Chapter 2

"This is some sword…" Barnabas said appreciatively as he lifted Masamune up, letting it gleam in the light of the afternoon sun.

He and Sephiroth had spent a couple of hours together working on the extra bedroom that Barnabas was adding onto his two-bedroom cottage, which Aerith and Ifalna would be moving into after the wedding. For now, the two were enjoying a soda break.

Ifalna had dropped Aerith off at a town-wide festival, celebrating the founding of Cosmo Canyon.

"Aerith says you plan to give her some brothers and sisters," said Sephiroth.

Barnabas burst out laughing nervously. "I didn't think she'd repeat that," he said.

"Why wouldn't she?" Sephiroth asked, "She's six, and she's excited. Kids talk a lot…especially Aerith, once you get to know her well enough."

"True…" Barnabas acknowledged. He chuckled. "It did take her a couple weeks to start talking to me, didn't it?"

"Most men she grew up around were either soldiers or scientists," Sephiroth reminded him. "I hate to say it, but you're built like a soldier. Aside from one man, most of them were the ones who would try to rough us up."

Barnabas shook his head in disgust as he watched the little girl playing hopscotch in the distance. "For anyone to hurt that little girl or her mother…that's like spitting in the face of goodness itself."

Sephiroth winced. He had never actually apologized to Ifalna for the incident over at Heimar Port, when he had begun to experience a nervous breakdown. When Ifalna had tried to warn him of the danger his soul was in, he had responded by slapping her, knocking her down completely. Had she not received forced mako enhancements prior to their escape, he wasn't sure how much damage such a blow would have caused. He suspected he might have even killed her.

Yet, she had comforted him that evening, not even stopping to heal her own injury before letting him be(and only at his own request that he be left alone). She had been the first person to show him what love entailed. No one had ever put their own discomfort aside because they so valued his well-being…except Ifalna. Aerith soon followed as she grew and learned to speak. He recalled when she was a toddler, and he would visit with them in the common room. As soon as she spotted him, the chubby-cheeked two-year-old would run(in that waddling way that small children often did) over to him shouting "Hug, Seph! Hug!" repeatedly until he would pick her up and give her a squeeze.

Toward the end of his time living with Ifalna and Aerith in Cosmo Canyon, he had awoken from a nightmare to find Aerith snuggled against him. She had opened one eye, and reached up to pat him on the head reassuringly, whispering, "Don't worry, Seph. I'll protect you from the bad dreams."

"You okay, Seph?" Barnabas asked, having noticed that Sephiroth was now staring off into space.

"I seem to have developed a bad habit of getting lost in thought," the boy admitted, "It's interesting, though. I barely ever had time to lose myself like that before. My schedule was so busy, so packed that to drift off could result in myself or other people getting injured…maybe even killed."

"That's way too much to put on a kid your age," Barnabas said, shaking his head regretfully, "When I was twelve, I used to live near one of Midgar's exits. There was a hole that my friends and I could squeeze through. We'd go explore the wastelands. Of course, there were a lot less monsters around back then."

He drank the last of his soda, crushing the can before tossing it in the small bin on the porch. Sephiroth looked at his own empty can, before crushing it and dropping it in the bin as well.

Barnabas stood up. "Ready to go back?"

Sephiroth nodded as he followed him back inside the house, and into the halfway-constructed bedroom. He thought about what Barnabas had just said. Both of them knew that the rise of mako use correlated directly with the appearance of more monsters.

"For whatever reason, the Lifestream imbalance is what's making the monster population grow," said Sephiroth, "Hojo mentioned in one of his self-aggrandizing lectures once, that the science department had discovered that the fertility of monsters has been on the rise over the last twenty years…based on the monsters they captured and studied."

…Which I set free, allowing them to kill every unarmed person in their path…Sephiroth thought guiltily.

"Let me guess…" Barnabas said as stooped to the ground and grabbed a hammer, "They deny any connection between mako power and that little fact you just told me, right? Hand me four nails, would you?"

