FicWad

"Rufus, for the last time Cloud and I are not joining Shinra." Tifa sighed, Rufus was so damned persistent and she knew it paid off most of the time, but she wasn't going to give in now.

"It's just an offer. I felt a need to remind you that's all." Rufus smirked as he leant forward over his desk. "We always need good people to help us out."

"That's not why… you want Cloud back in SOLDIER." She huffed folding her arms.

"I'm sorry you see it that way Tifa." Rufus said his smile gentle.

Tifa grumbled internally, if the bastard wasn't so good looking she'd have punched him in the face by now. She'd done it in the past when… she sighed; going over old ground wasn't going to solve anything. What really annoyed her was that she ended up listening to him. Cloud knew that despite everything, she had some stupid soft spot for him, just like Reno. Why? She couldn't even work it out, not even after everything that had happened.

"I'll drop you at home Tifa." Rufus grabbed his car keys.

"You don't have too." She said trying to be stubborn. "Don't you need one of your Turks to hold your hand?"

"You'd be able to beat up anything just as well as they do." Rufus snorted as he headed outside. He whistled to old gnarly Dark Nation who bounded into the back seat of his car.

"You still have that thing? I thought he died?" She was sure Cloud had mentioned it.

"Most people thought Cloud had died at one point or another. Some things have a way of surviving." Rufus gave out a glimmer of a soft smile. Tifa found that it changed him entirely… she looked away. This was an old enemy; she couldn't allow herself these thoughts.

They drove back in relative silence before they reached the tunnel to head under the highway. Rufus drove at the speed limit, Tifa smirked, she was used to Cloud's insane bike speeds. Rufus was so conservative. From what she knew he was also damned spoilt and his Turks were constantly stretched by his rogue element and desire to be the centre of attention at times.

They headed under the tunnel, the executive car's lights following the road markings and Tifa found she was a little engrossed in the dashboard panel. They were driving quietly along when it went pitch black. Rufus slammed the on the brakes and they both flew forwards. Rufus smacked his head on the driving wheel and Tifa was flung against her seatbelt burning the side of her neck.

"Rufus! What's going on?" Tifa looked around. It was black, no car lights and no tunnel lights.

"I don't know." Rufus rubbed his forehead. "That actually rather hurt." He mumbled.

Tifa got out of the car and stretched her legs before she spotted a light further ahead. What if other people had been injured? Behind her Dark Nation slid out of the open door and fell into line. She waited to see if Rufus would follow, if it was a hit on the President's life she hardly needed to be one of the people accused if they succeeded.

Rufus finally joined them after he grabbed his gun and headed with them. The President had to admit, that if nothing else, his interest was peaked. They slowly walked down, Dark Nation sniffing around a couple of already trashed cars and looking at the meat inside. Rufus whistled him closer not needing to have the press take a picture of the Shinra owner with his pet dragging a leg behind him.

They came out to the other side and Tifa looked around, it was nothing like they had expected to see. The whole area looked overgrown and it looked like a large tall forest surrounded them. It was definitely not Edge or Midgar, Rufus looked to Tifa who turned around to go back into the tunnel and stalked off ahead. Rufus followed her and Dark Nation bounded ahead, whatever the new game was it was damned good fun for him.

"If you have me stuck in some stupid adventure I will kill you Rufus." Tifa put her hand on her hips as they got to the other side.

"Well if I have I would love to know how I did it!" He snapped as he opened his eyes to the other side and more forest. "Oh great now the Turks will be worried and I'll never hear the end of it."

"Cloud is going to kill me if he can't go to work and has to look after the kids." Tifa sighed. Rufus looked at her. "Cloud Strife... remember him? Saves your ass every five minutes?" She rolled her eyes.

"I would rather say ten minutes. It takes that long for the intelligence to get to me." Rufus muttered in jest. "Well where are we? You travel more than I do."

"Nowhere I recognize." She admitted. "Maybe we can investigate but you might want to put the dog on a lead, he is going to scare people if they are not from our city."

"I don't have a lead for him. He'd shock me." Rufus whistled Dark Nation to his feet and headed off through the tunnel into the strange looking forest. "I hope someone speaks our language." He muttered.

"Well you're the genius Shinra boy so you work out a way around it if they don't." Tifa stalked off.

"Of course, Madam. I'm here for your pleasure." Rufus muttered under his breath.