A/N: Just another of those first meetings between Cloud and Tifa. I don't really think any man without massive brain damage could help falling in love with her; her character is just so incredibly strong yet nurturing, and the warmth she projects just draws people to her without any hesitation.

Summary: One-shot AU. (Anyone surprised by that?) To Tifa, it's just another night in Seventh Heaven; with drunk patrons laughing it up and spilled beers sloshing over the floor. But someone is watching her, and even her regular customers are alarmed by the attention the unknown man is paying her. When she closes the bar early after Johnny notices the glowing eyes, the stranger appears suddenly from nowhere to confront her...

The Stranger

By Ivy Elise Tanté

Tifa Lockhart was about fed up with everything tonight. The crowd in the bar was overly rowdy, with what they thought were witty come-ons and grabby hands. Even though the slums of Midgar were normally cold enough to cause frost on the inside of windows, the room was hot and humid and smelled of unwashed bodies, sweat and spilled beer. The dim lighting -necessary because of the high electric bills- was made even worse since two light bulbs had died in spectacular fashion, flashing brightly then going black.

Moreover, that strange man in the corner was still there, just as he had been all afternoon.

He was wearing a dark gray hoodie that camouflaged his face, and seemed to be staring down into his coffee. That's all he'd asked for the entire evening - coffee. In a bar that served a variety of alcoholic beverages and was filled with people willing and eager to try her mixed drinks and draft beer, all he wanted was a cup of java. That, in and of itself, was weird. It was even weirder that several of her regulars commented on the fact he seemed to stare at her when her back was turned or her attention elsewhere.

Her childhood friend Johnny reached out to grab her arm as she passed by. Ignoring the way she jerked at the contact, he whispered, "Get out of here, Teef. I'll close up the bar tonight if you need me to, but get the kids and go someplace safe."

Confused, Tifa stared at him before asking, "What brought this on?" He was one that she could depend on if she needed help, and he had closed the bar down before when emergencies struck; such as when one of her children was sick, or her long-time friend and father figure Barret Wallace got into trouble again.

His expression was just a bit wild as he whispered, "I barely caught a glimpse, but that strange dude in the corner? I swear to the goddess his eyes were glowing."

The phrase hit her like a ton of bricks and had her stumbling backwards. His eyes were glowing. In the slums that meant only one thing: SOLDIER. And SOLDIER meant only one thing in the slums: Trouble.

Tifa took a deep breath, then another to shrug off the irrational panic. Resolutely removing her arm from his grasp, she told him, "It's only an hour before normal closing time, and I'm getting tired of this crowd and the smell. Go on now, Johnny. You've been in trouble in the past and I don't want that catching up to you now."

Though he nodded, it was reluctantly. "Sure, Tifa. But I'll hang around if you want. Barret isn't here and that worries me."

It worried her too; Barret was often late from his deliveries, but he always called ahead so she and Marlene wouldn't fret. Checking her cell phone merely confirmed there weren't any calls. "I'll be fine, Johnny. Go on home."

Giving the man in the corner another apprehensive stare, Johnny disappeared out the door even as Tifa made last call. There was some grumbling over the early closing, but no one protested raucously and the room cleared quickly enough. In all the confusion of ringing up the remaining tabs, Tifa lost track of the man in the gray hoodie and he was gone when the last straggler filed out the door.

Relieved, she locked up and started clearing the tables of bottles, glasses and mugs. Immersed in the accustomed work, she didn't realize she wasn't alone until footsteps sounded on the worn wooden floor. Dropping the busboy noisily on the tabletop, Tifa whirled around.

It was the stranger from the corner. She knew this since he was still wearing the gray hoodie from earlier. But the hood was pushed back now, and in the gloomy lighting his eyes were indeed glowing. Fear shot through her and she involuntarily stepped back even as her arm rose in a blocking motion.

