Butterfly Effect: Chapter 33
Apr. 4th, 2008 02:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bard_linnAuthors: Bard Linn and Kiraya
Genre: General/Drama
Pairings: ZackxSeph
Rating (Overall): PG-13
Summary: “Aeris, I’d like you to meet Tifa Lockhart."
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Square Enix and its associates. We’re just borrowing them for a while.
Chapter 33
Cloud surveyed the area with some surprise. The train station in Sector 4 had always been on the grungy side, but someone had taken steps to clean it up, it seemed. The biggest surprise, however, was that they’d somehow managed to get plants to grow down here. He shook his head in amazement. He hadn’t thought it was possible for anyone other than Aeris to actually coax things to grow below the Plate.
The SOLDIER leaned up against a wall, watching the people moving through the station. He was off duty, so he was in civvies instead of his uniform, but people still gave him a wide berth. Guess it really was impossible to truly take a SOLDIER out of the military after all. It made him a bit uncomfortable — Vincent had hammered home the need to move through a crowd unnoticed so much that the attention felt like a red flag — but he did his best to ignore it it. If he wanted to see Tifa, he’d just have to put up with it.
The young woman had taken quite a bit longer to get to Midgar than Cloud had, refusing outright to allow him and Zack to help pay for her way. Once she’d gotten to Costa de Sol, she’d found herself a low-budget hotel and gone monster hunting, gathering enough gil selling parts to make the crossing and pay for transportation from Junon to Midgar. Between that and acquiring the appropriate travel documentation, three months had passed since Cloud had seen her.
During this time, he had carefully considered what Zack had suggested when they’d left Nibelheim, and come to the conclusion it couldn’t hurt to try, at least. Tifa had matured since their first mission to Cloud’s hometown, after all…
“Cloud?”
“Aeris!” The SOLDIER brightened as he spotted the young woman coming towards him. “What are you doing here?” He noted a few smudges of dirt on her dress and gardening tools in her hands. Had she just come from the church?
“It’s good to see you,” said the young woman, smiling. “You haven’t come by for a long time.”
“I know. I’m sorry. At first things weren’t… well. You know.” He half-shrugged. “And then with the mess with the President and everything, we were all pretty busy.” Cloud gestured for her to join him. “Starting another garden?”
“Something like that,” Aeris replied, eyes bright. “But… is it true?”
It took Cloud a moment to guess at what she meant, but he nodded. “Matheson is the head of the Science Department. His predecessor is on the loose, but he’s definitely not in Midgar.” The board had been less than happy to find out Hojo had slipped through their fingers again, but the destruction at Nibelheim had backed up their story. As it was, they were investigating some way to protect SOLDIERs from outside influences so the next time they managed to track Hojo down, they’d be better prepared. “How did you hear?”
“Do you know a man named Reeve?” Cloud shook his head. “Well, he told me. And he asked me to help plant flowers around Midgar.”
“Flowers.” The SOLDIER’s tone was one of disbelief.
Aeris nodded. “Yeah, I know. Didn’t believe it myself at first, but these plants are supposed to be good at taking Mako pollution out of the environment,” she explained. “It’s part of the MMG Project, they tell me.”
Cloud raised his eyebrows at that. He had heard of the MMG Project more than once over the last month; a number of department heads were giving Reeve grief over “wasting valuable company funds” to… how had Palmer put it? Ah yes, “beautify the homes of the proletariat.” Through Morgan, though, Cloud knew the real reason behind the project, and all he’d heard indicated it was slowly starting to work. It might take a long time, but between Matheson and Reeve, Midgar, especially the slums, might someday stop looking like such a dump.
“Anyway, they brought in some seedlings and asked me to help place them and care for them,” Aeris concluded. “So here I am.”
Cloud smiled. “Well, from what I’ve seen, they look really good.”
The young woman returned his smile, clearly as happy to talk about her plants as any parent would be to talk about their children. “I think they’ll do quite well. Mom was a little worried about me working with ShinRa, but after a couple weeks without the Turks coming to call we felt a little better.” Her lips quirked. “I just wish Reeve would stop trying to pay me.”
“He thinks you’re working for him and should be compensated,” Cloud pointed out. “If you feel you can trust him, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. If nothing else, you could use the money to buy more plants for the gardens.”
“That’s true,” Aeris mused. She glanced around. “Is Zack here, too?”
Cloud’s stomach knotted with sudden tension. He really didn’t want to be the one to have to explain Zack’s… situation to her. “No, he’s back topside. Things have settled down a lot, but the President is enacting a lot of changes, so they’re— he’s still busy.”
“Ah.” Her green eyes darkened, a frown pulling at her mouth. “…I guess I should’ve expected this.”
Cloud winced at the disappointed tone in her voice. “Aeris—”
“It’s not your fault, Cloud. Zack is a people person. He can’t help loving them, and… well…” She sighed a little. “He was always popular with the ladies. It’s been three years; I should’ve known better than to…”
“Aeris…” Cloud wasn’t sure what to say. Tell her that Zack still cared for her — which he did, though the how of it might’ve changed? Say that Zack had been busy and it wasn’t intentional he hadn’t been down to see her? Or actually come out with something like ‘hey, cheer up — you didn’t lose to a girl, you’ve just taken second place to the General, and everybody knows he’s impossible to beat’? She’d probably smack him if he said that, and really, Cloud couldn’t blame her.
“Cloud!”
The SOLDIER waved. “Over here, Tifa!” Aeris watched curiously as the other woman came over, carrying her luggage, glancing inquiringly at Cloud. “Aeris, I’d like you to meet Tifa Lockhart, from Nibelheim. Tifa, meet Aeris Gainsborough. She was one of my first friends here below the Plate.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Aeris held out her hand.
Tifa shook it, smiling. “And you, too.” After a moment, she ventured. “Um, you wouldn’t happen to know of a decent, affordable place to stay around here, would you?” She took another look around the station. “I know you said Midgar was big, Cloud, but I didn’t think it’d be this big!”
Aeris was studying the other girl closely. “If you don’t mind me asking… why are you here?”
“I never wanted to stay at home,” Tifa declared, shaking her head vehemently. “Nibelheim’s a tiny little backwater. I’ve been thinking about coming to live in the city ever since Cloud left.”
“You came here to live?” Aeris blinked, surprised. She’d lived in Midgar for as long as she could remember, and would have loved to get away; she couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to come here. “But what are you going to do?”
“I’ll find something,” the other woman said confidently. “I’m a martial artist.”
“And a good one, too, but you aren’t a master yet, Tifa. You can’t teach,” Cloud put in. “You might be able to get a job as a bodyguard, though since you’re new in town it’ll take some time for that to work out, at least until you get some references…”
Aeris looked thoughtful. “Well, if you’re looking for a temporary thing, I could use someone to help watch my back while I’m working. I can’t pay you, but I’m sure Mom’d let you stay at our house for a bit until you find something.”
“Sounds good,” Tifa replied after a moment, nodding. “Lead on.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I just can’t help thinking I’m a burden,” Tifa concluded, kneeling beside Aeris in the thick soil of the Sector Two garden. It had been about a month and a half since she’d first come to Midgar, and she’d spent that time following Aeris around the slums, trying to offer what assistance she could and yet feeling frustratingly superfluous.
Aeris shook her head. “You’re more than earning your keep, Tifa. You’ve been helping me carry things, you’ve helped fight off some rather nasty folk, and you’ve been helping around the house — you aren’t a burden,” she insisted as she pulled another weed free.
“But I’m not bringing in any money,” Tifa countered. “I need to find a job. Cloud had a great idea with the bodyguard thing, but no one’s gonna take me without a reference. I have to look into something else.” She dusted the soil off of her gloves.
“Somehow I never thought I would see you working for ShinRa, Miss Gainsborough.”
Both women immediately turned towards the source of the voice, finally noticing the figure lurking in the shadows. Tifa rose and moved closer to Aeris, not quite dropping into a fighting stance, but standing ready to defend her friend if necessary.
“Tseng.”
The Turk inclined his head slightly. “Knowing you are involved with the MMG Project does explain why it’s working.”