"Correct," Sephiroth said as he picked up four long nails and handed them to the older man.

"Thanks." Barnabas put three of the nails between his lips, while he grabbed a plank and lined it up over a wooden beam. Satisfied, he set up the fourth nail and began hammering away.

Sephiroth took a plank as well and laid it down nearby, looking at Barnabas for approval. The handyman/fighter nodded encouragingly, and the young swordsman grabbed a hammer and nails, and was able to pound the nail into place after hitting it just once.

Barnabas stared in amazement. "You know, I can imagine a kid like you making a lot of older guys feel inadequate."

"It's an issue that my advisors and I have had to address," Sephiroth acknowledged, "Some of my fellow initiates do get jealous. One was disciplined for trying to start an argument with me because I finished mopping my half of the dining hall faster than he did."

"How do you feel about all that?" Barnabas asked.

"I'm used to it," Sephiroth said, shrugging indifferently, "They're the irrational ones."

"Glad you don't let it get to you, then."

"Do you think this will be done in time for a new baby?" Sephiroth asked suddenly, remembering something Ifalna had said to him once. "Ifalna told me that Aerith was born full-term after only six months."

Barnabas stopped hammering as his mouth dropped open in shock, the nails clattering to the ground. "You're joking…right?" he asked uncertainly.

Sephiroth scowled.

"Right…" Barnabas said, realizing that B.S.-ing wasn't part of Sephiroth's limited sense of humor. "A joke like that would be a first from you."

"You didn't know?" Sephiroth asked as he quickly finished hammering all of the nails He reached for the pile of wood and grabbed another plank.

"Nope," said Barnabas, "Me and her have been talking about a lot of stuff, though. I'm sure it'll come up soon…still…" He looked wary. "Doesn't leave much time…"

"You're that set on starting right away?" Sephiroth blurted out, before making a slightly disturbed face and shaking his head. "Never mind, don't answer that question- I don't want to know."

Barnabas chuckled as he picked up another nail, lining it up correctly before he began to hammer.


"Hello," Sephiroth greeted Ifalna later that day as she came out of the grocery store with a couple bags of food, "Here, I'll take one of those."

"Thank you," said Ifalna as she handed him one of the bags. They began walking back through the tunnels. "How's the room coming along?"

"I accidently let it slip that if you and he were to have kids, you'd only be pregnant for two-thirds of the time it takes other women," Sephiroth confessed, "The look on his face was…interesting."

"Oh…" Ifalna suddenly looked uncomfortable, "I can't believe I forgot that important detail…I hope he wasn't upset."

"No, just surprised," Sephiroth answered, "Aerith's still at the festival?"

Ifalna nodded. "I asked one of the other mothers there to keep an eye on her while I squeezed in a little grocery shopping."

Sephiroth nodded, and the two continued to walk silently until they emerged from the tunnel…right in front of the apartment complex that had been carved into the other side of the canyon decades ago. Stepping inside, they made their way down the short hallway, stopping at the door to the two-bedroom apartment that Ifalna and Aerith called home, while Ifalna dug out her key and opened the door.

Sephiroth switched on the light and they walked over to the kitchen counter, setting the bags of food on top and putting everything in its rightful place. He pulled out one last item and smiled. "Pot roast."

"Your favorite," Ifalna said, returning his smile, "I was thinking that could be tomorrow's supper."

"Sometimes, I wonder what I did to deserve people like you and Aerith in my life," Sephiroth sighed.

Ifalna merely chuckled.

"I mean it," Sephiroth said solemnly, "I'm really fortunate to have met the both of you."

"Come on, Seph," Ifalna chided him playfully, trying to keep the mood light-hearted. "Everyone deserves a chance to be loved."

"Even when I hurt the people I care about?" Sephiroth asked.

Ifalna stopped walking and looked at him. "What are you talking about?" she asked, not understanding.

