Well, hello there everyone. I know it's been a while, especially for this story. The plot I originally had didn't pan out like I hoped it would, so I redid it from scratch, except for the beginning since it's already solid. Hurricane Irma was a mean bully, but I came through it just fine. I only lost power for two days and Dealt with a sleepless night when she was coming through, but other than that I'm totally fine. ^_^
I even got three days off work, which is partly why this update exists. It is a little shorter than other chapters, but I wanted to have a good starting point for the next one. This one is a bit more humorous than others, but meh I tried. Hopefully you don't mind my weird comedy. xD
Enjoy!
Their mission was a difficult one. Neither of them could afford to fail, but it couldn't be avoided. The odds were against them, but there was no getting around it. Cloud and Zack, not wanting to alert the hostiles that they were there had cut their engines a couple hundred feet away from the compound and walked them the rest of the way.
The lock was simple enough to get past when they made it to the garage and Zack did a masterful job of closing the large door silently behind them.
Cloud opened the door leading to the main building just enough to peek through it before he deemed it clear. With a 'move out' hand gesture he crept forward with the ravenette keeping close behind.
So far so good.
They had made it through the main area and were aiming for the small room towards the back, but they had to cross trough dangerous territory to get there. Being careful of the tables, they kept their heads down, focusing all their attention on avoiding the floorboards that would give them away and make noise.
Their goal was finally in sight when a light turned on behind them.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?"
Mission failed.
Cloud turned to face his opponent with his head held high…at least until he met the stern gaze of a very tired Tifa Lockhart.
"We were quiet getting in," Zack tried to offer support, but the glare was turned on him and he shrunk back a little.
"I'll get to you in a minute." She then looked back at Cloud. "Well?"
Cloud scratched the back of his neck, trying to think of a good reason. "I did say we'd be back late."
Tifa rolled her eyes. "Oh don't even try that one. Late is eleven at night. You're actually early." She pointed to the clock on the wall and it didn't take mako-enhanced eyes to see it was after two in the morning.
Zack decided to try and flex his backbone a bit. "Can't you cut him some slack? I mean, how many times did he save the world? Besides, he's a grown man."
She turned the mother of all glares on him and it took Zack every ounce of willpower he had not to cower behind Cloud.
"I had to help the kids with their homework, make sure they got fed, sent them to bed, all while tending to the bar AND I took care of arranging all your delivery slips for tomorrow."
She revealed that she had her fighting gloves on which only added to the intimidation. Tifa was angry and she meant business.
"I'm sorry Tifa," Cloud tried.
"Not good enough. You can sleep on the couch tonight. And you!"
She rounded on Zack then and poked him in the chest. It was then that she noticed something wasn't right. She looked down at his shirt and her eyes went wide. "What the hell happened?!"
She saw the large blood stain on his shirt and rushed off to find a first aid kit before either of them could explain. When she came back the box in her hands was already open and a glowing restore materia was glowing in her palm.
Zack held his hand out to stop her.
"It's okay, really look!"
He lifted up his shirt to reveal no wound, only a thin scar remained. Tifa traced it gently with her hand. "How?" she looked over at Cloud who shrugged his shoulders.
"We were at the church when it reopened, so I…" he looked away, embarrassed.
"He thought I could use a bath," Zack finished with a grin. "I was pretty sweaty after the ride out there. He even jumped in after me."
Tifa sighed as the materia dimmed in her hand and she clipped the box back closed. "I need a vacation. All this stress is too much."
Cloud blinked wordlessly at her before Zack got his attention and motioned with his head that he should say something. It took him a second before he got the hint.
"Where would you like to go? I know we talked about traveling a few days back."
"That's such a long trip though. I don't want to leave the bar for that long."
"We could always have someone else watch the bar," he suggested.
Tifa just gave him a deadpan look. "And which one of our friends is qualified to run it?"
Cloud had to think that over for a bit. Yuffie was not only too immature, but he didn't trust her with such a large supply of liquor. Cid was out of the question because they needed him to pilot the Highwind. Barret would scare everyone away as he had in the past and Nanaki was well…Nanaki. The sad part was he was most likely the most reliable one of the names he thought of.