“Thank you,” Aeris replied, watching him warily. She was never quite sure how to deal with this man. On one hand, he had tried to kidnap her several times; on the other, he had never failed to be polite and caring, in his way.
“I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation, and I thought you might be interested to know there is a bar nearby looking for a peacekeeper.” He briefly looked Tifa over. “You would likely meet the requirements.”
“A girl bouncer?” Aeris’s eyebrows rose.
Tseng smiled thinly. “How many drunks would expect a woman to be effective in the role?”
“Point,” Aeris conceded, well aware that appearance was key here below the Plate. Tifa didn’t look that strong or intimidating, but she could certainly handle a few folks who’d been hitting the booze too hard. “So where is this bar, anyway?”
“Not far.” Tseng gave them concise directions, bid them a polite farewell (and Tifa good luck), and left. Tifa stared after him, lost in thought as Aeris gathered up her gardening tools and disposed of the weeds they’d pulled.
“Who was that guy?” the fighter finally asked as they headed out. “It’s obvious you know him, though you didn’t seem real happy to see him…”
“He’s one of the Turks,” Aeris replied. Tifa gave her a blank look, so she elaborated, “They work for ShinRa, supposedly scouting for SOLDIERs, but… honestly, it’s pretty obvious they’re involved in a lot more shady stuff than that. For a long time they kept trying to convince me to go with them to ShinRa, and, well…” She stood a little straighter, chin up, hands fisted on her hips, a fierce scowl on her face. “What do you think — am I SOLDIER material?”
Stifling a laugh, Tifa shook her head. “Do they even have girl SOLDIERs?”
“I don’t think so,” the other woman said thoughtfully. “Never seen any, anyway. But yeah, I always thought it was kinda weird. Sure, it’s been a couple months since the Turks have bothered me like that, but… it’s still hard to trust them.”
Tifa’s expression was dubious. “So why are we going to this bar, then?”
“The Turks know a lot — Tseng’s information network is massive, I’m sure. He probably knows exactly what you can do and figures you’d fit the job well.” Aeris looked pensive. “Though I don’t know if he’s just trying to separate us…”
“Well, let’s see what the hours are,” Tifa suggested. “Most of these places are only really open evenings and nights — maybe I can still help you during the day.” As Aeris nodded slowly, she caught sight of their destination. “Here we go.”
The first thing Aeris noticed when they entered the Flying Dragon was its surprising cleanliness. Despite its location, the floor wasn’t grimy like a lot of bars under the Plate, and the tables looked almost clean enough to eat off of. The lighting wasn’t that great, but really, in bars it rarely was.
“Sorry, ladies,” the grizzled proprietor greeted them as they walked in, looking up from drying glasses behind the bar, “but we’re not open for another three hours. Why don’t you come back then?”
Tifa walked up to the bar. “Actually, I’m here about the peacekeeper position.”
“I’ve got no trouble with women in the position — last one was a hell of a girl, kept her head better than a number of the boys hereabouts, but…” The man looked at her dubiously. “I dunno. You’re an awfully little thing…”
“Do you have a lot of fights?” Aeris asked.
“We have our share,” the barkeep admitted.
“Then why don’t you let her have a trial period?” the young woman suggested.
“Well… can’t hurt, I guess.” The bartender glanced between the pair, thoughtful, and nodded. “Okay, I’ll keep you on a week. Goes like this: twenty gil a night, plus food and drinks on the house. If you ever get drunk on the job, though, you’ll be outta here faster than a hasted SOLDIER with a fire lit under his ass. Same goes for whoring.”
Tifa twitched. “That won’t be a problem, sir.”
“Call me Bill,” the man told her, extending his hand. “Bill Roberts.”
“Tifa Lockhart,” the martial artist replied, shaking his hand firmly. She gestured to the woman beside her. “And my friend’s Aeris Gainsborough.”
Bill nodded. “Well, Tifa, let’s see what you’re made of.”
It was three days before anything really got out of hand. Most of the regulars knew to take their fights outside the Flying Dragon rather than risk Bill’s wrath. The man was a decent hand with a club himself, but he couldn’t be everywhere at once, and the time it took him to rush from behind the bar could make the difference between a minor scuffle and a bar-wide fight. Tifa spent her first three nights helping with serving, keeping an eye on the customers. On her second day, though, she did see one bald man wearing a suit not unlike Tseng’s. (“You’ll see people dressed like that come in from time to time,” Bill had told her. “Just don’t bother ‘em.”) Undoubtedly Tseng knew she had taken up his suggestion; now it just was a matter of seeing if he intended to take advantage of it. Should have Cloud work on the staff with Aeris, Tifa reminded herself. She’s not bad, but I bet he’s better, and a little extra training never hurt anyone.
She’d been keeping an eye on the table all the way in the right corner most of the night. The pair had come in looking more morose than most, and there was an edgy feeling about them. One of the pair stood up and stumbled into the next table, knocking into another customer.
“Hey, watch it, jackass!”
“You want a piece of me?”
Why do they all sound the same? Tifa wondered absentmindedly as she quickly crossed the room. She caught the first punch before it could land. “If you’re going to fight, take it outside.”
“Mind your own damn business,” the drunk snarled, lashing out.
Tifa countered his punch, though not without effort; whoever this guy was, he was strong, and he punched like he’d had training somewhere. “A fight in here is my business,” she replied coolly. “Take it outside.”
“Stupid bitch!” The drunk drew back to throw another punch, but she caught his arm, twisting it; when he struck out with a kick in retaliation, she cleanly swept his legs out from under him.
“I think you should leave,” she informed the drunk’s companion, eyes hard.
The man nodded quickly and picked up his friend, hauling him to the exit. Tifa dusted off her hands — she really needed to start wearing her fighting gloves while on the job — and picked up the tray she’d abandoned. “Sorry. That was two whiskeys and a gin and tonic, right?”
When she returned to the bar she found Bill beaming at her. “Right good technique there, Tifa. Who trained you?”
“Zangan,” she said proudly.
Bill nodded. “I’ve heard of him.” He poured another drink, passing it to a customer sitting at the bar. “Well, I’d like to take you on permanently, if you’re willing.” He held out his hand.
Tifa took it, sealing the bargain. “More than willing, Bill.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Well, you look to be in a good mood. What’ve you been up to?” Zack asked as Cloud walked into Sephiroth’s quarters.
“I’ve been working with Tifa and Aeris down below,” the blond answered, flopping in one of the chairs. “Tifa’s a great sparring partner, and Aeris is getting a lot better with her staff. The weight training exercises are really helping.”
“…How is she?”
“Who, Aeris?” At Zack’s nod, Cloud said, “She’s doing pretty well. She’s actually working on the MMG Project now, and seems to really be happy doing it…” He shifted awkwardly in his seat. Should I tell him she misses him and keeps asking about him?
“I haven’t seen her in so long. I really ought to stop by sometime now that it’s safe, say hello…” Zack trailed off, eyes somber, a pensive expression on his face.
Feeling pretty sobered by Zack’s reaction, Cloud remained silent — what could he say, really? He certainly couldn’t imagine being in Zack’s situation, having to make that decision. He shook his head, and, trying to change the subject, asked, “Where’s Vincent?”
Zack looked up. “Huh? Oh, he’s helping Tseng with a problem.”
Cloud raised his eyebrows at that. “I thought he wasn’t going to work with them.”
“Apparently they’re having some issues with some top-secret thing I’m not supposed to know about,” Zack replied, shrugging. “Valentine thought he might be able to provide new insight.” He looked at Cloud. “I think he wants to know what Tseng’s made of, considering he was Veld’s partner.”
Cloud nodded. “And Sephiroth?”
“Here,” came the quiet reply as Sephiroth walked out of the kitchenette, offering one of the cups of tea he held to Cloud, who took it with a smile of thanks. The pale-haired man took a seat on the couch next to Zack, who promptly threw an arm around his shoulders.
