AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey everyone! Once again, a big thank you for all the reviews, favs and follows! This chapter isn't as humorous as the previous ones, but it's purpose is to provide some insight into other facets of Tifa's character, so enjoy and please review!

X X X

The sound of a loud crash from the kitchen roused Tifa from her sleep. Grumbling to herself, she clambered out of bed and hurried towards the source of the disturbance.

To her surprise, she saw a large man, dressed in a white muscle top and loose-fitting jeans. "Hey!" he said in a friendly tone. "Sorry, I kinda dropped a mug-"

"Hai yah!" Tifa yelled, not even listening. She leapt forward, grabbing the table top with one hand and vaulting over it to land a kick with her barefoot in his face. The man collapsed, writhing on the floor and clutching his face in agony. "Aerith! Get in here, we've got another break in!"

She heard a loud shuffling in response, as Aerith hurried into the room, her hair resembling a messy eagle's nest, and clutching a heavy broomstick. "Did you get him? " she asked frantically, her eyes still bloodshot and unfocused, undoubtedly due to the mother of a hangover she was dealing with. "That's the third time this week!"

"I got him, alright!" Tifa turned to look at the now quivering form on the floor. "I guess the only question is: do we hand him over to the cops or deal with him ourselves?"

"But I didn't do anything!" the man protested, clutching at his face, which was beginning to bleed.

"Shut up!" Tifa ordered. "Seeing as you're the one stuck on the ground, we'll be asking the questions! Who are you?"

"Why don't you ask your friend?" he shot back.

Tifa turned a bewildered eye on her roommate, who looked equally confused. Aerith's eyes widened, and she rushed forward. "Oh, oh, oh! It's...you!"

"Well that's comforting!" He grumbled.

"You'll have to excuse her," Aerith said, helping him to his feet. "She tends to think with her fists and ask questions later!"

"I think I kinda figured that part out myself, thank you!" he retorted, massaging his jaw.

Tifa placed her hands on her hips. "Do you intend explaining to me why our burglar is being nursed back to health?"

"Oh, sorry!" Aerith jumped on the spot, before clutching at her head. "Tifa, I'd like you to meet...the guy who gave me a lift home last night?"

Tifa raised an eyebrow. "Ahh, and I suppose he stayed over just in case you wet the bed?"

"I guess you could say that," Aerith's eyes darted nervously between her roommate and...whatever he was.

Tifa nodded, with a sagely, "ahhhh".

"Look, whatever!" The man threw up his hands in surrender. "I'm out of here!"

Without another word, he turned on his heel and stalked out. "Thanks for driving me home last night!" Aerith ran after him. "I'll call you!"

"Don't bother!" came his echoing voice.

Aerith turned back to Tifa with a frustrated groan. "Now look what you've done!" she promptly walked over to the couch, collapsing on top of it and clutching at her head. "Did you have to hit him so hard?"

Tifa gave an indifferent shrug. "I thought we were being robbed, because you didn't bother telling me different! So, I was just reacting!"

"Yeah, well your reaction just cost me a hot date!"

Tifa hoisted herself onto the kitchen counter. "Enough about this morning's excitement! Tell me about last night's!" she said, reaching behind her to fiddle with the coffee machine.

"I can't remember that much to be totally honest?" Aerith covered her mouth to stifle a yawn.

"Did you even know his name?" Tifa looked over her shoulder with a mischievous smile.

Aerith opened her mouth, before closing it. "Not well enough to use confidently," she admitted.

Tifa burst out laughing, clutching at her sides. Aerith groaned again, covering her ears. "Do you have to laugh so loud?"

"It's not my fault you had to get wasted and sleep with the kind soul that gave you a ride home!" her friend quipped.

"Rub it in some more, why don't you," remarked the pretty girl sarcastically. "So what did you do last night? I didn't even hear you come in."

"I'm not surprised, given your after dark activities!"

Two shining emerald eyes narrowed in fury. "I resent that!"

The raven-haired woman laughed again. "I'm sorry! I couldn't help it! Well, I got a proposal last night!"

"Gee, that's nothing new, " Aerith remarked, rolling onto her back. "Who's this one from?"

"Oh, Genesis Rhapsodos," Tifa answered absently, before a loud thud from behind caused her to jump.

"Genesis Rhapsodos wants to marry you?" Aerith demanded, trying to push herself off the floor.

Tifa blinked, slightly confused. "No! What would give you that idea?"

"You just said that you got a proposal from him last night! "

"Not that kind of proposal!"

