Disclaimer: It's not mine. Other than the story.

Unexpected

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She's sitting rigid in a barstool when he walks in, looking pale as a ghost. He forgets his tired, aching bones the second he sees her and, dropping his sword, rushes over.

She flinches when he gets near, averting her eyes as he inspects her face. He does a cursory glance of her body (no wounds) and then the bar (nothing out of place). After assuring himself that she isn't in physical danger, he stares at her again, this time questioningly.

But she's still avoiding her eyes, and still pale and slightly shaking.

"What happened?"

The sound of his voice in the silence makes her jump a bit and he sees tears begin to well up. Her lower lip trembles a bit and she bites it to keep it steady. As casually as she can manage, she motions to a seat at the table a few feet away from her.

He's hesitant to leave her side but she gestures again. So he sits down, suddenly below her, and watches as she gathers both thoughts and courage.

A pang hits him.

What if this is it? The end of it all? What if she finally couldn't take it anymore?

It was true, he'd been better. He had learned to answer his phone, and to even call her from time to time. He'd been better about spending time with her and the kids, and he'd been more useful at home. He'd been better... but he still lapsed from time to time.

Shit! The argument!

A few weeks ago they'd had a fight. It was their first big one as a couple, and it was rough. A lot was said, some of it necessary but most of it just to hurt the other person. He'd never thought that he'd speak that way to her, nor that she'd speak that way to him. Their words had grown more and more heated, and the need to just run, just get away, had taken him over. She'd seen that. And that's when she said it.

"Go on, leave! That's what you're going to do eventually isn't it? So just get it over with! Just get it the fuck over with!!!"

And so he did. He'd hopped on Fenrir and though his brain screamed "stop!" he started the engine and drove and drove and drove. He regretted it by the time he reached the end of the street, and was hating himself before he even left the city. He'd been so ashamed he'd stayed out all night, all the next day, and that night as well. He'd returned the following morning with flowers, gorgeous blooms unlike he'd ever seen before purchased for a hefty sum from a gardener several hours away. She'd just placed them quietly in a vase and ignored him for the next week.

They didn't talk about. They just went back to their normal lives, only with a heavy tension remaining between them. He'd been hoping against hope that it meant he'd been forgiven, that he'd have another chance, a final chance even, and that everything would finally, at last, be okay.

But with her sitting there on the barstool struggling to find the words, unable to speak easily with him, unable to sit next to him, unable even to look at him...

His heart sank.

Please, please don't let this be it. I'm truly sorry, I am, and I'll make it up to you a million times over. Please.... please....

"I'm pregnant."

The second the words left her lips his mind went blank.

Had he heard her right? Had she just said... she did didn't she? She'd said... a baby! They were having a baby!

Before he could think about it he was up, reaching for her, with the brightest smile he'd ever felt covering his face. A baby! They were having –

"It's not yours."

He stopped.

What had she just said?

It's not... not... mine?

There he was, stuck in mid stride, arms up though somewhat limply, face fighting to hold a smile.

But she'd just said... we're having... but it can't be... what?

He could only stare at her. No words could clearly enter his mind let alone exit his mouth.

She chanced a small glance at him and he could see it all in her eyes. She was petrified, guilt-ridden, shocked. And her heart was breaking, for him, for her, for their family, for everyone.

And that was when it hit him.

She's pregnant with another man's child.

His instant reaction was one of anger, and he had to fight the sudden urge to punch something, anything. But the urge faded soon.

He couldn't be angry at her. Just couldn't. She was ill looking, frail, exhausted and white as a sheet. She was shaking, trembling, just barely holding back tears. And there was a child within her...

He lowered his arms, defeated.

"Was it... was it when I left?"

He looked at her, hopefully. If it had been then, then maybe...

A tear escapes then and she quickly looks away, trying hard to calm her breath. A minute passes before she gives a gentle nod and lets out a near silent "yes."

He can't help the relief that floods him, even if it's only his ego that feels better. So it was when he was gone, when she probably thought he wouldn't return. That was better than an affair...

"Are you... seeing him?"

He can't help but ask it.

She shakes her head, almost violently, more tears starting to spill. She's struggling again, just trying to keep it all together.

"No, no, it was only... only then. Only one time..."

He nods, as if he understands when really he's only starting to comprehend what's going on.

"Have you been to a doctor?"

He only asks for her health. He's worried now. She's pregnant.... pregnant... women can die in pregnancy right? There can be complications, health risks. She should see a doctor...

She nods, and wipes her cheeks.

"I went this afternoon. I was feeling a little ill and it... the doctor told me about it... he did some tests..."

"Is everything okay? With... I mean, with you and the, um...."

She nods again.

"So far so good."

It's a simplistic answer, but it warms his heart. She's starting to sound more like her, more like Tifa. His Tifa. The one he's sworn to protect.