Cloud was a bit surprised when Sephiroth didn’t protest the contact with anything more than a little sigh. Despite their closeness, he knew the General had gone out of his to avoid any “questionable” physical contact when in the presence of others — and still did, which of course drove Zack, with his love of contact and casual disregard for the personal space of those he cared for, absolutely nuts. As strange as it was, though, Sephiroth apparently didn’t mind letting his guard down a little around Cloud, and he had to admit he was oddly flattered by that. Though really, it’s probably just because I’m the only person — aside from Vincent, I guess — who knows for sure about them, so why bother hiding it?
Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he asked, “How are things in the office?”
“Finally quieting down. The president believes we can relax our guard,” Sephiroth answered. “I look forward to bringing some of the SOLDIERs back to Midgar. We’ve had more units in the field than I’d like.”
“I still can’t believe it’s taken this long to establish the new president,” Cloud mused aloud, shaking his head in amazement as he swallowed some of his tea. “I knew that people would see this as a period of weakness, but eight whole months…?”
“There are a number of groups who disagree with ShinRa policies and have tried to take advantage of what may well have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Sephiroth sipped his own tea. “It appears we’ve stopped most of them, however.”
“For now.” Cloud frowned, knowing things were still unsettled in places below the Plate. He could understand their feelings, but… he didn’t know what they could do about it. Fighting didn’t seem to be the answer, though, that much was certain. Aeris didn’t really like ShinRa herself, but she was still working for them now, trying to better life below the Plate… and was definitely having more success than any of the terrorists.
“For now,” Sephiroth agreed. Still, he knew better than anyone else on the executive board that the desperate didn’t give up easily.
“In happier news, I hear you and Tifa have a date tomorrow,” Zack interjected, eyes sparkling.
Much to his annoyance, Cloud felt himself flushing. “How did you find out about that?”
“Reno.” Zack grinned. “The Turks use the Flying Dragon as an information source. He’s been keeping an eye on her.”
Cloud frowned. “Do you think she’s in danger? They were after Aeris…”
“Unlikely,” Sephiroth put in. “Ms. Gainsborough is no longer wanted by the Science Department. It is far more likely Reno finds Ms. Lockhart… comely.”
The blond grimaced at the thought of that relationship, and Zack laughed at his expression. “Well, have a good time. Enjoy yourselves — you could use the break. You’re looking a little worn around the edges.”
“Speak for yourself,” Cloud countered, looking the other SOLDIER over. Zack had been running double time since their return from Nibelheim, trying to smooth out disputes arising between SOLDIERs and civilians alike.
“Oh, I’m sure I can find something to do tomorrow night,” Zack said airily, not quite able to keep his gaze from flickering to Sephiroth, who rolled his eyes.
Cloud chucked a throw pillow at him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Don’t be silly. I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
“I don’t know…” Tifa looked at Aeris in the mirror as the other woman brushed her hair, leaning into the strokes. She had always been independent, but it was nice to be spoiled once in a while by a little personal attention, and getting her hair brushed by someone else was really quite pleasant.
“Cloud’s a perfectly sweet guy. You’ll have a good time. Loveless is really good, I hear, and I know the place you’re going for dinner is nice. You’ll enjoy it.” Aeris put the brush aside and reached for some clips, arranging Tifa’s hair.
“I feel bad that he’s paying for everything, though.”
Aeris waved the objection aside, fishing for more bobby pins. “SOLDIERs make a lot more than most civilians do, especially those of us who live here in the slums. Cloud doesn’t spend his money on much, anyway.”
“Except weapons.” Tifa chuckled, knowing the blond’s obsession.
“Indeed,” Aeris replied with a grin. “And he seems to think they’re the only appropriate present, besides.”
“Not that the gloves he got me aren’t nice…”
“Not at all. He has excellent taste.” Aeris paused, studying the figure in front of her. Tifa looked stunning in the blue dress she had picked out, but something was missing… “Ah!” She pulled a blue ribbon nearly the same color as the dress out of a box on her dresser and carefully threaded it through the other woman’s hair. “There — now you’re ready.”
Tifa nodded, smiling in thanks. “What’s that?” she asked suddenly, looking into the box, where a pale green stone lay nestled in the ribbons.
“That?” Aeris turned to look. “Oh. It’s a materia Mama gave me.”
“Really?” The other woman looked interested. “I’ve never actually held a materia before. Can I?” Aeris nodded, and Tifa picked it up. It was smooth, round, and cool in her palm, but didn’t seem to react to her touch at all. “What does it do?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?” Tifa echoed, disbelieving, and when Aeris nodded she shook her head. “That’s impossible. All materia do something,” she insisted, frowning at it.
“Well, I haven’t been able to get it to do anythi—” The green-eyed woman stopped short as the doorbell rang, suddenly smiling. “Ah, that must be Cloud!” Taking her materia back from Tifa, she called, “I’ll get it, Mom!” and ran downstairs. “Right on time,” she noted as she opened the door, and smiled. “That uniform looks good on you.”
“Thanks,” Cloud replied, smiling a little as he self-consciously smoothed down the front of his formals. He hadn’t worn them too often, and they still felt strange in comparison with his usual uniform and the sweats he wore while training.
“Tifa should be down any minute. We were just finishing her hair.” True to her words, the martial artist came down the stairs at a much more sedate pace than Aeris had, careful with her dress. The green-eyed woman looked smug. “Well, what do you think?”
“I think you look beautiful, Tifa,” Cloud said truthfully. “Shall we go?” Tifa nodded and the pair headed out, getting into the car that Cloud had borrowed for the occasion. Zack had offered to get him a motorcycle instead — “There’s something great about having your date’s arms about you, if you get my drift” — but that had seemed rather impractical, considering their attire.
Dinner went well. The food was excellent and the atmosphere more relaxed than Tifa had expected, and they’d spent the time getting to know each other better, talking about things they hadn’t discussed in their letters. They exchanged stories of their childhood, Tifa telling about the people she’d grown up with in Nibelheim, Cloud relaying his adventures with Vincent and some of the lessons he had learned from the former Turk. Tifa found herself reluctant to leave when Cloud noted the play would be starting soon.
Loveless was nice enough. Tifa, however, had trouble concentrating on it. Cloud was being a perfect gentleman, not impeding on her personal space any more than to hold her hand, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of how relieved she was by that, by how the simple brush of his thumb against the back of her hand caused her heart to flutter uneasily. What is wrong with me? Cloud was, as Aeris had pointed out, a nice guy, handsome, a good fighter… Why was she so edgy?
“Did you have a good time?” Cloud asked they exited the theater.
Jolted out of her thoughts, Tifa slapped a smile on her face and replied almost automatically, “Yes. It was a wonderful night.”
“Honestly, I liked the end better than I thought I would. It was sad, but kinda hopeful at the same time…”
Tifa made a noise of agreement, trying to make small talk with her date about the play while not giving away the fact she hadn’t really been paying much attention. Finally they were back at Aeris’s house, much to Tifa’s relief. Cloud walked her up to the door, a little smile on his face. “I’d like to do this again, if it’s all right with you. Next Saturday?”
“…won’t you have duty?” Tifa stalled, mind moving like molasses.
“I don’t know,” Cloud admitted. “I’ll see what I can find out, all right?”
“All right,” Tifa echoed, reaching for the doorknob.
“Tifa…” Cloud took a step closer, laying a hand on her waist.
The martial artist froze. “You better go, Cloud. You’ve got work tomorrow—”
“I don’t need that much sleep—”
“—and Aeris and I have early morning practice. I’ll see you soon.” She turned the knob and slipped inside before Cloud could interrupt her again, then closed the door quickly, leaning against it. That was awkward. He was going to kiss me… why didn’t I want him to kiss me?
“Tifa?”
At first she thought it was Aeris, but realized with relief it was the other woman’s mother. She didn’t feel up to dealing with her matchmaking friend at the moment. “Hello, Mrs. Gainsborough.”
“Well, I won’t ask if you had a good time, since the truth is clear on your face. What happened?” Elmyra took her by the arm and drew her into the kitchen. “Come sit down. I’ll make some tea.”
“It was fine, except… well, I dunno. I just… wasn’t really comfortable with some of it.” Seeing the look on Elmyra’s face — she still didn’t have a high opinion of the military — she clarified, “He didn’t do anything, just held my hand, but it still felt so awkward.”