"What about Vincent and Shelke?"
The three turned to the new voice which had a thick accent and saw the robotic cat emerge from window. "Cait," Tifa said, "What brings you here at this time of night?"
"Just relaying some findings that the boss discovered to help out a friend," he replied as he turned to Cloud and handed him a disc. "Reeve thought you'd like to see the crazy readings for yourself."
"What readings," asked Tifa.
"Energy from the Lifestream. It's collecting in the north."
"How far north," Cloud's tone had a low growl to it and both Zack and Tifa could feel a black cloud growing above him.
Cait blinked in a comical way and waved his hands defensively in front of him. "Oh, no! no no no, it's not what you're thinking! Calm down. It's pure energy from the lifestream itself. It's gathering in the lost city of the ancients."
"The Forgotten City," Cloud asked.
The robot cat nodded vigorously. "Yes!"
Cloud and Tifa exchanged looks before both looking towards Zack who blinked in turn. "What?"
"You don't think…" asked Tifa.
"It's worth checking out," Cloud replied.
"But who will manage the bar," asked Tifa.
"I can arrange that," Cait offered.
"Well…I don't know…" the barmaid reluctantly replied.
Cloud however felt more confident. "Tifa, it's Reeve we're talking about. He's nothing if not capable of finding someone qualified to run the bar for a few days."
"But your deliveries," she countered. "You've got four runs to make for tomorrow and one will take you out to Costa Del Sol! I tried telling him no, but the man offered a good amount for the job."
Cloud just smiled good-naturedly at her. "Tifa, we have an airship. It'll be fine. If it makes you feel better I'll ask Cid if he wouldn't mind making a few pit stops."
The barmaid was annoyed that for once Cloud had won the argument, but she blamed it on the late hour and the fact that she was fighting to stay awake. Light snoring alerted her towards the table where Zack had snuck away to rest his head and nod off. She slapped him on the shoulder, jolting him awake.
"Huh, wh-what?!"
She pointed upstairs, "Bedtime mister. We're getting up early tomorrow."
Zack pouted, trying to invoke the pull power of his kicked-puppy look. "Aww, five more minutes, mommy?"
"I'm not your mother I'm your strict nurse! Now get upstairs and start countin' sheep before I make you count the stars above your head!"
"Y-yes ma'am," he replied before bolting upstairs, exchanging a look with his friend as he passed.
"I'll just go find a quiet spot to power down for the night and see you in the morning," Cait replied before heading off towards the living room leaving the two childhood friends alone.
Tifa yawned before turning and heading to bed herself. Cloud followed her up the stairs and made it to the doorway of her bedroom when a pillow hit him square in the face.
"I told you already, you're on the couch tonight," she grouched.
"Are you serious? After what just happened, you're still mad," asked the stunned blonde.
Tifa approached him and poked him in the chest. "Cloud Strife, I'm still mad at you for slipping a frog into my teacup when we were kids."
"That was years ago! And I was seven!"
"You were old enough to know better," she replied.
"So this is to get back at me for that?"
Tifa chuckled, "oh no. I already got you back for that one. Remember when you had that yellow feather duster super-glued to the seat of your pants?"
"That was you?! I thought one of the other kids did that." Cloud remembered that nightmare of a day when everyone in town laughed at him and he didn't realize why until one of the feathers came loose and he realized too late why people kept saying that he 'really looked like a chocobo today'.
Tifa smirked as she folded her arms, blocking the doorway. "See I can hold a grudge long enough to carry out the perfect revenge. Fortunately you happen to be an ally. Had you been an enemy you'd get your rear handed to you. You kept me so busy tonight I didn't get any time to myself. So, in return you can't have the comfort of a nice soft bed."
Cloud sighed in defeat. It was clear there was no getting through to her. "Fine, whatever."
He turned and headed downstairs as she closed the door. Tossing the pillow on the couch he headed to the closet to look for a blanket. He grumbled as he laid down and got comfortable. Cait Sith snickered from his place on the chair in the corner.
"Shut your toy down Reeve, unless you want to spend money building a new one."
