A/N: This is my first attempt at an AC fanfic. The story line I've got is a little complicated, so bear with me please. It won't start to get complicated for a long time though, so don't worry.

Disclaimer: I don't own Advent Children or FFVII. I don't own the two quotes at the beginning, either. However, I DO own both of Cloud's children.

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"Live for me, Cloud. If not for yourself, live for me. Complete your life for me. I risked all I had to let you live. Do not give up. Do not be afraid. I am always by your side. Even if it seems as if I am not there, I will always be there." –Zack

"Which is it? A memory or us?" –Tifa

Cloud Strife took those words to heart. He could never forget the past and he never truly forgave himself, but he knew that wasting the sacrifices made in his favor would only be an insult to those who had loved him. So, finally, Cloud lay his past aside and decided to move forward. His new life started with these five words:

"Tifa…will you marry me?"

Her life changed with one word. "Yes."

Sometimes my dad felt guilty about marrying someone else. Someone that wasn't…well, that just wasn't her. He truly loves my mother, but I can see the sadness in his eyes when he looks at the only photo he has of her. I know that he never stopped loving her. But I also know he knows this is what she would have wanted – for him to live.

"Lyn? Lyn, where are you?" I heard my mother calling from the kitchen. I followed the sound of her voice to see her standing with a steaming plate of food in her hands.

"Yes Tifa?" I responded politely. She'd been sort of on edge since my little brother had come home. It was better to play things safe.

"Will you take this up to Marlene? She isn't feeling too well so I thought it would be easier if she ate upstairs instead of down here with us."

"Marlene's here?"

"Yes. Denzel's up there with her now. Just knock on the door, give it to her, and leave."

"Sure thing Tifa." I walked over behind the counter and took it from her. "She in my room?" Tifa nodded and I set out for the stairs. As I was on the way up the creaking wooden stairs my brother started running down. He stopped abruptly so he wouldn't crash into me, coming to a complete stop just inches away from the edge of the plate.

"Please try to be careful Zack," I whispered. "Tifa says Marlene's sick and I'm taking this up to her. She-oh ouch." I'd just gotten a look at his face. His right eye, which until that moment had been hidden in shadow, was swollen shut and covered in a shiny black and blue bruise. "Who did that one?" I asked, nodding in the general direction of his face.

Zack gingerly touched his wound before flatting his spiky black hair down, trying to cover it up. I snorted – his hair never lay flat. Instead, a stray lock poked his open, bright blue eye. He winced and tugged it away again. I recognized that he didn't want to talk about it just then and let it go.

"Tifa's downstairs," I warned as he started to ease past me. "Wait til I give the all clear before you go down," I suggested.

He tweaked my nose playfully. "Thanks." He and I both knew it was a very bad idea to bother our mother when she was vexed. So instead of continuing on as he had been, Zack turned and led me back up the stairs.

When we reached the landing I looked at my brother and pouted. He'd grown again at school and now towered a full five inches over me. He grinned and gave me a one armed hug, turning me to face my own room. "Cheer up Lyn. You knew it would happen one day." He chuckled. I would have hit his arm if I hadn't been carrying a plate of food. "You'll just have to get used to the idea. I-"

I hushed him and nudged him in the side. When he looked at me, plainly confused, I nodded toward my partly open door. I could hear someone's voice. It sounded like Marlene but then…why was Denzel crying?

"It's alright Denzel. Really. Please, don't cry." Marlene's voice was soft. "Zack and Lyn, Tifa…"

"I don't care if they hear me," Denzel said, his voice almost steady. He kept his voice soft, almost a whisper, but in this house even whispers could be heard by almost anyone. When they'd first moved in Cloud had been slightly paranoid and didn't want anyone to sneak up on them while they slept. Now it was a useful tool for eavesdropping. "It doesn't matter."

"Denzel…" She took one of his hands in hers. He looked up at her with eyes that shone with tears.

"You haven't told them…have you?" When she didn't reply he continued. "You owe at least Cloud at Tifa that much. And the kids would want to know, too. You know they love you."

Marlene shook her head. "Nothing's certain, you know that. I don't want to scare them."

"But Marlene…you could die."

I nearly dropped the plate of food. Thankfully Zack had looked at me to see my reaction to this news and caught my hand, steadying it and the plate.

"Thanks," I muttered.

I heard Denzel sniff and saw him wipe his own tears away. "I know I'm being silly, but…you're my best friend, Marlene. What would I do without you?"

She laughed softly. "You silly boy. Even if I did die, I'd always be with you. You know that, don't you?" Denzel hesitated, then nodded. He didn't add that he didn't believe her. He'd seen the way Cloud looked at pictures of Aerith. He knew it would never be the same.

After they were silent for a few moment, I walked briskly forward, blinking away the tears that had formed in my own eyes and knocked.

"Dinner!" I said brightly when Marlene called for me to enter. "Tifa asked me to bring this up to you." I grinned and hoped they didn't see that it was forced.

Denzel gently tugged his hand away from Marlene's and reached out for the plate.

"Careful, it's hot," I warned as I handed it to him. Not that he'd notice. His hands were so calloused from handling weapons that I was surprised he could feel anything he touched. He smiled his thanks and put the plate down on the bedside table as Marlene struggled to sit up. He reached to help her but she shook her head. He backed off – she needed to do it herself.

I left and Zack and I headed toward his room, all thoughts of going back downstairs forgotten. "I guess you need to crash in my room tonight?" he asked, more to break the silence than anything.

I nodded. "From the sound of things, they could be here for a while."

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A/N: Kind of a bad beginning. I wasn't originally planning on making this in first person, but I'm gonna go with it and see how it turns out. If I don't like it I may end up stopping in the middle and rewriting the whole thing. Probably won't though. Don't have the patience to do that. :P

Any suggestions, comments, anything is deeply appreciated. I'm going to try to update 2-3 times a week to start off. I've got two fics going on right now, so we'll just have to see what happens.

Thanks for reading. :D Please review!

Eevil hero