“First dates sometimes are,” Elmyra said, sitting down with her guest. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try again. Not everyone falls in love at first sight.”
Tifa sighed. “I guess so.”
Elmyra smiled. “Well, let me tell you a story about how Peter and I first met…”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Things have been going rather well. With the smog starting to diminish, we’ve gotten the executive board to agree to looking into solar power to supplement the reactor feed starting next year. We might actually be able to use the Plate for something if we put solar panels on the unoccupied parts of it,” Red XIII explained to Aeris excitedly. “It’s more efficient than Mako energy too, so once we get it up and running I think we’ll be able to slowly push Mako use to the supplementary role.”
Aeris shook her head, almost amused by how enthusiastic the young creature was. She had been more than a bit worried when Matheson had convinced Red to assist the Science Department two months ago, but it seemed things were working out well. “Are they listening to you?”
Red nodded. “Actually,” he confided, “I think a lot of them are afraid of me.”
The woman laughed. “Not necessarily a bad thing, that.”
“Next month we’re planning to go out to Cosmo Canyon and talk to the engineers there,” Red continued. “Rob— I mean, Matheson wants to look at wind power too, and maybe even water power for Junon.”
“Will you be coming back?” Aeris asked, well aware how much Red had missed his home. The thought of never seeing him again made her heart sink.
“…I think so,” he replied slowly. “I know I’m supposed to be the protector of the Canyon, but they’re so short-handed here, and they really are trying to do the right thing.” Red padded over to Aeris and put his head into her lap; taking the hint, she scratched his ears. “Oh, and I think Reeve wants to talk to you. They’ve had significant results with the MMG Project, so they’ve been expanding it.”
“Expanding it?”
“Above the Plate.”
Aeris’s fingers paused. The last time she’d been above the Plate she’d been in Hojo’s care… and though there was hardly a chance of that being repeated, it still made her uneasy to think about. On the other hand, if she went, she might run into Zack. Even though she strongly suspected he’d moved on — he would have come back to her if he hadn’t, wouldn’t he? — she still wanted to talk to him again, finally get some sort of closure…
“Aeris,” Red continued, breaking her out of her thoughts, “I really do think Reeve’s a good person. I doubt he’d let anything happen to you.” The catlike creature’s tail waved slowly back and forth as he spoke, indicating deep thought. “I’ve seen the gardens up there; they’re doing well, but they could do better. Just taking a look wouldn’t do any harm, I’m sure. It’s not like they’re close to the ShinRa building, really.”
Aeris closed her eyes, thinking hard. Red was right in that looking, at least, shouldn’t cause too many problems. “…All right, I’ll go.”
Red nodded. “I’ll let Reeve know, then. He’ll come by in a few days.”
Three days later, Cait Sith dropped by with the time Reeve would come to meet her. She spent the hours waiting more tense than she could remember being. Not even working in the church garden, the approved meeting spot, could calm her.
“Miss Gainsborough, are you all right? You don’t look well.”
Aeris jumped a bit as Reeve’s voice entered the church. She hadn’t even noticed he’d arrived. “I’m all right. Just a bit nervous.”
Reeve smiled at her. “No need. People above the Plate aren’t that different from those below it, I promise. Shall we?”
The pair took the train, riding up above the metal structure that had towered over Aeris for almost all of her life. On the third stop topside they disembarked, Reeve guiding her to the garden not far from it. “This is the one that’s furthest along.”
Aeris looked at the plants, noting those that were doing well and those that could do with a bit of help. “You’re doing rather well, I think.”
“Ah, Reeve! Come to see how we’re doing?” An elderly man waved at the executive, silver hair glinting in the little brief flickers of sunlight that occasionally broke through Midgar’s ever-present cloud cover. “And who might this lovely young lady be?” There was a sparkle of amusement in his brown eyes, sharpening the crows’ feet at their corners. “Finally found yourself a little missus?”
Aeris blushed, and Reeve, clearly somewhat embarrassed, shook his head as he corrected his employee. “Oh, no. This is my assistant, Aeris Gainsborough. She’s been supervising the gardens down below. Ms. Gainsborough, this is Michael McQuarrie. He’s in charge of this garden.”
“You’ve done a really good job,” Aeris said, smiling. “There are a few plants that could use a little extra attention, though…”
The old man nodded. “Care to point them out, Miss Gainsborough? I’d love to have your input. I’ve seen your work below, and it’s quite impressive.”
The gardeners wandered among the plants, McQuarrie making notes on what Aeris said. Reeve followed, inputting a few ideas of his own on how to best implement Aeris’s suggestions. McQuarrie thanked them warmly as they left, and Reeve looked apologetically at his ‘assistant.’ “Um, about what Michael said earlier—”
Aeris shook her head. “Does he do that often?” she asked, amused.
“Something like that,” Reeve replied, somewhat sheepishly. “I may be the nominal head of the department, but there are several people who’ve been involved with it quite a bit longer than I have, and they all seem to have a bit of a parental streak. ‘Are you eating well, you need to stop working yourself so hard, one of these days you really ought to find yourself a nice girl to settle down with,’ that sort of thing.” He shook his head ruefully. “It’s nice that they care, really, but…”
The young woman laughed. “Oh, I know the feeling, trust me. The pestering may be annoying, but if they stopped, you’d be worried something was wrong.”
“Too true,” Reeve agreed, chuckling. “Not much we can do about it, though, except let them fuss, is there?” He turned to leave. “If you’d care to see them, we have another three gardens started up here, though none are doing quite as well as this one…”
“I’d like that.” It was wonderful to meet other people tending the earth and see their work. Somehow it made Aeris feel less alone, despite her… differences.
Their tour of the gardens scattered about the Plate took the rest of the day. Reeve insisted on treating Aeris to dinner, claiming she must be tired (which she had to admit was true). “Is it really helping?” she asked as they ate. “All these plants, I mean.”
“The amount of Mako pollution in the atmosphere has decreased by almost two percent,” he replied. “It may not sound like much, but considering the length of time it’s been since we’ve started the project, it’s wonderful. If Matheson does as well with finding alternate energy sources, we may just be able to pull this off. It seems to be having a positive affect on people’s spirits, too.”
Aeris nodded. “People need growing things in their lives,” she commented, taking a sip of her drink.
“Would you be willing to visit these gardens up here a bit more often?” Reeve asked, dark eyes cautious. “We really could use your continued input…”
“Yes, I think so.” If she spent more time topside, she was more likely to run into Zack, after all. At least if she saw him again, they might be able to talk about why things had turned out this way…
Her companion simply looked at her, seeming to see right through her. “You were hoping to see Major Sinclair, weren’t you?” It wasn’t really a question.
Aeris blinked, surprised. “How did you know?”
“Knowledge is power, Miss Gainsborough, in ShinRa most of all. It’s only wise to keep track of the company’s important people.” Reeve took a bite of his dessert, not looking at her. “He’s been extremely busy since the new President came to power.”
“I know,” Aeris replied. “And I know it’s been a while, but I’d just like to talk to him again.”
Reeve put down his silverware. “I’m afraid that might be… difficult, at the very least. He’s… well, I’m not close enough to him to be able to say for certain, but it does seem he’s become much more involved with his… work lately, and…” He paused, as if having difficulty searching for the right words. “Well, he’s always been very dedicated to his job.”
He’s not telling me something. And I’m pretty sure I know exactly what it is. “…I see.” What else could she say?
“Miss Gainsborough— Aeris.” Reeve’s voice was earnest, but she couldn’t quite look at him. “Please don’t be discouraged.” He paused, then ventured, “I’m sure there are many who might care for you, if you let yourself give them a chance. Sometimes you have to start over in order to get anywhere.”
Aeris knew he was right. She had pretty much accepted that things were over between her and Zack, but really, she just wanted to hear the reasons for it from Zack himself, especially why he hadn’t come to see her even once, despite the danger from Hojo having passed.
Paying the bill, her dinner companion stood, offering her his hand. “It’s getting late,” he noted quietly. “I’ll take you back home.”
