AN: Just went through and did a bit of editing. Sorry to those who thought there was a new chapter.

I don't own any of these characters, Square Enix does.

"Push."

He's been chanting this word for what seems like hours and her grip has gotten painfully tight. If she breaks his sword hand, he is done for. But, that doesn't matter because he's back to chanting and encouraging. In a few more minutes/seconds/hours, he is going to be a Daddy

A real life Daddy. He's going to be like one of those fathers on TV and nothing like his old man.

"I can see the head," the doctor stoically murmurs.

His wife just bears down; biting her tongue against the words she wants to say as contractions rip through her. And by Shiva, he loves her right now, loves her more than he's ever loved her before. Sweating, naked, and straining from childbirth, his wife is a Goddess.

She grunts and pushes and he chants and he chants. She curses him fervently at some point but he knows he will be back in her bed soon enough. They are Shinra academy sweethearts after all, though they are as different as night and day. The sun and the moon, they've come together to create an eclipse.

It has been weeksdaysmonthsyearsminutes when he hears a furious little shrill. His heart is going to explode. He had been told a parent's love makes the heart bigger, but that can't be true because his heart has just burst and he can feel the love thudding throughout his body. He loves his wife, he loves this child, and he loves this-

"It's a boy."

The nurses are cleaning up the squalling infant and he is hovering to take pictures. He stops to cut the cord and he just can't help but wonder at life. Pictures and more pictures, he doesn't want to forget this day. He has been waiting years for this moment. The countless nights and fertility treatments have paid off.

The doctor goes to hand off his son to his mother, but the man intercepts. He needs this moment to be special, the moment when they both give their child a good look. He wants to count toes together, examine little fingers, and breathe the baby scent as one.

He can barely calm himself down and as the baby burbles, he can't help but break into a face splitting grin.

It's cliché but still he says, "Hey there buddy. I'm your Daddy."

Walking up to his wife, he coos again, "And this here's your Mommy."

For a moment, his wife is speechless, staring at the bundle instead of taking it. So he gives his wife a small nudge.

"Aerith, I think you've been waiting nine months for this."

The words snap his wife out of whatever daze she was in and she nearly snatches the baby out of his arms to have a closer look at him.

"He is such a beautiful specimen," she breathes, utterly enthralled by the pinched up face in front of her.

He takes his wife's remark in stride (she is a scientist after all) and sits beside her.

"He's our son," the man gently reminds his partner.

They have already agreed there will be no experiments on this child and he feels that now is a very good time to reiterate this to looks sheepishly at him before turning her gaze back to her child.

"I'd never hurt him, Zack."

And despite his warning, he knows this is mostly true but still considering the boy's genetics, he has his doubts. He chuckles, grabs his wife closer, and leans over to have a better look at the newcomer.

The child is beautiful and that's not even a good enough word for it. Despite its newborn appearance, he can already see the nobility in its barely formed features and he can't want to have a photo on his desk at work. It'll have to share some space with the sonogram images though. Aerith removes the little baby hat and now he can clearly see the white down covering his son's head. A pang of disappointment rings in him that his boy doesn't have his spikes or Aerith's brunette but there is very little room for ungratefulness in this precious gift. They count fingers and toes and marvel over little baby noses and little baby feet. This moment is barely marred by the fact that there are traces of another man in his son.

The nurses are clearing things away. It has been an eventful day but a happy one. Zack strolls around with his sleeping son, still straining for similarities between him and his boy. He's got his mother's nose and maybe her mouth. His fingers and toes even have her delicate lilt. Aerith had teased that the baby had inherited his goofy ears but she's fallen fast asleep and can't aid Zack in his search anymore.

So back and forth he walks, looking, searching for glimpses of himself in his little stranger's face. All the while, love is pouring out his chest and splashing down his feet. He feels like he's drowning in it and but this is one tide he doesn't want to be saved from. Eventually, he begins to give up, a son is worth more than a lookalike and he will take what has accomplished with someone's help over the barrenness he was ridden with on his own.

He's stopped pacing by now and has returned to his now awake and outstretched wife's arms. Just as he is about hand his charge over, his little boy opens his eyes. The sight tears Zack's breath away and this boy is as good as and emerald mixed in perfect harmony, an echo of his parents, stares grumpily up at Zack, and he is in love. He kisses the boy's forehead and watches as he greedily latches onto his mother's breast. Letting his finger be taken into a possessive newborn hold, Zack can't hold back.

"Welcome to the world, Kadaj," he beams down into drowsy dichromatic eyes.

Kadaj just grasps his daddy's captured fingers a little tighter and continues to nurse. Zack laughs with all the joy he has in the world and kisses his wife right on the cheek.