Title: Spring Fever

Dislcaimer: I own nixies.

Notes: I will finish Wild Night soon. I promise with everything in me!!

&&&&&&

Prologue…

Her head had been in her hands so long, her palms were growing clammy with the warmth of her uneven breath. Try as she might, she simply didn't dare to look up and see the expression she knew would be on her best friend's face. She concentrated instead on keeping the nauseating panic to a minimum.

"Tifa," Aeris spoke with a gentle tone that had, at one time, irritated the brunette. "You can't hide forever."

Couldn't she? it wouldn't be too hard. A barricade for the doors, a few bars and heavy drapes for the windows, attack dogs for the yard, and a piranah infested moat. See? She could hide forever.

The blonde waited for a reply, but when there was none, she spoke again. "It's okay, you know."

No, it wasn't okay. It was so far from okay, it was on a different page. Tifa still said nothing.

Aeris sighed. After years of being friends, one would think she'd be used to the stubborness by now. Obviously, patience wasn't her strongest point at this moment in time. She blew out a soft breath. "You can't ignore this, Tif. Seriously."

That was an understatement if ever there was one. However, it did have the desired effect. "There's nothing to ignore." She wondered how many times those words would have to be repeated before they turned honest.

"I've known you half my life and you've never been later than a week, let alone seven. The not knowing has to be driving you crazy. Can you honestly tell me you can wait another four days to find out?"

Tifa didn't need to answer. Aeris blew out a soft breath. "What's the worst that can happen, huh? So what if it's positive? You're in your twenties, you have a decent job, a home, financially secure…" She paused. "Unless you don't want it to be positive?"

"It's not that I don't want it to be positive. I'm frightened Aeris, really frightened. What if it is positive? What will I do then?" There was too much to think about and the thoughts were going to fast for her focus on one problem at a time.

She got a smile in response. "There's only one way to find out," and the box was once again held out to the brunette curled up on her couch. With her long dark hair tied up in a messy ponytail, Aeris could fully see just how terrified Tifa was.

"Maybe I shouldn't find out…"

The comment brought a grin to the blonde's face. There was the Tifa Lockheart she knew and loved. "What? And be pleasantly surprised in nine months?"

"It could work."

"No," the younger woman firmly stated. "You're going to take the test now, even if I have too drag you to the bathroom myself." A brief nod finished the statement and she crossed her arms, insinuating she would not be moved on this.

Seeing the good humour about to disappear, Aeris took a deep breath and agreed this wasn't the time to be making jokes like it wasn't a big deal. It was a big deal, if not a huge one.

Tifa fell silent for a moment or two before she, too, snatched in a large breath and nodded. "You're right, I know, but God! Come on, let's get this done." With that, she uncurled her body from the corner sofa, listening to it creak in response and offhandedly made a mental note to get it repaired.

Aeris quickly followed suit., the box still clutched in one hand. "You won't be alone in this," she stated quietly, "You have all eight of us."

Tifa said nothing as she grabbed the box and went into the bathroom, barely remembering to close the door behind her. Once safely behind a locked door, the brunette collapsed onto the toilet seat and sagged against the back of it, her eyes closed as if to block everything out.

What Aeris said about not being alone was simultaneously right and wrong. She knew she wouldn't want for anything when it came to her friends, no, her family. She knew they would be there whether she wanted them or not. At the same time, she couldn't share it all with them.

Yes, Tifa had confessed to having a holiday fling when in Costa Del Sol, but she hadn't confessed the identity of her lover. She wanted too, but didn't feel she could.

Cloud Strife, her best friend and boyfriend of friend, was in his Platoon. Yuffie Kisaragi's hometown had felt his wrath during the Wutai War. Cid Highwind and Barrett Wallace both had run-in's with him during the clean-up after the 1997 Meteor shower.

Fact was, if this little situation hadn't came up, Tifa may have used her connections to contact him, but this little situation did. She couldn't use their mutual acquaintances to get in touch with him now. He did say he'd received a few marriage proposals from women and girls; he'd probably also had them telling this.

She shook her head. He didn't have to know, not really. It wasn't as if they'd been in love or anything. Sure, there'd been sparks, but it didn't go beyond lust. At least, she was certain it didn't go past lust on his part. On hers?

Tifa knew that given enough time, then hell yes, she could've fallen in love with him. Maybe a part of her already was. She'd only slept with one other person and that hadn't been love. Far from it, in fact.

She was a hormone driven eighteen year old and Zack was the guy every girl wanted to tame. He'd been on medical leave for a few months and they'd dated for pretty much all of it. Bright green eyes combined with dark, spiky hair, and the body of a God.

Yes. Zack had been a major cutie, but when compared to her recent lover, he was nothing but a boy.

"Enough Tifa," she hissed. "Just get it done."

Five minutes later…

"Well?"

Tifa inched open eye and Aeris grimaced when she saw the nervousness in her friend's gaze. "It's no good. I can't look."

The blonde nibbled on her lower lip, gesturing to the object Tifa held in a white-knuckled grip. "Here, I'll see."

"Oh God!" Shaking hands covered a pale face and slender digits muffled the drawn out groan that escaped. How could she have been so stupid? Scratch that. How could they have been so stupid?

This kind of thing took two people, not just one. A part of her blamed him, damned to the bowels of hell, but another part of her was happy he was the father. He was a good man. Strong, independent, gentlemanly, and incredibly handsome. Everything a woman could want, he was.

Tifa nudged her other eye open. "Have you looked yet?" She felt like such a coward and she hated herself for it, but she just couldn't do it.

The blue eyes of Aeris shone with kindness and trepidation as she offered a weak smile to her friend before glancing down at the object now in her position. Two pretty pink lines greeted her.

The look on the blonde's face was enough to confirm the suspicions. "I am, aren't I?" Tifa quizzed unnecessarily. "I'm pregnant."