“…All right.”
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Genre: General/Drama
Pairings: ZackxSeph
Rating (Overall): PG-13
Summary: “Aeris, I’d like you to meet Tifa Lockhart."
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Square Enix and its associates. We’re just borrowing them for a while.
Chapter 33
Cloud surveyed the area with some surprise. The train station in Sector 4 had always been on the grungy side, but someone had taken steps to clean it up, it seemed. The biggest surprise, however, was that they’d somehow managed to get plants to grow down here. He shook his head in amazement. He hadn’t thought it was possible for anyone other than Aeris to actually coax things to grow below the Plate.
The SOLDIER leaned up against a wall, watching the people moving through the station. He was off duty, so he was in civvies instead of his uniform, but people still gave him a wide berth. Guess it really was impossible to truly take a SOLDIER out of the military after all. It made him a bit uncomfortable — Vincent had hammered home the need to move through a crowd unnoticed so much that the attention felt like a red flag — but he did his best to ignore it it. If he wanted to see Tifa, he’d just have to put up with it.
The young woman had taken quite a bit longer to get to Midgar than Cloud had, refusing outright to allow him and Zack to help pay for her way. Once she’d gotten to Costa de Sol, she’d found herself a low-budget hotel and gone monster hunting, gathering enough gil selling parts to make the crossing and pay for transportation from Junon to Midgar. Between that and acquiring the appropriate travel documentation, three months had passed since Cloud had seen her.
During this time, he had carefully considered what Zack had suggested when they’d left Nibelheim, and come to the conclusion it couldn’t hurt to try, at least. Tifa had matured since their first mission to Cloud’s hometown, after all…
“Cloud?”
“Aeris!” The SOLDIER brightened as he spotted the young woman coming towards him. “What are you doing here?” He noted a few smudges of dirt on her dress and gardening tools in her hands. Had she just come from the church?
“It’s good to see you,” said the young woman, smiling. “You haven’t come by for a long time.”
“I know. I’m sorry. At first things weren’t… well. You know.” He half-shrugged. “And then with the mess with the President and everything, we were all pretty busy.” Cloud gestured for her to join him. “Starting another garden?”
“Something like that,” Aeris replied, eyes bright. “But… is it true?”
It took Cloud a moment to guess at what she meant, but he nodded. “Matheson is the head of the Science Department. His predecessor is on the loose, but he’s definitely not in Midgar.” The board had been less than happy to find out Hojo had slipped through their fingers again, but the destruction at Nibelheim had backed up their story. As it was, they were investigating some way to protect SOLDIERs from outside influences so the next time they managed to track Hojo down, they’d be better prepared. “How did you hear?”
“Do you know a man named Reeve?” Cloud shook his head. “Well, he told me. And he asked me to help plant flowers around Midgar.”
“Flowers.” The SOLDIER’s tone was one of disbelief.
Aeris nodded. “Yeah, I know. Didn’t believe it myself at first, but these plants are supposed to be good at taking Mako pollution out of the environment,” she explained. “It’s part of the MMG Project, they tell me.”
Cloud raised his eyebrows at that. He had heard of the MMG Project more than once over the last month; a number of department heads were giving Reeve grief over “wasting valuable company funds” to… how had Palmer put it? Ah yes, “beautify the homes of the proletariat.” Through Morgan, though, Cloud knew the real reason behind the project, and all he’d heard indicated it was slowly starting to work. It might take a long time, but between Matheson and Reeve, Midgar, especially the slums, might someday stop looking like such a dump.
“Anyway, they brought in some seedlings and asked me to help place them and care for them,” Aeris concluded. “So here I am.”
Cloud smiled. “Well, from what I’ve seen, they look really good.”
The young woman returned his smile, clearly as happy to talk about her plants as any parent would be to talk about their children. “I think they’ll do quite well. Mom was a little worried about me working with ShinRa, but after a couple weeks without the Turks coming to call we felt a little better.” Her lips quirked. “I just wish Reeve would stop trying to pay me.”
“He thinks you’re working for him and should be compensated,” Cloud pointed out. “If you feel you can trust him, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. If nothing else, you could use the money to buy more plants for the gardens.”
“That’s true,” Aeris mused. She glanced around. “Is Zack here, too?”
Cloud’s stomach knotted with sudden tension. He really didn’t want to be the one to have to explain Zack’s… situation to her. “No, he’s back topside. Things have settled down a lot, but the President is enacting a lot of changes, so they’re— he’s still busy.”
“Ah.” Her green eyes darkened, a frown pulling at her mouth. “…I guess I should’ve expected this.”
Cloud winced at the disappointed tone in her voice. “Aeris—”
“It’s not your fault, Cloud. Zack is a people person. He can’t help loving them, and… well…” She sighed a little. “He was always popular with the ladies. It’s been three years; I should’ve known better than to…”
“Aeris…” Cloud wasn’t sure what to say. Tell her that Zack still cared for her — which he did, though the how of it might’ve changed? Say that Zack had been busy and it wasn’t intentional he hadn’t been down to see her? Or actually come out with something like ‘hey, cheer up — you didn’t lose to a girl, you’ve just taken second place to the General, and everybody knows he’s impossible to beat’? She’d probably smack him if he said that, and really, Cloud couldn’t blame her.
“Cloud!”
The SOLDIER waved. “Over here, Tifa!” Aeris watched curiously as the other woman came over, carrying her luggage, glancing inquiringly at Cloud. “Aeris, I’d like you to meet Tifa Lockhart, from Nibelheim. Tifa, meet Aeris Gainsborough. She was one of my first friends here below the Plate.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Aeris held out her hand.
Tifa shook it, smiling. “And you, too.” After a moment, she ventured. “Um, you wouldn’t happen to know of a decent, affordable place to stay around here, would you?” She took another look around the station. “I know you said Midgar was big, Cloud, but I didn’t think it’d be this big!”
Aeris was studying the other girl closely. “If you don’t mind me asking… why are you here?”
“I never wanted to stay at home,” Tifa declared, shaking her head vehemently. “Nibelheim’s a tiny little backwater. I’ve been thinking about coming to live in the city ever since Cloud left.”
“You came here to live?” Aeris blinked, surprised. She’d lived in Midgar for as long as she could remember, and would have loved to get away; she couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to come here. “But what are you going to do?”
“I’ll find something,” the other woman said confidently. “I’m a martial artist.”
“And a good one, too, but you aren’t a master yet, Tifa. You can’t teach,” Cloud put in. “You might be able to get a job as a bodyguard, though since you’re new in town it’ll take some time for that to work out, at least until you get some references…”
Aeris looked thoughtful. “Well, if you’re looking for a temporary thing, I could use someone to help watch my back while I’m working. I can’t pay you, but I’m sure Mom’d let you stay at our house for a bit until you find something.”
“Sounds good,” Tifa replied after a moment, nodding. “Lead on.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I just can’t help thinking I’m a burden,” Tifa concluded, kneeling beside Aeris in the thick soil of the Sector Two garden. It had been about a month and a half since she’d first come to Midgar, and she’d spent that time following Aeris around the slums, trying to offer what assistance she could and yet feeling frustratingly superfluous.
Aeris shook her head. “You’re more than earning your keep, Tifa. You’ve been helping me carry things, you’ve helped fight off some rather nasty folk, and you’ve been helping around the house — you aren’t a burden,” she insisted as she pulled another weed free.
“But I’m not bringing in any money,” Tifa countered. “I need to find a job. Cloud had a great idea with the bodyguard thing, but no one’s gonna take me without a reference. I have to look into something else.” She dusted the soil off of her gloves.
“Somehow I never thought I would see you working for ShinRa, Miss Gainsborough.”
Both women immediately turned towards the source of the voice, finally noticing the figure lurking in the shadows. Tifa rose and moved closer to Aeris, not quite dropping into a fighting stance, but standing ready to defend her friend if necessary.
“Tseng.”
The Turk inclined his head slightly. “Knowing you are involved with the MMG Project does explain why it’s working.”