"Easy," he said, his voice quiet and calm. "I'm not trying to scare you. I just need to talk." Carefully approaching her, he slid the busboy from her loose grasp and headed behind the counter. Unloading it quickly, he returned it to her and gestured to the other tables. "Finish up while I wash."

And just like that, he removed the hoodie and dropped it on the bar as he headed for the sink. Underneath was the standard issue SOLDIER cable knit in dark blue, tucked into his black many-pocketed pants. He peeled off his leather gloves and right arm bracer, pushed up the sleeve added on the left side of his shirt, and started washing dishes.

Tifa knew her mouth was hanging open but couldn't help it. As if in a dream, she picked up the busboy and cleared the rest of the glassware, utensils and plates, then placed it where he could easily reach it. Then she grabbed her cleaning supplies and started on the tables, wiping each down, cleaning the chairs, piling them on the tabletops. She was about halfway through sweeping the floor when he appeared with the mop and bucket and began the tiresome chore of scrubbing the floor. When she was finished, she took the spare mop and followed behind him. He was doing an excellent job but the mess required more than one pass if she wanted to get rid of the spilled beer smell.

It normally took her at least an hour to clean everything on her own, and the extra mopping would add about thirty minutes to her routine. But with the stranger's help it was completed in half that time. Pushing her bangs out of her eyes, she stored the equipment and stepped behind the bar. Sitting on one of the stools, he had an elbow propped on the counter and his chin resting on his fist. "Rough crowd tonight," he commented as he inspected the bottles offered on the back wall.

"Everyone is restless since the Turks have been seen in the neighborhood for the past two days," Tifa informed him and gestured at her stock. "Would you like anything other than coffee to pay for the help?"

"Whiskey, neat."

Tifa filled the order while trying hard not to be caught staring. She really wasn't sure what she expected any of the SOLDIERs to look like, but this man was a surprise because he was so young - Tifa figured he couldn't be more than a year or two older than her, and she was twenty. And he was handsome despite the unusual hair that stuck up in disordered spikes all over his head. The pale blonde hair was natural too, for his eyebrows were the same color.

He had one of those faces most would term angelic; triangular in shape with a sharp chin and defined jaw line. It made his eyes look larger than they actually were, but the startling color would make them stand out under any circumstances. Glowing from the Mako injected into his body, they were a shocking ocean blue of such concentration it was as though someone had condensed the sky and sea into one vivid shade.

Obviously she hadn't been subtle enough; those tempting lips were quirking at the corners in a smile more felt than seen. "Tifa Lockhart," he drawled out, somehow making her name a caress. His stillness and restrained gestures were geared toward making him seem non-threatening. Which struck her as pretty backwards as far as SOLDIER's normal tactics were concerned.

"Yes," she answered, trying not to look intimidated by his mere presence. First the Turks and now a SOLDIER. What was next, the President of ShinRa? "Is there a reason you're here?"

It was a question he'd asked himself the entire time he'd sat in the Seventh Heaven Bar, located in the Sector 7 slums. Why was he here? Cloud Strife wasn't sure he had an answer beyond the curiosity generated by a prisoner's impassioned request.

In the five years since becoming SOLDIER he had never been in the slums of Midgar. The assignments allotted to him and his friends had taken them all over the world but never into what could be considered his own backyard. Was there a rationale behind that? Since he was dealing with ShinRa, a part of him was sure there was.

But the bartender wanted a reply, so he gave her a half-truth, "I've never been in the slum before and wanted to see what it's like down here."

There was anger in her tone as she snapped out, "And what have you learned from being in here all evening?"

"That people are the same no matter where they live." That answer was pure truth, at least. There was loyalty and betrayal, joy and grief, love and hate, hard work and laziness. There was privilege and privation every where one looked. The only real difference was the location and the players involved.

Tifa was surprised by the quickness of his response. Most used descriptions when characterizing the slums; dank, gloomy, dark, smelly, depressing, decrepit, hopeless. That last term was one she often heard people say; utterly hopeless. And yet this man, this SOLDIER -one of a force supposedly heartless- saw the very humanness of the slums in one single afternoon. It shocked that he was capable of noticing such a thing.