"Then please enlighten me,"

Aerith had finally pulled herself onto the couch, where she began puffing and wheezing.

Tifa silently handed her roommate a steaming cup of coffee, which the elder woman accepted gratefully.

"He just wanted to know if I'd be interested in playing the lead in his next play, nothing major," Tifa explained, as Aerith gulped at the drink.

Her reward for the bombshell was a face full of piping hot coffee. Putting aside her disgust, Tifa gently patted Aerith's back to stop her coughing. "Are you for real?" the older girl managed to gag out.

"I wouldn't be too concerned about it," Tifa said with a shrug. Satisfied that the pretty brunette was no longer in danger of esfixiation, she walked over to the counter to dab her face with a cloth. "It's probably a hoax or bloober or something."

"I don't think Genesis would do something like that, Tifa," Aerith replied earnestly.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway," Tifa said with a shrug, before critically examining her reflection in the microwave door. "It's not like I'm interested."

"Which is confusing enough," Aerith pressed. "You didn't end up beating him to a pulp, did you?"

"Not that I can recall," Tifa said, looking up thoughtfully. "I think I tried to kick him in the-"

"Language!" Aerith cautioned.

"Gonads? Groin? Goolies?" Tifa suggested.

"Now you're just being silly!"

Tifa laughed. "I gotta get to school, so I call dibs on the shower!" with that, the fiery woman took off, leaving her roommate as perplexed as ever.

X X X

"Careful there, darlin'!" the large black man called, watching the small girl hopping fleetingly over the wrecked park bench.

Giggling uncontrollably, the little child turned back. "But, daddy, I'm fine! I'm faster than a chocobo!"

Her "father" couldn't help but crack a smile, an unusual expression across his scarred, worn face, only his little Marlene could move him so. "I'm jes trying to look out fa my lil girl! " he said, fondly ruffling her short brown hair, causing the child to erupt into high pitched laughter.

"Barret!" Called a clear voice.

Barret turned around, a small frown playing on his face, annoyed at his cute moment being interrupted. However, upon recognising the lithe figure approaching, his features softened into a warm smile.

"Tifa! " Marlene squealed, sprinting forward.

Tifa's face burst into a wide smile, as she dropped into a crouch to hug the excited little girl. "Hello, Marlene! It's so good to see you! Wow, you've gotten big! " she said, holding the child at arm's length.

Marlene hopped excitedly on the spot. "Daddy said that one day, I'll be as big as he is!"

"Did he now? " Tifa asked, turning a shrewd eye on the girl's father.

Barret gave a small bark of laughter. "She's a regular lil comedian, ain't ya, sweetheart? "

Marlene giggled as Tifa smiled. "Well, I suppose it's not a bad idea," Tifa replied.

"Yeah, an' my lil girl's just so smart too! " Barret said happily. "It's just so hard to think that they might be takin' her-"

"Barret, not now! "

The big man clapped his hand over his mouth, looking guilty.

Rolling her eyes, Tifa turned her attention back to the little girl in front of her. "Tell you what, Marlene, why don't you go play on the slides, while me and your daddy talk about some grown-up stuff? "

"But daddy said I'm too little to play on the slides all alone! " Marlene protested.

Tifa and Barret chuckled. "I guess your daddy just doesn't want you to grow up just yet! But you know what? " she whispered, moving in closer.

"What? " Marlene whispered back.

"I know that your plenty grown up already! So go on, and I'll have a word with him! " Tifa muttered in a conspiratory fashion.

Marlene laughed, before heading off to the slides. Halfway there, the girl suddenly stopped, before turning around with a sad, worried expression on her rosy-cheeked face. "Are you gonna talk about that mean lady that wants to take me away from my daddy? "

Tifa exchanged an uncomfortable look with Barret. "It will probably come up, " she admitted.

Marlene nodded once, before turning to scramble up the metal structure.

Tifa watched her for a moment, before turning to Barret. "How're you holding up? "

The big man heaved a sigh. "I dunno, Tifa. Some days I think about jes takin' her and running off to some far away place! "

"I don't think I need to tell you what a bad idea that is, " Tifa warned. "Don't worry, I will personally make sure that she doesn't just get shipped off to a foster home! "

Barret turned to the young woman with a warm, grateful smile. "Y'know, when they told me they were assigning a student lawyer to take care of my case, I thought it was bogus! An' I couldn't afford to go anywhere else, so I thought me an' Marlene were doomed! But now, I guess that we really couldn't have gotten a better lawyer."

