DISCLAIMER: I don't own Final Fantasy VII

a/n: thanks for choosing to reading my story. I hope you like it.

DESPERATION

Chapter I

It had been a long day.

Tifa held the tall glass between her fingers as she took a sip of the ice-cold martini. Pursing her lips, she smiled and looked back at Barrett. He was on his seventh beer of the evening and resting his machine gun arm on the bar table, he turned for a moment to look back at Tifa.

"It's been a long day?" he asked. He took another gulp of beer, and another straight after before resting his glass down.

"Yeah, you could say that. I kind of don't want to go home this evening. Cloud was in an awful mood this morning."

"Again? That kid still ain't grown up, eh?"

"He's usually fine. But since Sephiroth, Cloud hasn't hasn't seemed all there. Like there's something missing."

"So I'm guessin' wedding bells are a long way off then?"

Tifa laughed nervously, the gazed down at the floor playing with a small paper napkin she found on the table, tearing into smaller and smaller pieces.

"No, no, we haven't really thought about that yet."

"Really? Everyone thinks so. Everyone in the whole of Midgar knows you two gonna get married someday."

"Yeah, someday, maybe. It's been difficult. Renovating this place for a start. I'm really trying to make a success out of Seventh Heaven."

"Don't worry, babe, you'll be fine."

Barrett guzzled down what was left of his beer and let out a huge sigh, leaning back on his bar stool. The dimmed lights buzzed and flickered. The bar was eerily quiet. Barrett had helped Tifa renovate Seventh Heaven after the fall of Shinra. Together they turned it into the most popular bar in Midgar. All new tables and chairs had been put in, a new pool table and games machine and a freshly cleaned bathroom always kept the customers coming back satisfied.

Tifa took another sip of her martini. It was after closing hours. She allowed herself the luxury of a small drink before going home. But today Tifa didn't really want to go home. She kept thinking about the morning, about how Cloud lost his cool, almost striking her. She couldn't even remember what it was about. A stupid argument about washing the dishes.

Tifa remembered Cloud stomping around the room stressed. She had gone to have a shower to cool off to try and get her mind off it. When she came out the shower, Cloud was gone and he just left a note on the desk. Tifa, with one towel wrapped her body and another in her hair, picked it up and read it.

Going to Nibelheim today.

Won't be back till late.

He always stormed off when he was in a bad mood. She hated the feeling of being near him when he was like this. Tifa knew he'd be back by now.

"Perhaps you're right," said Tifa, running a hand through her long, thick hair. "He is still a bit immature."

"Yeah sounds like nothin'! Hope you kids are ok! Let me know tomorrow."

"Will do. How's Marlene?"

"Oh, she's asleep now. Damn kid is growin' up so fast. She'll be bigger than me soon."

"She's so cute. You should bring her round here more often."

"Kid has gotta go ta school, ya know."

"Wow. Already? Time does fly. It seems like only yesterday that we killed Sephiroth and Cloud and I moved in together."

"Yeah, time does fly!" Barrett said, stretching his arms and yawning. "Anyway, Tif, I've gotta be hitting the haystack. Got a busy day lined up for tomorrow. You gonna be ok getting home?"

"Yeah fine, Barrett, I just live around the corner. More concerned with how Cloud will be."

"He'll be fine. If not, I'll straighten him out."

Tifa giggled. She always loved Barrett's protective side. He was always there for her. He was the one she could depend on the most. She wished she could depend on Cloud in the same way.

Barrett jumped of the bar stool. Stretching his back and arms again. He had been sitting down for several hours drinking. He flexed his machine gun arm and waved to Tifa as he left through the saloon-style doors into the night.

Tifa was left alone with her thoughts.

She remembered the shouting match they'd had. Not just in the morning, but the week before too. It was always about the most mundane things. Perhaps they weren't meant to be together after all. Then she shook her head to try and snap herself out of it. That was just silly, she thought. She loved him and always had. He wasn't perfect, but then nobody is. She knew that he would always be there to save her whenever she was in a bind. It was their promise.

That day sitting on the ledge looking out at the starry night sky. The day they made their promise to each other all those years ago. It was the night she fell in love. A bond that she could never break, not for anything.

Tifa stopped thinking about the shouting match for a second and imagined Cloud there, smiling gazing at her longingly. Yeah, he wasn't perfect but he was perfect for her. Tifa finally decided to go home and tell him.

She pulled the hem of her tight leather skirt down as she slid gracefully off her stool and turned off the lights. Summer was too warm for a jacket. She was wearing her white vest, black skirt and heavy black boots. Barrett always said she looked sexy in that get-up. Cloud never said anything.

Tifa pushed the saloon door open and pulled down the shutters. The sound of clanging metal echoed around the small street. She inhaled a huge gulp of fresh air. It was so great to be outside, she thought.

Tifa walked down the steps and around the corner. Looking around, with the streetlights lining the dirty, gravel path. Midgar hadn't changed much. It was still the same slum town, just with a few minor improvements. It was usually safe to walk the streets at night now, but Tifa didn't really care much about that. She knew she could handle herself.

But maybe she had spoken too soon.

She could hear footsteps behind her, behind the shadows.

Tifa paused and looked behind her. She readied herself. She always kept in shape in case of trouble, practising boxing and jiujitsu regularly at the local Wall Market gym. When she looked back, she saw only shadows of the house, long and stretching back to the Seventh Heaven bar.

Nothing.

