Disclaimer: I do NOT own ANY part of Final Fantasy VII in any way, shape, or form. I own NOTHING!

Chapter 2:

DENZEL

Marlene is uncharacteristically quiet. Usually on our walks home from school, I can't get her to shut up.

Normally, I'd enjoy the quiet. I'd use it as an opportunity to appreciate our surroundings and to have some peace after a long day of complaining teachers and loud students. But I can tell that something is bothering her. She's thinking about something.

"Denzel?"

"Hmm?" I kick a nearby can into the street, my hands buried deep in my pockets.

"Do you think Tifa's okay?"

I stop and turn to face her. "What do you mean?"

"She's been acting strange. Have you noticed how much she's been sleeping lately?"

I frown but start walking again. "Yeah…"

It is weird and very out of character of Tifa. She definitely hasn't been herself since she got sick a few days ago. She is still attentive and warm but something is…off. I can't quite put my finger on what but the atmosphere at home has definitely changed. It isn't necessarily…bad. It's kind of like Tifa – off.

In fact, I don't really want to go home. Not yet anyway. Things are kind of tense due to Tifa's unknown ailment. Something is still clearly wrong with her but she is still insisting that she is fine and Cloud (playing the pacifist) hasn't decided to confront it yet.

I hesitate and take a step back. "You go ahead. I think I'm gonna find Rick."

Marlene frowns, clearly unhappy with this.

Rick is my old friend from before Cloud found me but after the Sector Seven collapse that killed my parents. After my first caregiver (an old woman named Ruvie) died of Geostigma, a man named Gaskin took me in. In the wake of Meteorfall, Gaskin was helping evacuate everyone to the slums. That was where I met a bunch of other orphaned kids – including Rick – and we began making a living by finding scrap metal in the wreckage and selling it to people who were building what would eventually become Edge. We called ourselves Triple S (Sector Seven Scavengers).

Our little organization didn't last long though. Gaskin succumbed to Geostigma and when he did, a lot of the kids went off to go to homeless shelters in Edge. Eventually, it was just Rick and I. That is, until I made an offensive remark about slum-dwellers and rat eating, not realizing that Rick himself had spent most of his life as a slum-dweller.

I'd tried to backtrack but it was too late. He left and I didn't go after him. Shortly after that, Cloud found me malnourished and unconscious outside of the church in the slums.

A while back, I learned that Rick was living here in Edge. I'd been too nervous and reluctant to confront him then. I didn't feel like I could face him. I knew I'd been in the wrong and that he probably didn't want to talk to me even if I did get the balls to face him.

But one day, we stumbled upon each other at school. It was kind of tense at first. Initially, all we could get out was a few awkward head bobs, reluctant waves, and terse hellos. Then we began to warm up to each other. Things went from tense, to normal, to surprisingly pleasant. Soon, we were friends again, much to Marlene's chagrin.

Marlene thinks Rick and his friends are a bad influence. I think she's overreacting. Rick and the others turned out great considering how they've been in homeless shelters and then from one place to another over the past few years. Reeve and the WRO did what they could but there were a lot of orphaned kids and not too many people who were able or willing to take them in. And even if they did take them in, they couldn't always keep them for long. Not everyone has been as lucky as us…

"You can come too if you want," I add casually, already knowing she won't take me up on my offer.

She shakes her head, her long braid swaying as she does so. "No. I think I'll go home and see if Tifa needs me."

Marlene and I have different ways of coping with things. Marlene likes to be present; to make sure everything is okay. She likes to be close to the situation, like maybe she can fix it. I, however, like to avoid it until it blows over and hopefully, fixes itself (something I may or may not have learned from Cloud).

Since this situation involves sickness and unknown ailments, I have definitely gone into avoid mode. After watching countless people die of Geostigma, I have gained an aversion to any kind of illness. I hate being sick and I hate being around people who are sick. I can stomach it for the people I care about but it's always difficult for me.

Marlene and I split up, and I head out to the market where Rick and the others usually are after school. A lot of kids like to hang out in front of the shops and restaurants, probably because it reminds them of the Wall Market back in Midgar. Most of them (including myself for a little while) have been street kids at some point. I think it gives them some sense of stability, a constant.

"Denzel!"

Rick and some other kids are sitting on some crates in an alley by the Item Shop.

He hasn't changed much over the years. He is taller and broader but his hair is still short and wavy. He still wears a black band around his head separating his pale blonde (almost white) hair from his greenish-grey eyes.

"Wasn't expecting to see you around today!" He beams. "Where's Sis and Moogle Girl?"

