Author's Note: So here is the timeline for the first few chapters of this story. The prologue, chapter 1 and chapter 2 happen approximately 3 months after my first story, Changes. This chapter is a little insight into Cloud's life post Changes. Enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I'm paid nothing, so please don't sue me! :)

Forgiveness

Chapter 1: Cloud

Cloud walked into Seventh Heaven and smiled. It was another busy night and that was good for Tifa. The more money she made, the more she could save to further Denzel's education later. Barret was already saving for Marlene, but Cloud and Tifa had a lot of catch up work to do for Denzel. Plus Loz was even chipping in.

He caught Tifa's eye and she smiled at him as he approached the bar.

"The kids are waiting for you," she said with a smile.

"I'm just going to quickly review my books and I'll be there shortly," Cloud said. "I hope they weren't too much trouble."

"Oh, you know them," Tifa said with a smile. "Fridays Loz works late so they know that means you're coming over to hang out. I swear they only ate sugar to maintain their energy!"

Cloud smirked. "That's what you get for letting that no good ex-Turk hang around while you're preparing to open the bar."
"Well, that 'no-good ex-Turk' is upstairs entertaining the kids," Tifa said dryly. "Play nice with him."

Cloud headed for the stairs. "I'm not making any promises."

He entered his office and decided the books could wait until the next day. He was exhausted and needed a pick-me-up that only Denzel and Marlene could provide. He dumped his invoices on his desk and left the office before locking it. He bounded up the remaining stairs, taking two at a time, eager to see the kids. It was nice to live on his own, but he missed seeing the kids everyday…so much so that he found himself asking why he had insisted on being away from them so often before.

He heard the kids laughing and Reno's voice coming from the living room. He looked around the corner and smiled slightly. Reno was on the floor beside Denzel playing a video game while Marlene sat behind him on the couch styling his hair.

"Reno, this would be more fun if your hair wasn't short on top and long at the bottom!" Marlene sighed.

He smirked and leaned his head back so he was looking at her upside down. "You know, I never thought a kid would be braiding it and twisting it and doing whatever else you do to it, so it's never been an issue."

Marlene laughed as he lifted his head. "Do you ever think of cutting off the long bit?"

"What? No way," Reno said as he scrunched his nose while he focused on trying to pummel Denzel's character. "It's kinda my thing, ya know?"

"He means it's his security blanket," Cloud said dryly as he entered the room.

"Just like your emo attitude is your security blanket, Chocobo head," Reno returned dryly without taking his eyes from the game. He groaned when Denzel paused the game so he could run over to Cloud. "Aw man! I was just about to kick you're a-I mean, butt!"

"It's a good think you caught yourself before damaging us with your curse words," Marlene said dryly. "Like we never hear you curse!"

"When did you get so mouthy?" Reno asked with smirk.

"Since you started hanging around more often," she answered sweetly before jumping off the couch to hug Cloud.

Reno pushed himself to his feet and laughed. "Man, I love these kids! But since you're back, yo, I have a tall frosty beer with my name on it waiting for me downstairs."

"Enjoy," Cloud said as he took his place on the floor beside Denzel and resumed their game.

After a few hours of video games and coloring, Cloud ushered the kids to bed. They were both chatting and teasing each other as they went through the pre-bed routine. The way the were with each other reminded him of how he and Tifa had been as young kids. He smiled as he pulled their beds down and again found himself wondering how he could ever allow himself to sink so far into his own depression that he would pass up the opportunity to do the nightly tuck-in routine with them.

Both kids bounded into the room and hurried into their beds before waiting for Cloud to cover them with the blankets. Once they were both in their beds, he sat on Denzel's bed and smiled at each of them before telling them to give him the highlights of their week. Marlene went first and as usual, her week was full of excellent marks, 'drama' with her friends, and the excitement of shopping with Tifa the next day.

Denzel went next and his week centered on the sports teams he joined at school, along with all the new friends he was making, as well as outlining what he wanted to do with Cloud the following day. And Cloud went last as was the custom. He told them about the places he had delivered to, the people he had met during his travels, and any updates from their friends when he occasionally encountered them.

Tonight, though, Cloud had another question for the kids. He knew they were still getting used to Loz living with them while Cloud didn't and he just wanted to make sure they were happy.

"So, how do you like having Loz here?" Cloud asked.

Marlene smiled. "He's a lot of fun, Cloud."

"Marlene," Denzel said nervously.

"What? Cloud won't mind!" Marlene insisted as she rolled her eyes. "Denzel's worried you'll be mad if we like spending time with him."

Cloud nodded before looking at Denzel, who was blushing. "Hey, it's okay, Denzel. If you like spending time with Loz, that's great! He's around more than I am sometimes, so I understand."

Denzel looked up at Cloud and frowned. "But when you first moved out and Loz moved in, you guys fought a lot."