“Thank you,” Aeris replied, watching him warily. She was never quite sure how to deal with this man. On one hand, he had tried to kidnap her several times; on the other, he had never failed to be polite and caring, in his way.
“I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation, and I thought you might be interested to know there is a bar nearby looking for a peacekeeper.” He briefly looked Tifa over. “You would likely meet the requirements.”
“A girl bouncer?” Aeris’s eyebrows rose.
Tseng smiled thinly. “How many drunks would expect a woman to be effective in the role?”
“Point,” Aeris conceded, well aware that appearance was key here below the Plate. Tifa didn’t look that strong or intimidating, but she could certainly handle a few folks who’d been hitting the booze too hard. “So where is this bar, anyway?”
“Not far.” Tseng gave them concise directions, bid them a polite farewell (and Tifa good luck), and left. Tifa stared after him, lost in thought as Aeris gathered up her gardening tools and disposed of the weeds they’d pulled.
“Who was that guy?” the fighter finally asked as they headed out. “It’s obvious you know him, though you didn’t seem real happy to see him…”
“He’s one of the Turks,” Aeris replied. Tifa gave her a blank look, so she elaborated, “They work for ShinRa, supposedly scouting for SOLDIERs, but… honestly, it’s pretty obvious they’re involved in a lot more shady stuff than that. For a long time they kept trying to convince me to go with them to ShinRa, and, well…” She stood a little straighter, chin up, hands fisted on her hips, a fierce scowl on her face. “What do you think — am I SOLDIER material?”
Stifling a laugh, Tifa shook her head. “Do they even have girl SOLDIERs?”
“I don’t think so,” the other woman said thoughtfully. “Never seen any, anyway. But yeah, I always thought it was kinda weird. Sure, it’s been a couple months since the Turks have bothered me like that, but… it’s still hard to trust them.”
Tifa’s expression was dubious. “So why are we going to this bar, then?”
“The Turks know a lot — Tseng’s information network is massive, I’m sure. He probably knows exactly what you can do and figures you’d fit the job well.” Aeris looked pensive. “Though I don’t know if he’s just trying to separate us…”
“Well, let’s see what the hours are,” Tifa suggested. “Most of these places are only really open evenings and nights — maybe I can still help you during the day.” As Aeris nodded slowly, she caught sight of their destination. “Here we go.”
The first thing Aeris noticed when they entered the Flying Dragon was its surprising cleanliness. Despite its location, the floor wasn’t grimy like a lot of bars under the Plate, and the tables looked almost clean enough to eat off of. The lighting wasn’t that great, but really, in bars it rarely was.
“Sorry, ladies,” the grizzled proprietor greeted them as they walked in, looking up from drying glasses behind the bar, “but we’re not open for another three hours. Why don’t you come back then?”
Tifa walked up to the bar. “Actually, I’m here about the peacekeeper position.”
“I’ve got no trouble with women in the position — last one was a hell of a girl, kept her head better than a number of the boys hereabouts, but…” The man looked at her dubiously. “I dunno. You’re an awfully little thing…”
“Do you have a lot of fights?” Aeris asked.
“We have our share,” the barkeep admitted.
“Then why don’t you let her have a trial period?” the young woman suggested.
“Well… can’t hurt, I guess.” The bartender glanced between the pair, thoughtful, and nodded. “Okay, I’ll keep you on a week. Goes like this: twenty gil a night, plus food and drinks on the house. If you ever get drunk on the job, though, you’ll be outta here faster than a hasted SOLDIER with a fire lit under his ass. Same goes for whoring.”
Tifa twitched. “That won’t be a problem, sir.”
“Call me Bill,” the man told her, extending his hand. “Bill Roberts.”
“Tifa Lockhart,” the martial artist replied, shaking his hand firmly. She gestured to the woman beside her. “And my friend’s Aeris Gainsborough.”
Bill nodded. “Well, Tifa, let’s see what you’re made of.”
It was three days before anything really got out of hand. Most of the regulars knew to take their fights outside the Flying Dragon rather than risk Bill’s wrath. The man was a decent hand with a club himself, but he couldn’t be everywhere at once, and the time it took him to rush from behind the bar could make the difference between a minor scuffle and a bar-wide fight. Tifa spent her first three nights helping with serving, keeping an eye on the customers. On her second day, though, she did see one bald man wearing a suit not unlike Tseng’s. (“You’ll see people dressed like that come in from time to time,” Bill had told her. “Just don’t bother ‘em.”) Undoubtedly Tseng knew she had taken up his suggestion; now it just was a matter of seeing if he intended to take advantage of it. Should have Cloud work on the staff with Aeris, Tifa reminded herself. She’s not bad, but I bet he’s better, and a little extra training never hurt anyone.
She’d been keeping an eye on the table all the way in the right corner most of the night. The pair had come in looking more morose than most, and there was an edgy feeling about them. One of the pair stood up and stumbled into the next table, knocking into another customer.
“Hey, watch it, jackass!”
“You want a piece of me?”
Why do they all sound the same? Tifa wondered absentmindedly as she quickly crossed the room. She caught the first punch before it could land. “If you’re going to fight, take it outside.”
“Mind your own damn business,” the drunk snarled, lashing out.
Tifa countered his punch, though not without effort; whoever this guy was, he was strong, and he punched like he’d had training somewhere. “A fight in here is my business,” she replied coolly. “Take it outside.”
“Stupid bitch!” The drunk drew back to throw another punch, but she caught his arm, twisting it; when he struck out with a kick in retaliation, she cleanly swept his legs out from under him.
“I think you should leave,” she informed the drunk’s companion, eyes hard.
The man nodded quickly and picked up his friend, hauling him to the exit. Tifa dusted off her hands — she really needed to start wearing her fighting gloves while on the job — and picked up the tray she’d abandoned. “Sorry. That was two whiskeys and a gin and tonic, right?”
When she returned to the bar she found Bill beaming at her. “Right good technique there, Tifa. Who trained you?”
“Zangan,” she said proudly.
Bill nodded. “I’ve heard of him.” He poured another drink, passing it to a customer sitting at the bar. “Well, I’d like to take you on permanently, if you’re willing.” He held out his hand.
Tifa took it, sealing the bargain. “More than willing, Bill.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Well, you look to be in a good mood. What’ve you been up to?” Zack asked as Cloud walked into Sephiroth’s quarters.
“I’ve been working with Tifa and Aeris down below,” the blond answered, flopping in one of the chairs. “Tifa’s a great sparring partner, and Aeris is getting a lot better with her staff. The weight training exercises are really helping.”
“…How is she?”
“Who, Aeris?” At Zack’s nod, Cloud said, “She’s doing pretty well. She’s actually working on the MMG Project now, and seems to really be happy doing it…” He shifted awkwardly in his seat. Should I tell him she misses him and keeps asking about him?
“I haven’t seen her in so long. I really ought to stop by sometime now that it’s safe, say hello…” Zack trailed off, eyes somber, a pensive expression on his face.
Feeling pretty sobered by Zack’s reaction, Cloud remained silent — what could he say, really? He certainly couldn’t imagine being in Zack’s situation, having to make that decision. He shook his head, and, trying to change the subject, asked, “Where’s Vincent?”
Zack looked up. “Huh? Oh, he’s helping Tseng with a problem.”
Cloud raised his eyebrows at that. “I thought he wasn’t going to work with them.”
“Apparently they’re having some issues with some top-secret thing I’m not supposed to know about,” Zack replied, shrugging. “Valentine thought he might be able to provide new insight.” He looked at Cloud. “I think he wants to know what Tseng’s made of, considering he was Veld’s partner.”
Cloud nodded. “And Sephiroth?”
“Here,” came the quiet reply as Sephiroth walked out of the kitchenette, offering one of the cups of tea he held to Cloud, who took it with a smile of thanks. The pale-haired man took a seat on the couch next to Zack, who promptly threw an arm around his shoulders.