Tifa smiled. "Thanks! I only wish I could do more. "

Barret laughed a little. "Girl, if you do any more, I'd have to sign both mine and Marlene's lives over to you." The man's expression turned sad, as the two of them sat down on a nearby bench. "I jes hope I'm doing the right thing. What if Marlene'd be better off in anuther home? "

"Don't think like that! " Tifa said quickly. "I'm sure that Marlene would choose to stay with you over anyone else without thinking about it!"

Barret still didn't look completely convinced, so the fiery young woman went on. "Now, you listen to me! There is absolutely no one in this world that loves and cares for that little girl more than you do! After her parents died, you're the only one she has left! For social services to take her away from you would be nothing less than a Human Rights violation! "

"But-"

"No buts," Tifa stated firmly. "She has no other living relatives left, and she's known you since she was born. She's lived with you for half her life anyway! "

"Only 'cause she didn't know any better! She's four years old fer cryin' out loud! An' look at me! I'm just an ex-coal miner that got drafted by the army! I'm surprised it took them so long to find out! "

Tifa shook her head. "You've got a good case! I truly believe that you and Marlene stand a fighting chance, but that's not enough! You have to believe you can do it! "

"You really think so? " Barret really looked so much like a small boy asking for a stick of candy that Tifa felt a pull at her heartstrings.

"Yes, I do, " she confirmed with a nod. "You've got to remember that the judge is human too! Anyone who bothers to look away from what's written down on paper can see that Marlene adores you!"

Barret finally gave her a toothy smile. "You're diff'rent from all the others y'know? It's like you actually care about us! "

"I should hope so," said Tifa. "Because I really do! "

A small beep interrupted the pair, Tifa quickly checked her wristwatch. "Crap, I've gotta get to class! But don't you worry, I'll call you tonight! "

Placing her hand on Barret's shoulder, the young woman stood up to leave. "Everything will be okay, I promise, " she assured him, before turning to leave.

X X X

"Professor Valentine!" Tifa called, her backpack bouncing on her back as she hurtled after her lecturer.

Professor Vincent Valentine, a tall figure with long dark hair and tinted spectacles, turned around, and upon catching sight of this particular student, he sighed. "Yes, Lockhart. What is it this time?"

"What makes you think that there's anything? " Tifa said breathlessly, dropping her hands to her knees, panting. "Maybe I just wanted a chat! "

A muscle was jumping in Vincent's jaw. "And what could a student and teacher possibly chat about? If this is about the scores on last week's essay, let me just say that the marks are final!"

Tifa, still panting, attempted to straighten her back. "No, that's a topic for another time, but we both know I deserved an A+ for that! "

"I already gave you an A!"

"As I said, we're drifting! " Tifa said, finally catching her breath.

"Then what do you want? I've got another class to get to and you're infringing on other students' time, Lockhart! " Valentine barked.

"I'm here to talk about the Marlene Wallace case, Sir! " Tifa said earnestly.

"Again?" Valentine said. He muttered angrily to himself and began to briskly walk away.

"Wait! What's wrong with wanting to talk about it? " Tifa asked, stubbornly hurrying after the professor.

"What's wrong is that it's a dead-end case, " Valentine replied, not bothering to slow his pace, despite the young woman jogging beside him. "There's just no way that the man, Bullet-"

"Barret," Tifa corrected brightly.

"Whatever, " the lecturer said irritably. "The point is, no judge in their right mind is going to award him custody of a child that has no blood relationship with him."

"He served in the war, with the girl's father, and she's lived with him for the last two years!" Tifa pressed. "I've reviewed the case for the fifth time last night, and I'm sure beyond doubt that this is violation of human rights! "

"Oh?" Valentine replied, patronisingly. "And on what grounds world you classify it as a human rights violation? "

"On the grounds that it's morally incorrect to rip a child away from the only sense of security that they've known. And not taking the child in question's choice into account! "

Valentine really did stop this time, causing an exuberant Tifa to almost bowl him over. "Lockhart, are you being serious? You're one of the brightest students I've seen in a long time, and that's the best you can do?"

"What's wrong with my argument? " Tifa was on the defensive.

"Well, morals are subjective for one thing" Valentine replied, now walking at a much slower pace. "And the child is four years old, she may have Stockholm's Syndrome as far as the judge is concerned! And the guardian in question hasn't exactly given social services the best first impression! "

"That's not fair! " Tifa cried passionately. "How can they judge him just because he was in the army?"