"What is your name?" she finally asked, taking his empty glass and letting it sink into the soapy water.

"Cloud Strife." His smile quirked the corners of his mouth again at her surprise. "Yes, it really is me."

To say Tifa was stunned was an understatement. This was the man who hunted down and killed the insane General Sephiroth when he went on a rampage across the world, killing any who crossed his path - including quite a few of ShinRa's own forces that were sent to stop him? With only two allies to help him, Zack Fair and Kunsel Moreno, he had tracked the elite of SOLDIER all the way into the wilds of Mideel before finally bringing him down in Banora. That village had been all but destroyed during the fight, and all three men were mortally wounded by the end of that heroic battle.

But the physicians at the Mideel clinic managed to keep them alive long enough for the accelerated healing due to the Mako in their systems to kick in. But their recovery had taken months, and many believed they would never return to ShinRa after learning of the truth behind Sephiroth's insanity.

Yet here he was, in her bar, sitting on one of her stools. It made her ask again, "Why are you here?"

She was shocked to see his head drop suddenly, as if all the weight pressing down on him had finally broken his spirit. The word he whispered out was even more surprising. "AVALANCHE."

Tifa felt her throat tighten. Barret was a member of the renegade group, as were her two friends Jesse and Biggs. And although she didn't know him very well, so was Wedge. Their cause was just, but the way they meant to stop ShinRa was wrong - way beyond wrong. It would cost so many lives to destroy even one of the reactors, and they fully intended to put a bomb in all eight of them. Tifa had argued with them until she was blue in the face, but nothing she said convinced them to change their minds. That's when she threw up her hands and banned them from meeting at the bar to discuss strategy. The last thing she wanted was Barret's adopted daughter, Marlene, or her own adopted son, Denzel, to hear such talk.

Summoning her courage, she questioned, "What about them?"

Looking up at her, those glowing ocean eyes seeming to pierce deep within her soul, Cloud finally said, "ShinRa is trying to annihilate the group, and knows they are hiding somewhere in Sector 7. The company has charged to Turks to figure out how to drop the plate from above onto the slums. And I think they've come up with a plan."

Terror shot through her as she grabbed his wrist. "When? Please, please tell me so I can get the children out." Tifa didn't care one iota if she had to beg or barter the information out of him. She would give anything he asked without hesitation, just so long as her kids were safe.

Cloud wasn't one to mince words, so he answered directly, "As soon as they report in, ShinRa will order them to act."

Rapidly calculating, Tifa had an epiphany as she stood staring into those incredible eyes. Cloud Strife never acted alone - the two other SOLDIERs always backed his moves. "Zack and Kunsel; they have the Turks under control, don't they?"

The respect that flared into his eyes was gratifying as he affirmed, "Yes, they are. But the Turks can be very slippery, and I don't expect we can hold them for long. We have nearby forces to help us evacuate as soon as they manage to escape. I've been waiting for the signal, but..." His pause made her lean forward.

Why she felt safe enough around him to put a hand to his cheek she didn't know, but he closed his eyes with a sigh and tilted his head for better contact with her palm. Goddess, his skin was so warm, nearly fevered. "But...?" she prompted.

"I think... they don't want to break free. That they are trying to see what we will do to stop them, because they don't want to complete this mission. It's almost as if... they are waiting for us to save them from this insanity." The doubt and uncertainly in his expression pulled at her heart even as his own horror over the situation tugged at her conscious.

Testing the waters, Tifa let her hand slide down his face to the side of his neck. The quick inhale had her smiling softly as she allowed her fingers to tangle into that silky hair at his nape. "Then maybe the two groups should work together to stop the company instead of just sitting here waiting for one to act." It was when Cloud opened his eyes -the look that he gave her- made her realize the real reason he was here. "Barret," she whispered, heart pounding in fear. "You've got Barret Wallace in custody."

