A/N: Welcome to probably the longest prologue you will ever read! And this is only part one! This is the product of two very bored fangirls in a car for a couple hours with nothing but paper, a couple writing utensils, and imaginations the size of Texas! (which was where we were going ironically!)
Sam: Okay, just warning everyone now, we can be very random and some stuff might not make sense. If anyone gets confused, let one of us know, and we'll set you on the right track. We own nothing sadly...except the imagination. *evil laugh*
Kris: Oh Sam's laugh gave me chills! Anyways, all I want to say is if you have a problem with this fic then complain to Sam cuz I don't give a damn, and she probably won't either, but she's nicer. So without further ado, we present to you, A Promise Kept.
Prologue
It didn't make any sense to her, but Tifa decided to pass the message on to Cloud anyway. She hit the first speed dial on her phone and waited for him to pick up, which she knew he would. Cloud hadn't screened his calls in three years now, and for three years, Tifa had been able to call him her husband.
"Hello?" Cloud answered.
His voice brought her out of her thoughts suddenly. "Hey, Reno just called for you."
"Really?"
"That's odd," she commented, sensing his excitement.
"What is?" he asked curiously.
She smirked. "You sound like you've been expecting him to call."
"I just haven't talked to him in a while," he said simply. "What'd he say?"
Tifa paused for a moment. True, Cloud and Reno weren't the best of friends; if anything, they were acquaintances. Cloud had even told her more than once that Reno annoyed the hell out of him, but Reno and Rude would occasionally come by the bar to visit anyway. "He said he had a delivery for you."
On the other line, the corners of Cloud Strife's mouth turned up slightly, his version of a smile. "Oh, okay. I'll head over there now. And, Tifa?"
"Yeah?"
"I'll be home early tonight." She could hear the love and elation in his voice. Just what was that man up to?
Tifa smiled. "Oh, really?"
"Who's excited now?" Cloud joked.
She couldn't hold back a laugh. It was sometimes hard for her to believe that he'd gone from being closed off from the world to joking with her so light-heartedly. "I love you, Cloud."
"I love you, too," Cloud said, sounding like his smirk had become a grin. "I'll see you soon."
*****
What's taking so long? Cloud thought, as he paced around the small office. He didn't know why he was so nervous. Everything would be fine, and he could just get back to his simple life with Tifa. Being a delivery boy wasn't what most people would call hectic, but there were moments when Cloud wished that he was still trying to save the world; the monsters he used to fight were an excellent channel for stress.
A fleck of color entered his peripheral vision, as Cloud saw Reno's hair through the window on the door. He continued to pace, and Reno and Rude entered, making Cloud, if it was possible, more on edge.
"Dr. Nomura's with another patient," Rude said in his deep voice. "He said you're next, though."
"Damn, man, can't you stand still?" Reno joked, trying to lighten the tension and failing miserably. "You're makin' me nervous."
Cloud didn't say anything or try to stop his fidgeting. "You didn't say anything to Tifa, did you?" he asked, trying to stop his voice from shaking. She had sounded suspicious on the phone.
Reno chuckled, his gray eyes lighting up. "A man keeps his promises."
At that moment, the door opened once again, and a man with graying hair and tired eyes entered. "Thank you for being prompt, Mr. Strife," Dr. Nomura said conversationally, taking his seat behind his desk.
"I was on my way home, anyway," Cloud replied, calmer than before.
"What's the word, Doc?" Reno piped up.
"Reno…" Rude said, shaking his head.
Dr. Nomura turned back to Cloud and asked, "Would you like them to hear?"
"Nah. Tell us later, man?" Reno said, waving easily, as he and Rude went back into the hall.
"Now, about your test results," the doctor said calmly, placing his elbows on his desk and putting his fingertips together.
Another wave of nervousness came over Cloud, and he fought to stay composed. "Yeah?"
Dr. Nomura paused for a moment, apparently trying to find the right words. "Since this is a special situation, I ran a few extra tests, and what I discovered is probably not what you want to hear."
Oh, please no, Cloud thought furiously. "What's the problem?"
"The Mako energy," Nomura answered simply. "And…I don't believe anything can be done."