Tifa breathed a sigh of relief. She continued walking. It was only a five minute walk back home but she felt like quickening her pace anyway. Shuffling along, kicking up dirt and gravel, she heard more footsteps, this time together and louder. Perhaps more than one.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Each footstep pounded with a quickening pace just like her heart, now racing. Tifa looked around but still couldn't see anything, just darkness. She fumbled around with her belt pocket looking for her phs. It had a small flashlight on it but before she could pull it out she back into a large figure standing behind her.

Tifa looked up at at towering man, dressed in all black, wearing a ski mask.

"Hey there, baby," he said. His voice was deep and gravelly and sent a shiver down Tifa's spine. "What's a pretty girl like you doing out so late at night?"

Tifa regained her composure. She didn't need to be scared. She knew how to fight. Tifa flicked her hair back and stood right up to him.

"It's none of your business," she said.

Just as she finished her sentence, two more hulking men in black overalls and ski masks came out of the shadows and encircled her.

"It is our business, babe. We work for Don Corneo, I believe he's been looking for a girl like you."

Tifa gulped.

She was surrounded. The men closed in, trapping her like a rat in a cage. Tifa knew there was only one thing to do in a situation like this. She had to fight for her life. She couldn't become another Don Corneo bimbo.

Tifa kicked the man behind her in the stomach and he groaned and doubled over in pain. The other men both took a swing at her but she managed to duck and connect with a left hook of her own sending another crashing down hard to the ground.

The other man eyed Tifa up and then pulled a small blade from his pocket and pointed it at Tifa. She watched him intently looking for an opening. She remembered her self-defence classes. They taught this very situation. The man came at her with the knife, Tifa moved, spun round, chopped the guy on the back of the neck before delivering a roundhouse kick to the ribs.

Tifa was about to finish the job with a final fist drop when one of the men grabbed her ankle. She tripped and landed hard face first in the dirt. Tifa's vision blurred. Everything seemed hazy for a few moments. She could hear voices and the sound of the men getting to their feet but all seemed far away like she was swimming backwards underwater, going down deeper into blackness.

She could taste blood on her lips. It was her own blood.

Tifa felt herself hauled to her feet and then a hard smack to the face.

Two of the men hauled her to her feet again, and then held her arms while the third man took free shots at her. The men laughed out loud.

Tifa wasn't going to go down without a fight though. And she definitely wasn't going to lose to a couple of street thugs or goons hired by Don Corneo.

Tifa broke free from their hold, and pushed them away. The other thug clubbed her in her back with both his fists and she fell to the floor again.

The three stood over her. Tifa looked up. The three men looked more like seven or eight. Everything was spinning. Her eyes glazed over, ready to close. Her hand crawled down her side as she tried to reach her phs. She had to call Cloud. She knew he would come and rescue her.

Tifa reached her phs, but one of the men just kicked it straight out of hand. They leaned in as if to pick her up. They weren't finished with her yet. They wanted to see her suffer.

Tifa was just trying to take in all the oxygen she could, trying to stay awake, trying to stay alive. Her arms lay limp by her side as she couldn't defend herself anymore.

Tifa saw their hands getting larger and larger coming towards her when suddenly all the wind rushed from her body and she gasped. One of the men had fallen on top of her, and in a swirl of shouting and violence, the other maker men fell one by one. All laying on the floor, their throats slit. Blood staining the dirt path and Tifa pushed the large man off her and tried to stand.

She couldn't and fell back down again. She wondered what had happened. She looked up and there was another man standing there, his white uniform and slicked back blonde hair lit up against the night sky. Tifa couldn't believe it. It was Rufus Shinra.

"Rufus?" she stammered out. Tifa could barely talk, she was out of breath and she coughed several times, trying maintain her composure. Tifa tried to stand again. This time, Rufus extended his hand and pulled TIfa to his feet.

"What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were dead."

Rufus looked at the beautiful petit raven-haired girl and was thinking the same thing. He wasn't expecting to run into someone like her.

Tifa bent down and picked up her phs. She turned it on and dialled Cloud's number. It rang several times but he didn't pick up.

Rufus suddenly realised what what she was doing and snatched the phs out of her hand.

"Hey" Tifa shouted trying to get it back. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry Miss Lockheart. This appears to be a troublesome inconvenience. Those pathetic goons were just in the way. And now it seems you are too."

"Well if you're not dead, Rufus, then you will be soon."

"Oh, I'm far from dead and I've got some plans. Sorry to drag you into this. But I guess you were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Tifa stared blankly at him, confused.

Rufus then snaked his right arm around her slender waist and pulled her in close.

Tifa struggled and squirmed but Rufus held her firm. He pulled out a small handkerchief from his top pocket and rolled it around in his left hand.

"Rufus, what the hell are you planning to do? "

"You'll see, you'll see."

Rufus placed the handkerchief over Tifa's nose and mouth.

Tifa moaned and whimpered beneath Rufus' grip. She grasped desperately at his hand, but unable to find the find the strength to pull it away. Tifa's eyes widened as she breathed in the chloroform fumes. The sweet, sickly smell - her vision faded and her struggles quickly weakened.

Rufus relaxed his grip on the girl, her eyelids now closed, perfectly asleep.

Rufus smiled that same toothy grin he always had. He looked down at the sleeping girl and put the handkerchief back in his pocket. He hadn't expected this but he was dissatisfied either. After all, he had brought the drug along just in case.

Rufus scooped up Tifa in his arms with ease. Her body hung helplessly in his embrace. Looking down, she looked like a little angel, sleeping so peacefully, the moonlight lit across her soft face.

He carried her into the darkness.