"I had to maim Wolff so that we could get away, and it would look like he gave it everything he could to keep us from doing so," Sephiroth confessed, "I was trying to save his life, but…I hurt him in a way that I don't know if he survived. Once it happened, I panicked and I ran off…not before I said I was sorry, though. But…how does 'sorry' solve anything when you severed someone's leg?"

Ifalna simply stared at the boy with a sorrowful expression.

"He was my role-model, teaching me how to keep my head like a soldier should," Sephiroth went on, looking distressed, "But when it really counted…I lost my head, and I honestly don't know whether or not he's alive."

"I would have felt his spirit pass if he'd bled out like that," Ifalna reassured him, "Even by the time we were at the port."

The port…where things had only gotten worse.

"And then, I hurt you that night…" Sephiroth whispered, his voice pained.

"No you didn't," Ifalna reassured him as she put her hand on his shoulder. Was it her imagination, or had he grown taller since he left for the temple?

"Yes I did…" the boy insisted, "When you warned me I could end up turning into my father, I thought you were seriously comparing us, and I wanted to hurt you for that split-second, and that's all it took. We never talked about it-,"

"-Because there was nothing to talk about," said Ifalna, "You made a mistake. I still love you, and so does Aerith. If I ever have a son…I'll have some idea of how to raise him thanks to you."

Sephiroth cringed. "Still…I want you to hit me back."

Ifalna did a double-take. "What?"

"Please…" Sephiroth implored her, "I'll feel better if you just do to me what I did to you."

"I'm not going to slap you," said Ifalna.

"Good! I deserve more than a slap. You can punch me if you want."

Ifalna shook her head in amazement. "You're serious, aren't you?"

Sephiroth closed his eyes in anticipation. "Go on. I deserve it."

He stood there, ready to take whatever punishment Ifalna dished out. However, to his shock, he felt no fist, but instead, a pair of lips pressing against his check, giving him a quick peck. When he opened his eyes, Ifalna was in the same place she had been standing.

"Now, we're even," she said, smiling, "And I don't want to hear anymore about it. Violence solves nothing, unless it's self-defense. I've got no reason to defend myself from you."

Sephiroth couldn't help but chuckle.

"That's better," Ifalna said encouragingly, "I have to go discuss something with Barnabas, but I'll see you later tonight."

"Should I go fetch Aerith from the block party?" Sephiroth asked.

"Oh, I think she can play for another hour before you go get her," Ifalna said, "Thank you, Seph."

Sephiroth watched the woman walk over to the door, and touched his cheek. No, he thought, thank you…


Barnabas sat on his sofa, staring at the wall, his hands gripping his knees tightly. His normally warm brown eyes were narrowed into slits, and his jaw was clenched.

Ifalna sat next to him, wiping her eyes, and unable to look at her husband-to-be. However, she reached up and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Damn the Shinra…" he hissed furiously, "Damn them all to hell…!"

"I've never seen you this angry before…" Ifalna said nervously, "Barnabas…you're scaring me…"

That seemed to snap him out of his livid trance. He looked at his fiancée, and slumped back in his seat, heaving a loud sigh.

"I never was the kind of guy to stand for being helpless…" he confessed, "But that's exactly how I feel. I can't go back in time and stop it from happening. You said they killed him after they discovered what was happening…what the hell can I do now?"

"Nothing," Ifalna pointed out. "And it's terrible, but there's nothing that can be done."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Barnabas asked.

"I just didn't know how to…" she answered, "But as each day passed and the wedding date approached, I started getting really nervous. Not jitters like people go through, but actual fear. Then last night, I had a nightmare about it…the first time since I escaped, honestly. Then, I talked it over with your aunt."

"I thought you were just old-fashioned," Barnabas chuckled ruefully, "Or super-romantic."

"I am romantic!" Ifalna protested indignantly.