Cloud could have sworn that he'd stopped breathing. Once again, his past was coming back to haunt him. It took a couple of minutes for him to regain his composure. He asked shakily, "So…what does that mean…exactly?" Cloud couldn't meet Nomura's eyes, so he glared at the floor instead.
"It's unlikely that you and your wife can conceive. Impossible, actually. My guess is that your sperm destroys the egg before it's fertilized. The Mako energy is just far too enhanced for such a simple cell to handle."
Damn you, Hojo! Cloud screamed in his head.
"There might be other options for you, but they could be risky to you or your wife," the doctor continued when Cloud didn't speak. "I suppose you'll want to talk it over with her, though."
Cloud nodded, keeping his eyes on the floor. "Thank you for your time, doctor," he said hoarsely. "If you'll excuse me."
"Of course." Dr. Nomura stated.
"So, what's the verdict, Spiky? Do you have super sperm or something?" Reno pushed himself from his leaning position against the left side of the door frame with a grin on his face as Cloud passed him.
Cloud paused in the middle of the hall, his back towards them, his face expressionless.
"You gonna answer me or what?" Reno asked and slung his arm around Clouds broad shoulders when he didn't say anything for a while. "I mean, it can't be that bad. So, your boys are a little slow. Just avoid hot-tubs and wear boxers, then you'll be cool, man."
Without any time to react, Reno was on the floor holding his left eye. He rolled around for a moment and blinked only to find that rather painful. His eye teared up, and he grumbled to himself, "Damn, that's going to leave a fucking bruise."
"You deserved that one," Rude stated, watching Cloud stalk down the hallway.
Regaining his composure, Reno stood next to Rude and drawled, "I guess it didn't go well."
Rude simply nodded as Reno walked to the doctor's office and stood outside the door. "Let's get to the bottom of this, shall we?" he asked before strolling in.
*****
Tifa hummed merrily to herself, setting the small table for two; Barrett had picked up Marlene and Denzel a few hours before. At that moment, she heard the familiar rumble of Fenrir's engine in the garage. It still amazed her how just hearing him come home could send fire through her veins.
Cloud came into the kitchen, his sword holster discarded, and occupied a chair at the table. That's odd, Tifa thought; he usually kissed her when he came home. She merely went over to him, sat on his lap, and kissed him. "Hey," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Hey," he muttered back, barely audible, despite how close they were.
One of his hands went to the small of her back, but something wasn't right with his eyes. Like the way they had been after Aerith had died, and that really worried her. "Cloud, what's wrong?"
He looked away from her and determinedly stared at the floor. When he didn't answer, Tifa persisted with, "Did something happen with Reno?"
Cloud was silent for a moment, mulling words over in his mind. How the hell am I supposed to tell her!? That was his first thought. He met her gaze again and saw she was still waiting for an answer. "No," he whispered sadly.
To Tifa, it sounded as if Cloud wished Reno would start a fight with him. "Then what—"
Cloud opened his mouth to interrupt then shut it again. Tifa fell silent once more. "I don't even know," he started slowly. "How to say it…"
"Say what?"
He took her hands from his neck, and she let him stand up. Tifa watched him with confused eyes; she had never seen him this…razzled before. Cloud began to pace, running his hand through his spiky hair as he did so. When he finally found the right words, he tried to voice his thoughts again. "All I ask is…please…don't be upset with me."
She stood and placed a hand on his shoulder. Cloud stopped pacing and met her worried gaze with his pleading one. "Cloud," she said in a low voice. "You're scaring me. Just…tell me what you need to tell me."
He nodded and leaned against the counter. He took a deep breath and said in the calmest tone he could manage, "I went to see a doctor."
This startled Tifa a bit. "About?"
"Our…" He paused again. "Problem."
She nodded waiting for him to continue, but it had appeared that a floodgate had been opened.
"We've been trying to have a baby for almost a year now… I wanted to make sure everything was…working like it should be."
"That's where you were earlier," Tifa said realization dawning on her face. She sunk into a chair, shaking.
"Yeah," Cloud sighed.
She took a deep breath. "So, what'd the doctor say?"
