on the float at 10," Kiani continued.

"What? I thought-" Tifa began to argue but both secretaries leveled her with identical stares.

"United front," Kiani said dryly.

"Supportive family," Jean added. The three faced off for a few moments of silence before Tifa blew out a lungful of air in a heavy sigh.

"So I'm on the float with Rufus…" she said, resigning herself to her fate. The two grinned at her compliance, and Tifa had to grip Rufus' hand under the table to prevent herself from growling at them. Rufus squeezed back. The two secretaries tag teamed explaining the plan, and at the end, everyone was happy with the arrangements.

"Since this will be one of your first major public appearances together, the two of you should probably get haircuts today," Kiani then advised.

"The president is looking a little shaggy…" Jean added, prompting the couple to look at each other. They have had a rather busy week…

"It is getting somewhat long…" Tifa murmured as she ran a hand through her husband's hair.

"We'll set up the appointments and add them to your schedule," Kiani said before making a note.

"Now," Jean added as he stood, "Mr. President, you have a meeting in ten minutes, and Lady Shinra, it looks like your spa day starts in 30."

"Spa day?" Tifa asked, confused. The two planners nodded in unison, causing Tifa to lean back slightly.

"Today you get pampered," Kiani replied before standing. The rest of the table stood with her.

"Do I have a choice?" Tifa asked before sighing dejectedly at Kiani's bemused expression. "I thought not…"

A/N: My muse comes and goes. Thank you all for your patience. Small edits will be coming to previous chapters. Merely grammar and spelling mistakes, and apparently I called Priscilla "Penelope", so...sometime this weekend I'm changing that.

Enjoy!