Barnabas laughed and pulled her close to him. "Hey…I'm glad you told me. I'm not glad that it happened…far from it. But now that I know…I'll be careful. I'll try not to get too carried away on our wedding night."

Ifalna raised an eyebrow. "I'm not made of glass, Barnabas. Anyway…now that I've got this burden off of my chest…"

She then put her arms around Barnabas' shoulders, and looked at him dead in the eye.

God, what the hell had she been afraid of? Even the planet seemed to agree, humming happily and offering its wordless reassurance.

"I had no reason to be scared, did I?" she realized out loud, "Why would I agree to marry someone that I was actually scared of?"

"Good question," Barnabas said with a smirk, his good humor slowly returning.

"When people experience terrible things…" Ifalna continued, "You read about them having reactions to similar situations. When I first came here, and was being checked out along with the children by your aunt, I had to come back for additional tests…but another doctor was there."

"Dr. Pallidor?"

Ifalna nodded. "He grabbed my wrist, probably to check my pulse, and I electrocuted him before running out."

"I promise not to even touch your wrist," Barnabas assured her.

"No, it's not..." Ifalna trailed off before speaking again: "It was the setting…the fact that he wore a lab coat."

"Did the reaction happen outta nowhere?" Barnabas asked.

"No," Ifalna admitted, "I was nervous the minute he said he'd be the one to check me out. I was the one who forced myself to go ahead with it."

"Maybe next time, you shouldn't force yourself to do something that makes you nervous," Barnabas offered.

"I know...your aunt said the same thing."

"Has anything about me made you nervous?" Barnabas asked.

"No," Ifalna answered right away, "But...sometimes, I'd be about to fall asleep at night, and I'd think about..."

She then turned her head away, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Me?" Barnabas chuckled, "Is my bride-to-be having naughty thoughts late at night?"

"Oh, shut up!" Ifalna sputtered self-consciously.

"What? It's cute!" Barnabas insisted.

"Cute until that intern's face would pop into my mind," Ifalna sighed.

"Is his face popping into your mind right now?"

Ifalna shook her head no.

Barnabas then grinned. "You're not going to electrocute me, if that's what you're worried about."

Ifalna looked up at him. "How can you be sure? All sorts of issues have been coming to the surface lately. Sephiroth is the only one of us whose issues presented themselves right away. For me and Aerith…well, it's like we were all numb for a period, and now there's this backlash. Your aunt even suggested it was because we were both starting to become afraid that our new lives could vanish at any time."

Barnabas chuckled. "First off, Dragon Lady is an armchair shrink at best, so don't read too deeply into her theories. Second…you can't electrocute me. Not while I wear my daddy's old armlet."

He pointed at the bronze accessory that he always wore on his left arm, and tapped on the lightning bolt embossed on the center.

"I wear this to remember my old man by," Barnabas explained, "I told you how he was killed by a Midgar Zolom when I was just a little kid."

Ifalna nodded. She knew that Barnabas' mother had died giving birth to him, and his father, a mythril miner, had been killed by the aforementioned giant snake, after having fallen off of his chocobo while trying to outrun it. Barnabas had been raised since then by Dr. Triton, who was only a teenager at the time he had come to live with her. The sibling-like love/hate relationship the two of them shared belied the fact that his aunt had been the only mother figure he had known, much like Ifalna had been to Sephiroth.

"Well, this is a Bolt armlet," he continued, "It absorbs electricity. It helped me a lot during my days as an electrician's apprentice, back when I used to screw up a lot."

Ifalna laughed ruefully. "You need an accessory to protect yourself from your own future wife…like I were some kind of monster."

"Hey," Barnabas said sharply, "I don't like that kinda talk. You're not a monster…that guy who made you scared to be touched by a male doctor…he was the monster."

"Still…"

"Still, nothing," Barnabas said, "Something tells me we're both gonna be just fine. Besides…nothing happens whenever I do this…"

He leaned, wrapping his arms around her, and the two began to kiss. After about a minute, he leaned back and smiled.