Cloud was a bit surprised when Sephiroth didn’t protest the contact with anything more than a little sigh. Despite their closeness, he knew the General had gone out of his to avoid any “questionable” physical contact when in the presence of others — and still did, which of course drove Zack, with his love of contact and casual disregard for the personal space of those he cared for, absolutely nuts. As strange as it was, though, Sephiroth apparently didn’t mind letting his guard down a little around Cloud, and he had to admit he was oddly flattered by that. Though really, it’s probably just because I’m the only person — aside from Vincent, I guess — who knows for sure about them, so why bother hiding it?
Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he asked, “How are things in the office?”
“Finally quieting down. The president believes we can relax our guard,” Sephiroth answered. “I look forward to bringing some of the SOLDIERs back to Midgar. We’ve had more units in the field than I’d like.”
“I still can’t believe it’s taken this long to establish the new president,” Cloud mused aloud, shaking his head in amazement as he swallowed some of his tea. “I knew that people would see this as a period of weakness, but eight whole months…?”
“There are a number of groups who disagree with ShinRa policies and have tried to take advantage of what may well have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Sephiroth sipped his own tea. “It appears we’ve stopped most of them, however.”
“For now.” Cloud frowned, knowing things were still unsettled in places below the Plate. He could understand their feelings, but… he didn’t know what they could do about it. Fighting didn’t seem to be the answer, though, that much was certain. Aeris didn’t really like ShinRa herself, but she was still working for them now, trying to better life below the Plate… and was definitely having more success than any of the terrorists.
“For now,” Sephiroth agreed. Still, he knew better than anyone else on the executive board that the desperate didn’t give up easily.
“In happier news, I hear you and Tifa have a date tomorrow,” Zack interjected, eyes sparkling.
Much to his annoyance, Cloud felt himself flushing. “How did you find out about that?”
“Reno.” Zack grinned. “The Turks use the Flying Dragon as an information source. He’s been keeping an eye on her.”
Cloud frowned. “Do you think she’s in danger? They were after Aeris…”
“Unlikely,” Sephiroth put in. “Ms. Gainsborough is no longer wanted by the Science Department. It is far more likely Reno finds Ms. Lockhart… comely.”
The blond grimaced at the thought of that relationship, and Zack laughed at his expression. “Well, have a good time. Enjoy yourselves — you could use the break. You’re looking a little worn around the edges.”
“Speak for yourself,” Cloud countered, looking the other SOLDIER over. Zack had been running double time since their return from Nibelheim, trying to smooth out disputes arising between SOLDIERs and civilians alike.
“Oh, I’m sure I can find something to do tomorrow night,” Zack said airily, not quite able to keep his gaze from flickering to Sephiroth, who rolled his eyes.
Cloud chucked a throw pillow at him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Don’t be silly. I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
“I don’t know…” Tifa looked at Aeris in the mirror as the other woman brushed her hair, leaning into the strokes. She had always been independent, but it was nice to be spoiled once in a while by a little personal attention, and getting her hair brushed by someone else was really quite pleasant.
“Cloud’s a perfectly sweet guy. You’ll have a good time. Loveless is really good, I hear, and I know the place you’re going for dinner is nice. You’ll enjoy it.” Aeris put the brush aside and reached for some clips, arranging Tifa’s hair.
“I feel bad that he’s paying for everything, though.”
Aeris waved the objection aside, fishing for more bobby pins. “SOLDIERs make a lot more than most civilians do, especially those of us who live here in the slums. Cloud doesn’t spend his money on much, anyway.”
“Except weapons.” Tifa chuckled, knowing the blond’s obsession.
“Indeed,” Aeris replied with a grin. “And he seems to think they’re the only appropriate present, besides.”
“Not that the gloves he got me aren’t nice…”
“Not at all. He has excellent taste.” Aeris paused, studying the figure in front of her. Tifa looked stunning in the blue dress she had picked out, but something was missing… “Ah!” She pulled a blue ribbon nearly the same color as the dress out of a box on her dresser and carefully threaded it through the other woman’s hair. “There — now you’re ready.”
Tifa nodded, smiling in thanks. “What’s that?” she asked suddenly, looking into the box, where a pale green stone lay nestled in the ribbons.
“That?” Aeris turned to look. “Oh. It’s a materia Mama gave me.”
“Really?” The other woman looked interested. “I’ve never actually held a materia before. Can I?” Aeris nodded, and Tifa picked it up. It was smooth, round, and cool in her palm, but didn’t seem to react to her touch at all. “What does it do?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?” Tifa echoed, disbelieving, and when Aeris nodded she shook her head. “That’s impossible. All materia do something,” she insisted, frowning at it.
“Well, I haven’t been able to get it to do anythi—” The green-eyed woman stopped short as the doorbell rang, suddenly smiling. “Ah, that must be Cloud!” Taking her materia back from Tifa, she called, “I’ll get it, Mom!” and ran downstairs. “Right on time,” she noted as she opened the door, and smiled. “That uniform looks good on you.”
“Thanks,” Cloud replied, smiling a little as he self-consciously smoothed down the front of his formals. He hadn’t worn them too often, and they still felt strange in comparison with his usual uniform and the sweats he wore while training.
“Tifa should be down any minute. We were just finishing her hair.” True to her words, the martial artist came down the stairs at a much more sedate pace than Aeris had, careful with her dress. The green-eyed woman looked smug. “Well, what do you think?”
“I think you look beautiful, Tifa,” Cloud said truthfully. “Shall we go?” Tifa nodded and the pair headed out, getting into the car that Cloud had borrowed for the occasion. Zack had offered to get him a motorcycle instead — “There’s something great about having your date’s arms about you, if you get my drift” — but that had seemed rather impractical, considering their attire.
Dinner went well. The food was excellent and the atmosphere more relaxed than Tifa had expected, and they’d spent the time getting to know each other better, talking about things they hadn’t discussed in their letters. They exchanged stories of their childhood, Tifa telling about the people she’d grown up with in Nibelheim, Cloud relaying his adventures with Vincent and some of the lessons he had learned from the former Turk. Tifa found herself reluctant to leave when Cloud noted the play would be starting soon.
Loveless was nice enough. Tifa, however, had trouble concentrating on it. Cloud was being a perfect gentleman, not impeding on her personal space any more than to hold her hand, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of how relieved she was by that, by how the simple brush of his thumb against the back of her hand caused her heart to flutter uneasily. What is wrong with me? Cloud was, as Aeris had pointed out, a nice guy, handsome, a good fighter… Why was she so edgy?
“Did you have a good time?” Cloud asked they exited the theater.
Jolted out of her thoughts, Tifa slapped a smile on her face and replied almost automatically, “Yes. It was a wonderful night.”
“Honestly, I liked the end better than I thought I would. It was sad, but kinda hopeful at the same time…”
Tifa made a noise of agreement, trying to make small talk with her date about the play while not giving away the fact she hadn’t really been paying much attention. Finally they were back at Aeris’s house, much to Tifa’s relief. Cloud walked her up to the door, a little smile on his face. “I’d like to do this again, if it’s all right with you. Next Saturday?”
“…won’t you have duty?” Tifa stalled, mind moving like molasses.
“I don’t know,” Cloud admitted. “I’ll see what I can find out, all right?”
“All right,” Tifa echoed, reaching for the doorknob.
“Tifa…” Cloud took a step closer, laying a hand on her waist.
The martial artist froze. “You better go, Cloud. You’ve got work tomorrow—”
“I don’t need that much sleep—”
“—and Aeris and I have early morning practice. I’ll see you soon.” She turned the knob and slipped inside before Cloud could interrupt her again, then closed the door quickly, leaning against it. That was awkward. He was going to kiss me… why didn’t I want him to kiss me?
“Tifa?”
At first she thought it was Aeris, but realized with relief it was the other woman’s mother. She didn’t feel up to dealing with her matchmaking friend at the moment. “Hello, Mrs. Gainsborough.”
“Well, I won’t ask if you had a good time, since the truth is clear on your face. What happened?” Elmyra took her by the arm and drew her into the kitchen. “Come sit down. I’ll make some tea.”
“It was fine, except… well, I dunno. I just… wasn’t really comfortable with some of it.” Seeing the look on Elmyra’s face — she still didn’t have a high opinion of the military — she clarified, “He didn’t do anything, just held my hand, but it still felt so awkward.”