Cloud nodded. "We did because we didn't know how we fit in with you two or Tifa or even with each other. But he wants to be here and so do I, so we make sure we both do things with you two."

"Basically, they learned to share," Marlene teased.

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Basically. Loz is probably downstairs right now, but we agreed that Friday is my night with you guys and Saturday is my day with Denzel and your day with Tifa. It's okay to like all of us. You'll never have to choose."

Denzel smiled and nodded. "Okay Cloud." He was silent for a moment before poking Cloud with his toe. "Um, Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"I do like Loz and he's like a big brother," he said quietly. "But…you'll always be like my…dad."

Cloud smiled slightly and squeezed his ankle through the blankets. "Thanks for being patient with me Denzel and still wanting me in your life like that."

Denzel sat up and hugged Cloud tightly. "I'll always want you in my life, Cloud, no matter what!"

Marlene got out of her bed and hugged both of them. "I love you guys too!"

Cloud laughed softly as he hugged each of the children. "I'll never leave you two again. I promise."

Tifa laughed as Reno did his impression of Vincent lecturing him. "You know, if he ever catches you doing that, you'll be a dead ex-Turk!"

Reno laughed and took another sip of his beer. "Whatever. Big Red needs to loosen up!"

Loz smiled and shook his head. "And one of these days you'll call him that one too many times, too."

"He needs to deal, yo!" Reno said dismissively. "I have nicknames for everyone! Cloud is Chocobo head, Tifa is babe, obviously, you're Sideburns, Yuffie is Pain in the Ass, Marlene is Munchkin, Denzel is Little Man, and Vincent will always be Big Red!"

"Hey man, it's your funeral," Loz said with smirk as he took a sip of his beer. "Literally."

Tifa looked up and smiled when Cloud came down the stairs. "You were longer than normal."

"We were having deep discussions about the latest fashion trends for ladies under ten years of age," Cloud said with a smirk as he took the beer Tifa offered him before moving to the lock the door to the bar.

"How stimulating," Tifa said with a smile.

"And we had quite the conversation about Loz and I learning to share," Cloud said as he looked at Loz. "The kids really like you and they were worried our…disagreements meant they couldn't like both of us."
Loz nodded. "They've been hinting around about that lately to me too."

"And you're not going to have anymore of those kinds of 'disagreements' anymore, are you?" Tifa asked warningly.

"No ma'am," Cloud said with a smirk.

"Absolutely not," Loz promised.

"Man, you two are friggin' whipped!" Reno said with a chuckle.

Tifa raised her eyebrows and looked at Reno. "Excuse me?"

Reno straightened slightly. "Um, nothing Tifa."

"Huh. That's better," she said with smile.

"Now who's whipped?" Loz muttered with a smirk while Cloud snickered.

They all looked at each other before laughing. Tifa washed the glasses once the men had finished their drinks while they began putting the chairs on the tables and sweeping the floor.

Once the bar was again presentable, Cloud and Reno prepared to leave for the night. Cloud hugged Tifa and kissed her on the cheek.

"See you tomorrow, Tifa," he said. "I'll pick Denzel up around nine-thirty."

She smiled and nodded. "He'll be ready. Have a good night Reno."

"You too, babe!" he called as he opened the door. "Later Sideburns!"

"Later!" Loz called back. "Bye Cloud."

"See you tomorrow, Loz," he said as he followed Reno out of the bar.

"Drive careful guys!" Tifa called.

Reno and Cloud smirked at each other before turning and simultaneously answering, "We will, mom!"

"You guys are jerks!" Tifa said with a smile as she closed the door and locked it behind them.

Cloud and Reno both chuckled before Reno raised a cigarette to his lips and lit the tip.

"So, you and Loz have stopped fighting for alpha male status, huh?" Reno asked with a smile.

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Only after Tifa pointed out that we were being idiots. I know I used to put my self on the outside looking in, but it was weird to be looking in and see a replacement for me."

"Sounds pretty rough," Reno agreed. "I'm sure him being a part of Sephiroth didn't help."

Cloud grimaced slightly. "Yeah. I kept seeing him."

"It's the eyes, yo," Reno said with a shudder. "Creepy man!"

"But he's nothing like him," Cloud said firmly. "He's not even like he was when he and his brothers first showed up."

"Yeah, his vocabulary expanded!" Reno said dryly.

Cloud settled on Fenrir and thought for a moment. "I never want to be the man I was a few months ago. I never want to be a man as easily manipulated as a puppet."

"You never will be," Reno said assured him. "None of us will be the same again."

Cloud nodded before shaking his head. "It's weird to live in a world free of Sephiroth."

"You got that right," Reno agreed. "But it's a good kind of weird."

Cloud smiled slightly. "Yeah, it is. See you around, Turk."

Reno laughed as he opened his car door. "That's ex-Turk, Chocobo head. And yeah, you'll see me around."

Cloud nodded before speeding off into the night.