"That's good," is all he can answer, and he can see her calm a bit.

He feels some of the tension leave the room, tension he hadn't even realized was mounting. This... feels more normal. It doesn't feel right, not yet, but they can do this. They can get through this. But there is just one more thing...

"Are you going to see him again?"

He knows it's petty but he needs to know.

She thinks for a second, seemingly weighing several different options in her head and then choosing her words very carefully.

"I... think I should tell him at least. I'm not planning to... to be with him or anything like that. It was a one time thing, I swear!"

She looks up at him now with pleading eyes, and before he can calm her fears she continues.

"We'd just had that argument and you'd left again and I thought you'd be back in the morning. And you weren't. And you weren't there at lunch or at dinner and I heard from people who'd seen you and knew you were alright and I thought... I really thought you weren't coming back this time... and it wasn't like I'd been waiting for you to go or anything, like I'd wanted to be with him or anyone else and just waited till you were gone!"

She has to stop for a second, as sobs have started to break through and it's hard for her to get her words out. He reaches out for her then, finally wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. She cries into his chest, struggling to calm herself, to continue speaking.

Finally after several minutes she's able to take a long breath, then another, before continuing.

"He'd been to the bar a few times, but I barely knew him. I know he doesn't live here and just comes to visit every now and then. I know his name... now. But not much else. You were gone and it was late at night and I'd.... I'd been drinking a little..."

He can feel the shame in that last phrase. Tifa almost never drank. Not only was it bad for business, but she believed it would be too easy to become addicted when she worked and lived in a bar.

"I know it's stupid, I shouldn't have been, and I waited until the kids were asleep. I kept the bar open late and I was hoping you'd.... but I was alone here, and everyone left. Except him, and he offered to help me clean and then... and then he was kissing me and it was hazy and then I... I mean, it... it was so fast it was like I didn't even know what was happening and then... you came back in the morning and it was all I could do not to send you away because I just felt... Oh, God, I'm so awful!"

He holds her tighter as a new fit of sobs wrack her body.

"I've never... I've never even thought about doing something like that! It was always you, only you, and no other man... I didn't want... I just...."

He rubs her back, not sure what to say. But even without words he's somehow able to get the point across that he's not angry with her. Even if he wanted to be he's not sure he could be honestly angry with her.

"I know I should've told you" she whispers softly now. "I kept trying to find the words but it's... it's so weird and awkward and I just didn't know how. I know I would've told you before we did anything again."

He realizes briefly that they hadn't been intimate since the argument, but he'd just thought she'd been angry at him.

"I only found out today and other than the doctor you're the only one who knows. I wanted you... to help me make the choice. You know if I should... I mean..."

He pulls back to look at her then, and sees the trouble reflected on her face. He knows what she means and wonders why he should have any say at all, but since she wants him to help her...

"Do you want to do that? To make it go away?"

He doesn't know of a better way to phrase it, and he can tell just by saying it he's hurt her. She looks at him quickly, hands going protectively to her stomach, before returning her gaze back to the floor.

"I... it would be hard to raise it... people will know and you'll... you'll know. But it's... it's my..."

She can't continue with her words but he understands. He wraps his arms around her again, holding her close.

"Okay."

It's all he can say, really.

"Okay?"

"Okay. Okay, you're having a baby."

He can feel her stiffen slightly, then finally bring her arms up behind his back, holding him as well. The tension finally releases from her shoulders as she slumps into him.

"Okay..." she mutters softly, exhausted, defeated, and fully trusting in him.

Yes, okay. We'll be okay. She still loves me and I still love her and now there'll be a baby. It doesn't matter... what happened doesn't matter... we'll be okay...

But I'm still going to find the bastard that did this to her and kick his ass.

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Author's Note:

K, so I was sorta "inspired" by other (very good!) works on this site, where I just personally felt that the characters would've behaved a bit differently. I honestly always think Tifa gets the short end of the stick, especially in the cheating department. I read countless fics where Cloud cheats and Tifa's supposed to forgive and forget but when there's a fic where Tifa cheats (even if she's drunk or something) then there's little to no forgiveness for her. Not bashing any fics, just saying that all put together it looks a bit uneven and I just don't see it happening like that. So here's my take on it :)

Also notice that if you've read Needle this story and that share the same argument with a different outcome. This one, though, likely will not focus on Mako reduction of any sort. The point of Needle was both that Cloud could do better with medical treatment AND that he was already improving without it. This story is an "improving without it" story. Also this is my first multi-shot story. I've never intended to go beyond the first chapter with any of my stories so this is a first. Let's see if I'll be good and write another chapter soon. It only takes me like an hour or two to write, edit and upload but I've got one little one here and another little one coming so we'll see how much time/brainpower I'll actually have for this :)