The robot's head slumped downward as it went into sleep mode.
The next morning the bar/house was a hive of activity. The kids were busy packing, Zack was helping Tifa and Cloud was getting in touch with their friends letting them know what was going on. Cid was swearing as usual and he sounded a little irritated, but he agreed to give them a lift. They had almost everything set when Zack heard someone knocking at the door.
He opened it and gave the people standing outside an apologetic smile. "Sorry folks, we're closed today. Come back in a few days."
One of the men scratched his head, confused. "This is the right place, isn't it? Seventh Heaven bar? We got orders to help run the place while the owners were away."
"Run the place," asked Zack.
The man nodded. "Just enlighten me, from one bouncer to another, how rough does the crowd get during sport events?"
The spiky-haired warrior turned and called out, "Tifa, I need you over here for a sec!"
The barmaid headed towards the door and sighed. "Honestly Zack, is it that hard for you to turn people away?" She then looked at the group standing there. "I'm sorry, we're dealing with an emergency right now and will have the bar closed for a few days."
"But ma'am, we were hired to run the place while you were gone. Mr. Tuesti sent us."
"Reeve," she asked before turning to Cloud who had just come back in from the kitchen door after yet another call. "Cloud do you know anything about this?"
Cloud flipped his phone closed as he gave her a look. "I tried to tell you last night, but you were waist deep in a lecture about paybacks that I never got the chance."
Cloud felt the death glare strike his heart as he looked back over at Tifa. She then turned and opened the doors. "Well if Reeve sent you to help then I don't see why not. Just don't go upstairs. That's the living areas."
The group sent to help consisted of three barmaids, two bouncers, a cook, a head chef and two managers. Tifa was secretly impressed with the professional way they carried themselves.
She gave them a tour around the bar showing where the supplies were and how everything should be properly set up and managed. Cloud was in the garage grabbing a couple cases of sword polish for the trip when Tifa entered to show the cook and one of the barmaids where the backup wine cooler was. The cook couldn't help but let his eyes wander and Cloud saw the way his eyes sparkled when he saw the warrior's workshop. "Tifa, make sure they don't touch anything they're not supposed to."
He eyed the man coldly before heading out of the garage and back towards his office. The cook swallowed thickly as he tried to recover from the death glare. Tifa sighed and shook her head. "Yes, please don't touch anything on that side of the room. Cloud's very picky about his things."
"Wait, that guy's really him, the man who killed the one-winged angel?"
Tifa nodded. "That's him, but he hates talking about it, so please don't bring it up."
"Why? He's a legend!" The substitute barmaid looked at the cook with annoyance. "Stop being such a nerd. That's not why we're here. Or did you forget you'll be stuck in the kitchen the whole time?"
The man deflated a bit but Tifa couldn't help but give him a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry. We'll be back in less than a week. We appreciate the help."
It helped to butter him up a little and he nodded his thanks.
Meanwhile Zack had been with the kids as they packed. He hardly had anything to pack aside from the Buster Sword, and that was easy enough to strap to his back. It was a learning experience as he listened to Denzel talking about what he planned to do once he was old enough. "I was going to become a mercenary," the boy commented as he tried to force his suitcase closed. "I overheard that's what Cloud had been before he joined AVALANCHE, but then I learned about the company Mr. Reeve manages and I decided I want to join the WRO instead. They help people and train to be strong. I want to learn to fight and protect those I care about and I figure that's the best way to do it."
Zack shook his head as he helped the kid push the case closed and locked it. "I admire your ambition, and if you wanna join the WRO it sounds like a good idea, but you're still just a kid. Enjoy your childhood while it lasts and have some fun."
"How old were you when you joined SOLDIER," asked Marlene.
Zack scratched the back of his head. "I was fourteen, but I was also reckless. My parents didn't want me to go, so I ran away. I wanted to make a name for myself and not get stuck in my hometown like everyone else did."
"But Tifa says you should never run away from home or your problems," Marlene complained.
Zack shamefully nodded, "and she's right. After I made it into SOLDIER I sent them a check every month to help with stuff and to apologize."
Marlene gave him a pouty face as she placed her hands on her hips. "That's no apology. That's just trying to bribe them not to be mad at you."