He went over to her, took her hands in his, and kept his eyes locked on her fingers. She leaned her forehead against his and heard him whisper, "I…can't…"
Tifa felt the tears sting her eyes and spill down her cheeks. Cloud wrapped his arms around her and held her close, running his fingers through her hair. "I'm so sorry, Tifa," he murmured hoarsely, his voice thick with tears he couldn't shed.
*****
"I don't know what it is, Yuffie," Tifa said honestly to the young ninja sitting beside her. "I just haven't been feeling well."
"How?" Yuffie asked curiously; as long as she had known her, Tifa had never been sick. Unless she was counting a certain week of every month when she became crabbier as usual.
"Every time I cook, eat, or even smell anything, I feel nauseated. I'm getting really bad mood swings; Cloud, Denzel, and Marlene are always 'around me with caution'. Cloud says that I'm obsessing over everything," Tifa said in a hurry, pausing to place a coaster under Yuffie's drink.
Yuffie held back a chuckle. "By the way, where is the spiky-headed freak?"
"That 'spiky-headed freak' happens to be my husband," Tifa scoffed, arching an eyebrow. "And he's out making deliveries."
"Right, right," Yuffie joked. Slightly scared, she quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, back to the matter at hand. It sounds to me like you're preggers, Tifa."
Tifa hadn't even considered that, she knew it couldn't happen. "It has to be a bug or something. I can't be pregnant…"
"And why not?" Yuffie replied in a mocking voice.
"Cloud told me that he can't…"
Tifa could've sworn that Yuffie's jaw hit the floor. "What? When did he tell you that?" she practically shouted.
"A couple months ago." Tifa answered calmly; she wasn't as emotional about it now as she was before, though it still hurt.
"Damn! I would've thought he'd be like…I dunno, super fertile or something!"
"Yuffie!" Tifa scolded, color rising in her cheeks and tears pricking at her eyes. So much for emotional control, she thought angrily. What's wrong with me?
"Sorry! It's just weird to hear!"
Tifa was quiet for a minute, lost in thought.
"What?" Yuffie asked.
"Well," Tifa started. "Our anniversary was last month."
"I know. I called you guys, but you didn't bother to answer, remember?"
"Early last month."
"Yeah?"
"This month is almost over, Yuffie, and…I'm late."
As if by instinct, they both looked at Tifa's stomach, like they were expecting to see a flashing sign that said, "Baby on Board!"
Yuffie was the one to break the silence. "You need to find out for sure."
Tifa nodded in agreement, but she couldn't feel her legs or anything else, for that matter.
"I'll be back," Yuffie said, getting up from the couch.
As soon as she heard the front door close, Tifa ran to the bathroom. I don't get it, she thought, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Cloud and I talked to Dr. Nomura about our options…. What changed?
*****
"Well? What does it say?" Yuffie asked excitedly from outside the bathroom door a few hours later.
Tifa sat crossed legged on the floor, not believing her eyes. This was the third test she'd used, and still she got the same results. It couldn't be true, this couldn't be happening. Tifa felt her eyes well up with tears.
Tifa opened the door and peeked out at Yuffie, as if seeing the young girl for the first time. After a moment, she stepped fully out into the hall.
"Well?" Yuffie asked impatiently.
Finally able to find her voice, Tifa replied. "It's—"
"What're you two doing?" Cloud's voice said from the doorway.
The two women gasped, and their heads whipped in his direction. Cloud's eyes focused on the item in Tifa's hand and then met her gaze. He searched her eyes, looking for some sort of explanation.
"Tifa?" Yuffie said, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"Positive," Tifa said, her lips breaking into a smile.
Yuffie then proceeded to jump around in a circle, screaming, "I'm gonna be an aunt!" at the top of her lungs. A look of shock came over Cloud's face. "Tifa, what—"
Tifa silenced him by pressing her lips against his. "We're having a baby, Cloud," she whispered.
Sam: Hope you enjoyed! Review if you want (reviews are always appreciated and taken seriously by me at least)
Kris: Hey I do take reviews seriously! As long as they're constructive, but if they're flames I will ignore them.