"And we've done that plenty of times." he quipped.

"We have…" Ifalna agreed. She laughed softly, shaking her head. Then she looked him in the eye once more, before they kissed again. After a few minutes, Ifalna shifted over, hiking her skirt before sitting right on Barnabas' lap, straddling him.

Barnabas smirked. "You're just a little tiger, ain't ya?"

"Oh, just shut up and go with it," Ifalna giggled before leaning in for yet another kiss.

Yes ma'am…Barnabas thought gleefully.

When they finally pulled away, Ifalna sighed.

"I don't know why I was so nervous…" she admitted, "It's more than night and day…you…and that intern…"

Barnabas regarded his bride-to-be curiously.

"Does that mean you don't wanna wait until the wedding night?" he asked, smirking again.

"Well…we might as well…" Ifalna reasoned, "…given that it's two days away. But…" She grinned in an uncharacteristically wicked manner. "…maybe tonight, I'll give you a preview…"

Barnabas' eyes widened as Ifalna's hand reached down, planting itself firmly on uncharted territory.

"Well, if you insist…" he managed to say.

"Six years is a long time…" Ifalna reminded Barnabas before allowing herself to be lost in another kiss.

Yes…six years.

Not four.

Six.


"Friends of Cosmo Canyon…" Bugenhagen spoke, his voice booming over a speaker system attached to a nearby microphone, "…we are gathered here today to witness the joyous union of two individuals. Today, our favorite handyman Barnabas Duran, and our most recent addition to our community, Ifalna Gast; join together in holy, happy matrimony!"

The enormous crowd of citizens that made up Cosmo Canyon stood below, waiting in anticipation as Bugenhagen stood on a plateau, in front of Ifalna and Barnabas. Ifalna wore a long red robe with billowing sleeves that were lined with white triangles, while her soon-to-be husband was dressed in dark reddish-brown robes that matched the terrain surrounding them. Their hands were joined together as they listened to the chief elder's brief sermon; palms sweating in a mix of excitement and anticipation.

Aerith stood next to her mother, as the Primary Witness. She wiped her sweaty forehead, quietly waiting for the ceremony to be over and done with so that she could remove the heavy traditional white robes she wore and go play with the other children at the after-party.

Sephiroth, holding the title of Secondary Witness, also wiped his forehead, dressed in similar attire. He briefly wondered what idiot had come up with the idea to wear such heavy clothing in weather as unforgiving as Cosmo Canyon's. He was thankful at least, that a tarp covered him and the other wedding participants, keeping them in the shade.

Aerith then glanced at the enormous cake down below, kept safe from insects and the elements by a large protective plastic cover. Just then, her stomach growled, which was picked up by the microphone, causing everyone down below to laugh lightly.

"…And in the interest of not letting people starve to death, I will move this right along now," Bugenhagen said, not missing a beat, "Barnabas, do you take Ifalna to be your lifelong partner in the amazing gift of life, through thick and thin, until the Lifestream calls you home?"

"I do," Barnabas spoke into the microphone.

"And do you, Ifalna…?" Bugenhagen began reciting the same brief speech, before Aerith's stomach growled again, causing the little girl to turn bright red. He then paused. "Ho-ho-ho…I've lost my place…well, yes or no?"

"Yes!" Ifalna laughed.

"So they can hear you, my dear," Bugenhagen said, pointing at the microphone.

"Yes!" Ifalna said loudly as she leaned into the microphone, causing a painful squeal of feedback to emerge from the speakers.

"Good enough!" Bugenhagen declared, "I now pronounce you man and wife! Barnabas, you may kiss your bride, and for Holy's sake, feed that poor girl when you're done!"

The crowd erupted into laughter and applause as Barnabas quickly grabbed his new bride and kissed her, restraining himself from letting the kiss get too passionate in front of the crowd, and especially the children.