Zack slumped forward and sighed in defeat. "You're right. I'm just being a coward."
Denzel sat down next to him. "Have you ever thought about going back and making it right?"
"I want to, but I don't have a gil to my name right now. It'll have to wait until I can earn some."
"Well, we are going on an airship, why not make a small side stop," suggested Marlene.
"It'd be nice, but it'd take us out of the way. Gongaga's south of here and we're headed north. Besides, I'd rather handle it on my own."
"I don't understand," she replied. "I'm sure Cloud and Tifa wouldn't mind if you asked them."
Zack smiled at her. "That's the thing. They've already done enough for me. It's about time I started paying them back and not burdening them with selfish requests is a good start. My parents have waited for years; they can wait a little longer. Besides whatever's up north sounds important if they're willing to drop everything and head there. I mean Tifa's pretty busy with her bar and Spiky made it pretty clear he's got a great business going. I'm not about to make the trip longer then it has to be."
"We'll save it for the return trip then," Tifa told him.
The three looked towards the open door and saw her standing there.
"No, I couldn't bother you guys with that," Zack told her.
Tifa gave him an odd look. "Were you always like this? You're not an inconvenience if that's what you think."
"Even after I drove you crazy wanting to help," he asked.
Tifa giggled. "I'm used to that. All the times our teammates would get injured and yet they still wanted to fight. Barret and Cid were the worst! Always insisting they were fine or they were just winded, playing off gashes and broken bones like they were nothing. Aerith and I got plenty of practice mastering our cure materia."
At the mention of Aerith Zack's good mood faltered. Tifa sensed it as well and rubbed her shoulder. "Sorry, I shouldn't have brought her up."
"No, it's okay. I'm glad she finally was able to see the world. We talked about it a lot, but she was afraid of the open sky. I think she was afraid of being swallowed up by something so vast and open. It sounds like she got over that fear though, so…I want to thank you…for that."
Tifa smiled. "She definitely made the journey a great experience. Which reminds me…" She headed out of the room leaving the others confused. Zack looked to the kids who shrugged in return.
Two minutes later Cloud poked his head into the room. "Hey, I just got off the phone with Cid and he said he'd meet us outside of the city since there's no decent place to land. We'll have to ride out to meet him. I'm going to load some stuff onto Fenrir and you might want to check on your ride and make sure everything's in working order. Wade doesn't sell bad quality merchandise, but it's not exactly in perfect working order either."
Zack chuckled, remembering the ride they took yesterday. "Yeah, you heard that weird clunking noise too, eh?"
Cloud nodded and headed out of the room. Zack stretched and followed behind while the kids finished packing.
Another hour went by as the two men worked on their motorcycles. Zack, tinkering and tweaking here and there plus changing the oil while Cloud worked on hooking up the custom trailer that he had made to help with larger deliveries. It was perfect for traveling with their luggage. Tifa entered the garage and approached Zack who was wiping his forehead with a sweat rag. He looked down at the pink ribbon she was holding.
"What's that for?"
"Everyone in our group wears one. It's our way of honoring Aerith's memory I thought you'd like one too."
Zack looked at her right arm and saw her ribbon before seeing the one on Cloud's arm. "Everyone in your group has one?"
Tifa nodded.
Zack smiled as he accepted the ribbon. "Thanks. That really means a lot." He smiled proudly as he tied the ribbon to his arm to match the others. He could feel the warm sting of tears as they tried to form, but he forced them back. This wasn't the time, even if they were bittersweet.
"Okay," he said once the ribbon was secured properly. "I think that should do it." He turned the ignition and revved it up. The bike sputtered a bit before it began to purr. Zack's smile beamed. "That's more like it!"
"I'll go get the kids, it sounds like we're about ready to leave," said Tifa.
Cloud waited for her to leave before he spoke. "Hey Zack, after we get settled in the air ship there's something I've been wanting to ask you."
"Why not now, you know I don't bite Spiky," he replied.
"You'll find out once we get there," was his answer.
It made Zack more than a little curious, but he respected his friend's wish and said nothing more on the matter.