"He also severely injured several operatives, and threatened every social worker that attempted to speak with him! "

"Only because he's scared! " Tifa insisted. "He doesn't wanna lose his little girl! You'd feel the same way too! "

"Why are you even bothering to talk to me, if all you've done is try to shove your opinions down my throat?" Valentine said, now looking weary.

"What can I say? I guess I'm just trying to be a good lawyer! "

Valentine gave a dry chuckle in response. "Okay, you have me there, but I won't lie to you. When it comes to the law, personal feelings don't count, and everyone has different views and morals, so founding a defence based on that alone won't be enough to convince any judge that has been elected."

"I just think that we should change the system if all it does is hurt more people than it helps, " Tifa replied miserably, as they approached the stone steps of the next building.

"I understand where you're coming from," Valentine said as they climbed the steps. "Your heart's in the right place, Lockhart, but law doesn't work that way."

The pair stopped outside the entrance. Noticing the young woman still looking despondent, Valentine leaned in. "Why are you so interested in this anyway? I don't think you majored in Family Law."

"I didn't, " Tifa said glumly. "I just read about the case and I wanted to help."

"Charity work? "

Tifa shook her head in the negative. "I just don't think it's right to take a child away from someone who cares for her that much."

Even Valentine, who was often the butt of many heart of stone gossip, felt a pang at seeing the usually vibrant student looking so down. "I'm not going to lie to you, Lockhart, but as I've said; you're a very smart girl, if anyone can figure this out, you can! "

"You really think so? " Tifa asked hopefully.

"I'm not making any promises, but anything is possible," Valentine replied. "Now, if you don't mind, " the professor's waspish demeanour had returned with a vengeance, and he abruptly turned and stalked off.

Tifa watched him go, a small smile playing around the corners of her mouth. She didn't have any more classes for the day, and it was a lovely day with the not a cloud in the sky, and a cool breeze whistling through the warm spring air, so she decided to just head over to the cafeteria for a cool drink and sit down and enjoy the sunshine.

No sooner had she grabbed her drink, than her cellphone began to buzz in her pocket. Vaguely planning to kill Aerith if the older girl wanted to nag, she pulled her phone out and flipped it open. "Hello? "

X X X

Genesis Rhapsodos turned happily on his swivel chair. "Well, you're certainly much friendlier over the phone! "

"What? Who is this? "

Genesis had to laugh at the impatient tone on the other end of the receiver. He nonchalantly lifted his legs and set them on his messy desk. "Well, you know who it is! We spoke last night!"

He heard an aggravated sigh coming through the phone. "You don't give up, do you Mr Rhapsodos? "

"Ah-ah," the actor chided. "We've spoken about this, call me Genesis."

"Fine, Genesis. How'd you get this number anyway? "

"Well, " Genesis replied, leaning back. "Simply put; I'm the man!"

"You checked up on me? "

"Must you make it sound like a felony? " Genesis cooed.

"Well, yeah! Because it is! "

"Relax," Genesis laughed. "I suppose you'd know all about that, being a prodigious law student, " he said, his eyes scanning a piece of paper with Tifa's personal details.

"Congratulations, Nancy Drew-"

"Perhaps you meant to say Sherlock Holmes? "

"No, I meant to say Nancy Drew! Or would you prefer Jessica Fletcher? Point is, I could sue you for harassment and criminal stalking! "

"How is it criminal stalking if all I want to do is help you! "

"In case I wasn't explicit enough last night, I'm still not in the least bit interested! "

Genesis gave another chuckle. "Perhaps I've been going about this the wrong way, in retrospect, it was tactless of me to spring my offer on you as suddenly as I did."

"Yeah, no kidding! "

"Then allow me to try it differently."

"I'm listening. "

"I would like to invite you to see a small scale performance by some members of our company, if you're interested of course! "

He heard another sigh on the other end. "I'm not sure."

"Please, no strings attached, " Genesis promised.

X X X

Tifa tried not to fling her cellphone out of sheer frustration. Remembering that money was tight, she took a deep calming breath. "Well, what have I got to lose, " she said, deciding to at least humour him.

"Excellent! I'll text you the time and address! Hopefully, we will meet again soon! Good bye! "

"Yeah, yeah," Tifa muttered. She slipped the phone closed and checked the time. Great, she had pretty much wasted her time, and made an awkward commitment. No longer in any mood to mellow out in the sunshine, the young woman picked up her things and headed towards the subway.