No matter…there was a reason why they had scheduled the wedding for late afternoon, combined with a short reception.

As he stepped back and looked into Ifalna's eyes, he could see that she was likely thinking the same thing…


"So you mean to tell us that you skipped lunch just because you wanted twice as much tofurkey and cake?" Ifalna asked as she and Aerith sat at their table, along with Barnabas, Sephiroth, Bugenhagen, and Dr. Triton.

"Yup!" Aerith declared before stuffing another biscuit into her mouth.

"Your stomach is going to fill up long before you can eat twice as much," Sephiroth pointed out, "You should probably stop now or else you won't have room for cake."

"My piece may be yellow, but the other half of the cake is chocolate…" Barnabas informed her.

Aerith's eyes widened, and she immediately swallowed the last of her food, bolting from her chair so she could collect a slice for herself.

"The band is starting up," Barnabas observed, "We'd best not disappoint."

"They'll be disappointed once they see what a clumsy dancer I am," Ifalna sighed as they both stood up, "Well, let's get this over with…"

Barnabas chuckled as she took his arm. Reluctantly, Ifalna allowed him to lead her to the wooden platform that had been put together to serve as the dance floor.

Aerith returned, already halfway finished with her slice of cake. "Where'd they go?" she asked.

"The bride and groom always lead off with the first dance of the evening," Dr. Triton said as she pointed ahead. She then looked at Aerith, who was inhaling her dessert. "That looks good…I suppose I'll get a slice…or two…"

"It's two flavors!" Aerith reminded her.

"That's why I was thinking two slices," the doctor laughed as she got up and left.

"Slow down, Aerith," Sephiroth told her, "It's not a race."

"But now we can dance too!" Aerith said as she put her fork down on the now-empty plate. She got up and grabbed Sephiroth's arm, tugging relentlessly at him until he grudgingly got to his feet.

"You don't even know how to dance," he protested as he allowed himself to be dragged over to the dance floor.

"But you do," Aerith reminded him.

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. It was true. From the age of six onward, he had learned everything from ballet to ballroom dancing(the former to improve his footwork to help with combat skills, and the latter for future missions that would likely require subterfuge).

"There we go," Aerith stood on Sephiroth's feet and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"That doesn't let me move around very much," Sephiroth remarked as he took Aerith's hand in his, while putting his other hand around her tiny waist. Aerith kept her other arm around his waist.

"Let's dance!" she said brightly.

"You're supposed to put your other hand on my shoulder."

"I can't reach your shoulder, silly!"

"Fine. I guess you can lead."

"I can't lead! I'll keep stepping on your feet!"

"You're already stepping on my feet."

"'Cause I already know that's where they'll end up!"

Sephiroth sighed as he began a very limited waltz.

"Seph?"

"Hmm?"

"Is this 'happily ever after'? Like in the books you and Mama would always read to me in the labs?"

"Hmm…" Sephiroth frowned. "Happily ever after…that would mean everything's over…that everything's done. But it looks like everything's only beginning, right?"

Aerith scrunched her forehead, as she always did when she was thinking hard. Finally, she looked up at him. "You're right," she said, "Mama said when we move into the new house, we'll start bringing grass, flowers, and plants to Cosmo Canyon…even though it's hot here."

"That would be an amazing sight to see," said Sephiroth, "I'll look forward to seeing what kind of progress you make the next time I come back here."

Aerith frowned. "You're still here for two more days. Let's not talk about you leaving yet."

She then clung to him tighter.

"As you wish…" Sephiroth chuckled.


Five Weeks Later…

"I'm home!" Ifalna called out as she stepped inside the house, hanging her straw hat on the rack next to the front door.

"In here!" Barnabas called from the kitchen.

"Oh my…" Ifalna said as she walked in and saw Barnabas' legs sticking out from the cabinet underneath the sink, an open toolbox sitting next to him, with several tools scattered about.

