AN:

"Best Friends Give Tongue"
Rating: Ummm, there is some cussing and violence...though not graphic because I don't know how to be... . sooo... PG-15 yes?

Pairings: Cloud/Tifa, Reno/Elena, Tseng/Yuffie

This was written for a Secret Santa exchange for a group I'm in on dA.

Story:

Tifa came out of the garage at 7th Heaven wiping her hands on her shorts. Looking up she saw Denzel and Marlene coming down the street a few of the other children with them. "Back from shopping already?" She asked as they neared her.

Denzel looked up, "Not really..."

"The market was attacked while we were there!" Marlene jumped in. "A bunch of monsters came out of nowhere!"

Tifa was instantly alert, "Are you all okay? Are the monsters still there? How'd you get away?" Concern laced her tone and there was worry in her sherry eyes as she looked the seven children over.

"We're alright Miss Tifa," Said Mai her pigtails wagging in emphasis. "Mr. Nanaki was there, he held them back so that we could get away. As we were leaving Mr. Vincent and Mr. Genesis showed up, Mr. Vincent told us to walk so that we wouldn't attract the monsters' attention."

Tifa smiled that sounded exactly like something Vincent would say, "Did any of you notice where the monsters came from? A certain shop or direction? Or how many there were?" Tifa crouched down to be eye level with the three year old blond replica of Aerith holding a chocobo plushy that Tseng had gotten for her on her birthday a few days before; the little girl was sucking her thumb. Zina had stopped doing that several months ago when Tseng had mentioned that he'd never done that as a child and since she basically worshiped the ground he walked on the cutie had decided that she didn't do that either. "You guys got pretty rattled huh?"

"They exploded out of the sky Tifa. Right over the center of the market place, Zina, Aaron and Jenna were right under them." Denzel's voice shook with the remembered fear for the other kids.

Zina and a little boy with black spiky hair and deep-sea blue eyes came up and wrapped their arms around Tifa's neck. Scooping them up in her arms, the action as natural as breathing, she motioned the others to walk through the door to the bar. "It's alright Denzel, you guys are safe now." She didn't usually allow children in the actual bar, but it was closed at the moment and she wanted to get them off of the street as soon as possible and the back door was too far away for her liking. Walking into the cool shade of the bar behind the children Tifa paused and allowed her eyes to adjust to the dimmer lighting, watching as five kids ranged themselves along the bar counter. Tifa giggled, "Hey now, you're not old enough to be there." She flicked her head toward the back room, "How about you go in and sit at the kitchen table and Yuffie and Elena can make you all something to eat while I check on the market really quick?"

Denzel and Marlene winced when Tifa told them not to sit at the counter. "I was running the place when I was younger and now I'm not even allowed in it." Marlene huffed under her breath before the words Yuffie and Elena penetrated her brain. "Yuffie!?" Marlene instantly hopped down and rushed to the kitchen the other children following her giggling.

Denzel watched after them with sad eyes, "Tifa, I want to be stronger."
Hearing the imploring tone Tifa stopped in her trek to take the two kids in her arms to the kitchen, "What is it Denzel?"

"You strong Denz'l. He push us out way and cover us so monsters not hurt." Little Aaron told Tifa his eyes huge with admiration as he looked over at Denzel.

Tifa smiled down at Aaron and then turned proud eyes on Denzel's bowed head. Putting the two children down Tifa motioned for them to walk into the kitchen where conversation and giggles could be heard. "Go on into the kitchen you two, me and Denzel will be there in a minute."

"You're not hurt are you son?" Tifa started as she came over and put a hand on Denzel's shoulder, when he shook his head she continued. "Well you are twelve now. Would you like to learn Martial Arts? And I'm sure we could convince everyone else to teach you whichever weapon you'd like to learn. Vincent would teach you guns, Yuffie the art of boomerangs, Cid can teach you staff and spear fighting, and Cloud can teach you sword fighting. I'm sure even the Turks wouldn't mind teaching you a few tricks." Tifa suggested.

Denzel looked up at her with hope in his eyes. "Really? You'd really teach me to fight Tifa?"

Tifa smiled down at him, "Of course. I enjoy it and it doesn't happen much anymore, which is good, but a little boring. Besides it's always best to be prepared for any situation. Like monsters bursting out of the sky above you."

Denzel smirked, a very Cid-like look. "Thanks Tifa!" He hugged her tight and then ran into the kitchen.

Chuckling Tifa followed him, upon entering the kitchen she was met with the site of Elena sitting at the table, her belly distended with the child she'd be having in a few months, her usually obnoxious husband doing her bidding. Said bidding being to make omelettes for her and everyone else, since she wasn't allowed to move around much and standing for too long in one place was chore. Tifa laughed outright at the site of Reno in her apron flipping omelettes. Yuffie was beside him at the stove and the children were ranged around the table.

"Hiya Tif! You gonna want in on this?" Yuffie asked from her station making a spiced hot chocolate to go with their late breakfast, her own tummy just starting to show.

"In a bit yeah. I'm going to head over to the market and see if the three stooges are still there. If they are there will be three more mouths to feed." Tifa giggled as Reno turned and gave her an evil glare. The stooges was the name the girls had come up with for the 'reds' in their group: mainly Reno, Vincent, Genesis and Nanaki, three for their coloring and one for his choice in clothing.

"Alright, see you in a bit then." Yuffie grinned from the stove.

Tifa nodded and waved to the room in general, "You kids be good okay?" After hearing a chorus of affirmative answers Tifa left the kitchen and went out to the street, locking the bar behind her. Running down the street to the market, not caring what anyone thought of her, Tifa skidded to a stop when she reached it. The messy scene before her made her gasp, quickly looking around she found the bodies of several bandersnatch lying around and people still cowering behind counters as Nanaki rushed around herding more of the creatures into the center of the square and CHAOS descended on them from the sky.