"Yes, we do. And he offered all the information we could ever want if we would just save you and the children, Marlene and Denzel. He didn't ask for leniency, he just wanted the three of you safe. It intrigued me enough that I decided to come down here and see who was more precious to him than his own life." Touching her wrist carefully, he told her in his quiet voice, "Neither ShinRa nor the Turks are aware we have him. Wallace is under guard and will stay that way until we decide what action to take. I talked to him for hours, going over everything his group had planned. They were thorough enough that if they had had enough time it would have worked, and hundreds would have died." He sat there for just a moment and allowed himself the luxury of looking into those incredible ruby eyes. "And I think I just determined what we are going to do. Pack up your things, Tifa, and get your children ready. I'm starting the evacuation."

When he rose, he found Tifa had hurried around the bar to confront him. "But where will we go? I can't support my children if I don't have a bar to run." The slums were the only home she had ever known. To be cast outside of Midgar frightened her and she wasn't ashamed to show it.

Oh, the shock of having the SOLDIER Cloud Strife pull her into his arms. The slim body was lean and strong, hard and firmly toned. Tifa shivered as his warmth permeated every fiber of her being, making her weak as he gathered her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "That is something you will never have to worry about again, Tifa. Barret and I talked; if you are willing, you and the kids will accompany us to Mideel. There's a small village to the west of the springs that desperately needs something like Seventh Heaven. You could run it just like you do here, and Barret will be needed for deliveries since the area is remote. My friend Zack Fair has a girlfriend, her name is Aerith Gainsborough. She can make almost anything grow and would love to work in a garden outside, in the sun. She would be more than willing to help with the bar. The possibilities are endless down there, and out of ShinRa's immediate reach. Think about it, will you?"

Touched more than she wanted to admit, Tifa relaxed enough to lay her head on his shoulder. It was so strange to her that the embrace of this man wasn't repugnant or frightening. She felt... safe. Cherished and protected, even. Closing her eyes, she became aware of the scent of Cloud - a bit sweaty from the earlier heat of the room, but underneath was the smell of... lightning? That wasn't precisely right but it was the closest she could come to describing it.

Well, the decision wasn't very hard to make. If ShinRa wanted the plate brought down, then down it would come. Seventh Heaven would be destroyed no matter what she did to save it. And although she didn't know this SOLDIER, Barret had trusted his integrity enough ask for his help. And Barret was particularly protective when it came to Tifa and the kids. So...

"All right. We'll come with you," she whispered softly.

"Good. Now get moving. I'll signal the troopers that are willing to help us, and release the Turks. They can do as they wish. As soon as everything is underway, I'll come back to help you. There's several transports available to speed up the process, and allow you to bring at least some of your things." Cloud tightened his hold on her for just a moment before letting go. "And Barret was right. I'm a little annoyed over that."

Seeing the laughter in the too-blue eyes made her smile. "And what was Barret so irritatingly right about?"

Cloud reached out to stroke her cheek gently. "He said the easiest thing I would ever do in my life was fall in love with you. I watched you for hours, saw how you interacted with your patrons. You gave them hope and respect, all wrapped in the warmth of your personality. They fall before you like dominoes, Tifa; every last one. Please keep in mind I'm no more immune than the next man. Now go pack, and let me save you and your children."

He turned to go. But at the door he glanced back and smiled at her shocked countenance. "And you can save me as well, by giving me the incentive to finally part from ShinRa and all its evil."

When he was gone, Tifa drifted up the stairs and into the room the children shared. Waking them, giving them orders and a backpack to place their most sacred treasures into, she was startled to realize she wasn't afraid anymore. The loss of this version of Seventh Heaven would always haunt her. But the future was suddenly spread before her in a way never expected, and she wanted that chance, that opportunity to know there was more to existence that just the darkness of the slums of Midgar.

And she yearned to know just how much more her life could become if she dared to accept the SOLDIER so intent on becoming a part of it...