"Just need to tighten this one little…there!" He then slid out and began putting his tools away. "How was your day?"

"Not quite as busy as yours, it seems," Ifalna said as she looked at the mess on the kitchen floor, "What happened?"

"Let's just say that we had some issues once you left this morning," Barnabas told her, looking less-than-thrilled. "I had to use all of the towels to clean up the mess, and then wash them if we wanted to have anything to dry ourselves off with when we all showered tonight."

"How long did you spend working on this?" Ifalna asked.

"Soon as I got home from fixing Mrs. Phelps' shower, I got to working on this," Barnabas told her, "I'm surprised I can still stand. I've been in that position for two hours straight, almost."

"Well, I suppose I should get started on dinner, then," said Ifalna.

"But it's my turn to cook," Barnabas reminded her.

"I know, but you even did laundry today on top of fixing the sink. You went above and beyond the call of duty, so it's the least I can do."

She kissed him on the cheek, and then went over to the refrigerator to find something to prepare.

"You seem to be in a rather good, and generous mood," Barnabas observed.

"I am in a good mood," Ifalna said as she pulled a few potatoes from the fridge and set them on the counter.

"Why's that?"

Ifalna walked over to Barnabas and took his hand, leading him out of the kitchen and into the living room. She sat down on the couch, and pulled him down next to her.

"Barnabas…" she said, smiling, "When I was pregnant with Aerith, I could tell from the first month that I was having a girl. Did I ever tell you that before?"

Her husband shook her head and smiled. "That sounds pretty convenient. I wonder if all Cetra can do that."

Just then, a look of understanding dawned on his face.

"Wait- first you tell me you're in a good mood, and you tell me about when you were pregnant with Aerith…you're not…?"

"It'll be a long time before we find out if all Cetra can tell," said Ifalna, "First we'll have to wait for Aerith...and then her little sister…"

She put her hand on her stomach and looked at Barnabas meaningfully.

The fighter's eyes widened. "So you are pregnant! Wow, that was quick!"

"I was so worried that all the birth control Hojo put me on would destroy my ability to have children," Ifalna said, wringing her hands as her brow furrowed. "Everything he put me on was 'experimental'. But there were the usual clues…and this morning, the planet congratulated me as I meditated. I saw your aunt today to determine how far along I was. I'm five weeks pregnant, honey, and yes, it was quick. It had to have happened the very first night."

Barnabas broke into a wide grin as he drew his wife into his arms. "So this year I get three lovely ladies coming to live with me?"

"Three lovely ladies…and a little man to follow in his daddy's footsteps." Ifalna said, smirking mischievously.

Barnabas then stepped back, regarding his wife incredulously. "Twins?!" he exclaimed.

Ifalna nodded. "I wondered for years what it would be like if I had a son…especially when I became close with Sephiroth."

Suddenly, Barnabas' grin died, replaced with a look of panic.

"Wait a sec…" he said nervously, "Uh…you and Seph told me before…Aerith was born after a six-month pregnancy…"

"We gestate faster than humans, yes," Ifalna said with a nod.

"I'm gonna be a father of two in only five months?!" Barnabas exclaimed, looking pale now.

Ifalna tilted her head at her husband, raising an eyebrow. "I told you everything you needed to know before you married me. We said we'd give Aerith brothers and sisters. And I'm pretty sure one thing I remember telling you is that multiples are more common with my people. Families were huge- all the fictional stories show that. All historical accounts. I can borrow some books from Bugenhagen and translate them for you if-,"

"Sorry…it's just really sudden…" Barnabas said as he slumped forward in his seat.

"Well, I can't exactly take them back to the 'baby store'…" Ifalna said, crossing her arms.

