Cloud sat in 7th Heaven with Tifa and Marlene. The three of them were having breakfast when Denzel walks down stairs.
"Hey Denzel."Smiled Marlene.
"Hi Marlene." smiled Denzel looking at Marlene before turning to Cloud.
"Uh…Cloud can I ask you something?" asked Denzel.
Cloud nods as he looks at his son.
"I want to join Soldier." Said Denzel.
At first Cloud doesn't say anything he just frowns as if he's thinking about it. Denzel stands at the base of the staircase watching Cloud waiting for an answer.
"Sorry Denzel I can't let you join Soldier." said Cloud after a minute.
"Why not?" asked Denzel
"Because it's to dangerous!" said Cloud standing up.
"How do you know? You never got to Soldier!" snapped Denzel!
"Enough! Denzel go to your room not another word about joining Soldier!" shouts Cloud slamming his fist on the table.
Denzel turns and goes up to his room slamming the door behind him. A moment later Marlene comes running into their shared bedroom. Denzel looks up he could hear Tifa and Cloud fighting.
"Cloud, give Denzel a chance!" said Tifa.
"To do what Tifa? To get himself killed?" snapped Cloud.
"No! All he wants to do is be a hero like you!" said Tifa who was starting to loose her temper.
"TIFA! MY BEST FRIEND WAS KILLED IN SOLDIER! I'M NOT ABOUT TO LOOSE DENZEL THE SAME WAY I LOST ZACK!"Yells Cloud before storming out and driving off.
That night Cloud and Tifa apologize to each other. Around midnight Denzel packed up his backpack and snuck out to join Soldier. The next morning Marlene comes running into Cloud and Tifa's room crying.
"Marlene what's wrong?" asked Tifa.
"Denzel's…"began Marlene.
"He ran away," said Cloud finishing Marlene's sentence.
"Denzel would never run away." Said Tifa looking at Cloud.
"I'll be back later," said Cloud getting dressed and leaving.
Tifa and Marlene wait in Denzel and Marlene's room. Around noon the phone rings it's Cloud.
"Tifa…"said Cloud.
"Cloud what's wrong?" asked Tifa frowning.
"Tifa…Denzel's dead. He got in a crash." Said Cloud his voice breaking.
Tifa just sat next to Marlene the phone in her hand drops to the ground. A few minutes pass before Cloud comes back. He finds Tifa and Marlene crying. Tifa looks up her eyes full of tears. She runs up to Cloud, who looked like he had been crying too,
"It's my fault," mutters Cloud holding Tifa close.
"You were just trying to protect him," cried Tifa.
* * *
Two weeks later was Denzel's funeral. Cloud was the only one who spoke about Denzel.
"Denzel was a great kid…he was like a son. I'm sorry I missed so much of his life and now it's too late to get it back…He would have made a great Soldier and I should have told him what he meant to me. I'm sorry in peace my son." said Cloud as tears run down his face and Tifa hugs him.