“First dates sometimes are,” Elmyra said, sitting down with her guest. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try again. Not everyone falls in love at first sight.”
Tifa sighed. “I guess so.”
Elmyra smiled. “Well, let me tell you a story about how Peter and I first met…”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Things have been going rather well. With the smog starting to diminish, we’ve gotten the executive board to agree to looking into solar power to supplement the reactor feed starting next year. We might actually be able to use the Plate for something if we put solar panels on the unoccupied parts of it,” Red XIII explained to Aeris excitedly. “It’s more efficient than Mako energy too, so once we get it up and running I think we’ll be able to slowly push Mako use to the supplementary role.”
Aeris shook her head, almost amused by how enthusiastic the young creature was. She had been more than a bit worried when Matheson had convinced Red to assist the Science Department two months ago, but it seemed things were working out well. “Are they listening to you?”
Red nodded. “Actually,” he confided, “I think a lot of them are afraid of me.”
The woman laughed. “Not necessarily a bad thing, that.”
“Next month we’re planning to go out to Cosmo Canyon and talk to the engineers there,” Red continued. “Rob— I mean, Matheson wants to look at wind power too, and maybe even water power for Junon.”
“Will you be coming back?” Aeris asked, well aware how much Red had missed his home. The thought of never seeing him again made her heart sink.
“…I think so,” he replied slowly. “I know I’m supposed to be the protector of the Canyon, but they’re so short-handed here, and they really are trying to do the right thing.” Red padded over to Aeris and put his head into her lap; taking the hint, she scratched his ears. “Oh, and I think Reeve wants to talk to you. They’ve had significant results with the MMG Project, so they’ve been expanding it.”
“Expanding it?”
“Above the Plate.”
Aeris’s fingers paused. The last time she’d been above the Plate she’d been in Hojo’s care… and though there was hardly a chance of that being repeated, it still made her uneasy to think about. On the other hand, if she went, she might run into Zack. Even though she strongly suspected he’d moved on — he would have come back to her if he hadn’t, wouldn’t he? — she still wanted to talk to him again, finally get some sort of closure…
“Aeris,” Red continued, breaking her out of her thoughts, “I really do think Reeve’s a good person. I doubt he’d let anything happen to you.” The catlike creature’s tail waved slowly back and forth as he spoke, indicating deep thought. “I’ve seen the gardens up there; they’re doing well, but they could do better. Just taking a look wouldn’t do any harm, I’m sure. It’s not like they’re close to the ShinRa building, really.”
Aeris closed her eyes, thinking hard. Red was right in that looking, at least, shouldn’t cause too many problems. “…All right, I’ll go.”
Red nodded. “I’ll let Reeve know, then. He’ll come by in a few days.”
Three days later, Cait Sith dropped by with the time Reeve would come to meet her. She spent the hours waiting more tense than she could remember being. Not even working in the church garden, the approved meeting spot, could calm her.
“Miss Gainsborough, are you all right? You don’t look well.”
Aeris jumped a bit as Reeve’s voice entered the church. She hadn’t even noticed he’d arrived. “I’m all right. Just a bit nervous.”
Reeve smiled at her. “No need. People above the Plate aren’t that different from those below it, I promise. Shall we?”
The pair took the train, riding up above the metal structure that had towered over Aeris for almost all of her life. On the third stop topside they disembarked, Reeve guiding her to the garden not far from it. “This is the one that’s furthest along.”
Aeris looked at the plants, noting those that were doing well and those that could do with a bit of help. “You’re doing rather well, I think.”
“Ah, Reeve! Come to see how we’re doing?” An elderly man waved at the executive, silver hair glinting in the little brief flickers of sunlight that occasionally broke through Midgar’s ever-present cloud cover. “And who might this lovely young lady be?” There was a sparkle of amusement in his brown eyes, sharpening the crows’ feet at their corners. “Finally found yourself a little missus?”
Aeris blushed, and Reeve, clearly somewhat embarrassed, shook his head as he corrected his employee. “Oh, no. This is my assistant, Aeris Gainsborough. She’s been supervising the gardens down below. Ms. Gainsborough, this is Michael McQuarrie. He’s in charge of this garden.”
“You’ve done a really good job,” Aeris said, smiling. “There are a few plants that could use a little extra attention, though…”
The old man nodded. “Care to point them out, Miss Gainsborough? I’d love to have your input. I’ve seen your work below, and it’s quite impressive.”
The gardeners wandered among the plants, McQuarrie making notes on what Aeris said. Reeve followed, inputting a few ideas of his own on how to best implement Aeris’s suggestions. McQuarrie thanked them warmly as they left, and Reeve looked apologetically at his ‘assistant.’ “Um, about what Michael said earlier—”
Aeris shook her head. “Does he do that often?” she asked, amused.
“Something like that,” Reeve replied, somewhat sheepishly. “I may be the nominal head of the department, but there are several people who’ve been involved with it quite a bit longer than I have, and they all seem to have a bit of a parental streak. ‘Are you eating well, you need to stop working yourself so hard, one of these days you really ought to find yourself a nice girl to settle down with,’ that sort of thing.” He shook his head ruefully. “It’s nice that they care, really, but…”
The young woman laughed. “Oh, I know the feeling, trust me. The pestering may be annoying, but if they stopped, you’d be worried something was wrong.”
“Too true,” Reeve agreed, chuckling. “Not much we can do about it, though, except let them fuss, is there?” He turned to leave. “If you’d care to see them, we have another three gardens started up here, though none are doing quite as well as this one…”
“I’d like that.” It was wonderful to meet other people tending the earth and see their work. Somehow it made Aeris feel less alone, despite her… differences.
Their tour of the gardens scattered about the Plate took the rest of the day. Reeve insisted on treating Aeris to dinner, claiming she must be tired (which she had to admit was true). “Is it really helping?” she asked as they ate. “All these plants, I mean.”
“The amount of Mako pollution in the atmosphere has decreased by almost two percent,” he replied. “It may not sound like much, but considering the length of time it’s been since we’ve started the project, it’s wonderful. If Matheson does as well with finding alternate energy sources, we may just be able to pull this off. It seems to be having a positive affect on people’s spirits, too.”
Aeris nodded. “People need growing things in their lives,” she commented, taking a sip of her drink.
“Would you be willing to visit these gardens up here a bit more often?” Reeve asked, dark eyes cautious. “We really could use your continued input…”
“Yes, I think so.” If she spent more time topside, she was more likely to run into Zack, after all. At least if she saw him again, they might be able to talk about why things had turned out this way…
Her companion simply looked at her, seeming to see right through her. “You were hoping to see Major Sinclair, weren’t you?” It wasn’t really a question.
Aeris blinked, surprised. “How did you know?”
“Knowledge is power, Miss Gainsborough, in ShinRa most of all. It’s only wise to keep track of the company’s important people.” Reeve took a bite of his dessert, not looking at her. “He’s been extremely busy since the new President came to power.”
“I know,” Aeris replied. “And I know it’s been a while, but I’d just like to talk to him again.”
Reeve put down his silverware. “I’m afraid that might be… difficult, at the very least. He’s… well, I’m not close enough to him to be able to say for certain, but it does seem he’s become much more involved with his… work lately, and…” He paused, as if having difficulty searching for the right words. “Well, he’s always been very dedicated to his job.”
He’s not telling me something. And I’m pretty sure I know exactly what it is. “…I see.” What else could she say?
“Miss Gainsborough— Aeris.” Reeve’s voice was earnest, but she couldn’t quite look at him. “Please don’t be discouraged.” He paused, then ventured, “I’m sure there are many who might care for you, if you let yourself give them a chance. Sometimes you have to start over in order to get anywhere.”
Aeris knew he was right. She had pretty much accepted that things were over between her and Zack, but really, she just wanted to hear the reasons for it from Zack himself, especially why he hadn’t come to see her even once, despite the danger from Hojo having passed.
Paying the bill, her dinner companion stood, offering her his hand. “It’s getting late,” he noted quietly. “I’ll take you back home.”
“…All right.”
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