"I guess not," he said, and looked up at her. "Look, I'm not saying I'm upset about this- far from it. It's just so sudden is all…right away, and two kids for the price of one…"

"I'm surprised too," Ifalna said as she sat down in his lap and put her arms around him. "Despite what I already knew…I really was worried. I still am a little worried. The planet warned me to take it easy. It knows I'm not as strong as I used to be. I'm starting to realize that my co-ordination is a bit off. It never used to be like that. Let's just say I won't be joining ANSMA anytime soon."

"The fact that you can create electricity with your hands..." Barnabas pointed out, "Well, you don't need to learn to grapple. Electricity is a much more powerful weapon…take it from a guy who was zapped more times than he'd like to count while working as an electrician's apprentice."

Ifalna nodded. Now that she was no longer being injected with "Casting Inhibitor" every day, her magical abilities were once again allowed to flourish. She had even jump-started a few cars using her special ability since she and Aerith had settled in Cosmo Canyon.

"We'll have to start on another bedroom sooner than I thought," Barnabas considered, "I only finished the third bedroom because Sephiroth was able to help me while he was here."

"I wouldn't worry too much," said Ifalna, "They can share a room for a few years. They might like that better, anyway, since they're already sharing a room right now, so to speak. They'll be used to it."

"There's really two little versions of me and you floating around in there?" Barnabas asked wondrously as he touched his wife's stomach.

"Yep."

"Can you…like, talk to them, like you do to the planet?" he asked her.

Ifalna shook her head. "We're not telepathic. But I do sense them, just like I sensed Aerith when I first got pregnant."

"Will she sense them?"

"I don't know…I doubt it. It's a mother-child thing, I think," said Ifalna.

"…Wow," said Barnabas. He hunched over, still touching her stomach. "Hey, you two," he said softly, "This is your daddy. I'm really looking forward to meeting you, but if there's any way that you can go easy on a newbie like me…"

"Come to think of it," Ifalna remarked thoughtfully, "This is also a new thing for me too."

"Why?" Barnabas asked, "Because you never had a son?"

"Because I'll be parenting these babies as a free individual," said Ifalna, "I'm not going to have someone dragging me away from them at any given moment…or snatching them away…I mean, I hope that's never going to be the case again…"

Tears suddenly sprang to her eyes.

"Hey, now…" Barnabas consoled her softly, "…there's no need to cry. I guess I should've expected you'd be scared of history repeating itself, but we're not on our own. We've got the resistance watching our backs."

"I know…I'm more happy than scared," Ifalna whispered as she wiped her eyes, "My babies will have such a different life than their sister." She then looked worried. "You don't think Aerith will grow resentful over that, do you?"

Barnabas couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, I'm sorry…it's just that…I never thought that little sweetheart could resent anything."

"I didn't expect Aerith to develop issues seeing how well she adjusted to life here initially," said Ifalna, "But…she did."

"You've been nothing but patient with her," said Barnabas. He kissed her cheek. "You clearly know what you're doing. I hope you're all patient with me. All I know how to do is fight and fix stuff."

Ifalna laughed. "You're funny. You know that Aerith loves you."

"It's amazing how quickly she started calling me 'Daddy'," Barnabas marveled.

"You're going to be fine," said Ifalna, envisioning her future twins clinging to their father's legs in a few years. She saw him playfully chasing after them while they laughed excitedly.

The front door opened and then closed. "I'm home!" Aerith called out.

"Time to tell her the good news, I guess," Barnabas chuckled.

"Indeed," Ifalna said as she stood up. "In here, sweetie…!" she called.


Dear Sephiroth,

Mama and Daddy said I'm going to be a big sister already! Its twins! I'm going to have a little brother and a little sister. They told me they'll be born in Deesembur. Mama says the babies will come sooner than my friends little brothers and sisters, because we're speshul. I used to think being speshul was bad, but it's not. Its the scientists and Shinra people who are bad. I'm still scared of them, but I'm not scared of being speshul. Mama says that's part of why you went away so you wouldn't be scared either. I think I understand better now even tho I still miss you.

Do your two friends have any brothers and sisters?

Love,

Aerith