I snicker but I'm pretty sure I'm blushing anyway. It's always embarrassing to be called out as the guy who is usually seen with girls, which happens somewhat often since I usually walk home with Marlene and sometimes Moogle Girl (the same Moogle Girl that was with me when I was taken to the Forgotten City by Kadaj and his gang).

It's funny how people still call her Moogle Girl. Even Cloud and Tifa still call her the Moogle Girl after all this time. I'm pretty sure almost everyone knows her real name (Millicent Geffen, which ironically gave her the same initials as Moogle Girl), but they still tack this nickname on her because of the doll she carries.

"Marlene is at home and I don't know where Millie is." I shrug, trying to sound indifferent, like I don't care…even though I do.

"Why aren't you home?" he asks, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"I don't know. Things are kind of…weird." I scratch at the back of my neck.

"Weird how? The folks fighting?"

"No. Not fighting. Tifa is just not herself and that's kind of causing a ripple effect."

"Think she might be pregnant?" Rick says this like it's not a big deal, like it's the most normal thing ever.

"What?" I reel so hard I think I might crash into a nearby trashcan. "No!"

Honestly, I'm not even sure if they can have kids. Even if they could, I don't think they'd have any of their own. Surely they would mention something like that to Marlene and me...

"I don't know... People start acting weird when they're expecting a baby," Rick muses, casting his gaze towards the overcast sky. "How long has it been since they got married?"

I would use the term married loosely. Cloud and Tifa didn't have a wedding or a big ceremony. They went off to a courthouse one day and that was that. They got the papers and the legitimacy but little else.

Their old friends threw them a party of sorts when they found out but that was as far as the celebration went.

It was very private and very intimate, something just between them. But sometimes I think Marlene and I getting older did have a role to play in the marriage, especially the timing of it.

I think Cloud and Tifa wanted to give us some legitimacy. They always wanted us to have a complete family, a real family. They wanted normalcy for us. They didn't want the disapproving, judgmental stares or the awkward questions about their relationship. They didn't want that kind of thing for us anymore. I don't think Cloud wanted us to feel like a broken family or even appear like one. They wanted us to be as close to real normalcy as possible and that meant getting hitched (in a manner of speaking). And of course, the fact that they loved each other certainly helped to move things forward.

I'd be lying if I said things hadn't gotten easier once they got married. It was a lot easier going to public functions and meeting new people. And it did offer stability and a strange sense of peace. We were no longer as worried about them not being able to make it work and splitting.

Tifa still rarely responded to Mrs. Strife though. It was still foreign to her. She still signs her name Lockhart on things like checks, permission slips, and progress reports. She curses and is then forced to fill out a new one or find some correction fluid.

"Oh, geez. Um, I don't know. We helped him pick out that ring for her years ago but she didn't stop wearing it on a chain around her neck until like…a year and a half ago?" The whole process was unconventional. Tifa and Cloud were nothing if not complicated but they genuinely loved each other in their own strange little way. Still, that didn't make them any easier to explain to people.

"That's long enough to want a baby. Plus, you and Marlene aren't getting any younger. They might be feeling some empty nest syndrome already," Rick replies, his heels kicking lazily against the crate he sits on.

I hadn't considered that but still, it is really hard for me to wrap my mind around Cloud and Tifa having a baby. It's just not something I see happening. Then again, I didn't see them ever getting a marriage license either.

The bar is empty when I come home. Apparently, it was a slow night and Tifa decided to close early.

Marlene is wiping down the tables, stopping only to wave at me.

"Where's Tifa?" I ask as I toss my backpack onto the floor.

"She went to lay down after the last customer left."

I frown. "Is she sick again?"

Marlene shrugs a shoulder. "I don't know. Maybe."

So much for feeling better…

"Is there anything to eat?" Making a beeline for the fridge, I decide to change the subject. I try not to make it too obvious how uncomfortable I am with the idea of Tifa still being sick.

"The usual. Tifa didn't cook though."

That's not surprising. If she feels bad enough to be in bed already, then she definitely wouldn't have felt like cooking anything, which is out of character for her. She almost always has something for us or at the very least makes sure that we ate something.

I piece together a sandwich and take it to the nearest table.

"Don't make a mess. I just wiped down all the tables." Marlene shoots me a stern yet somehow playful glare from behind the bar.

"Yeah. Yeah," I grumble through a mouth full of chips.

Besides my chewing and the sounds of Marlene washing some of the dishes, it is painfully quiet. Tifa's absence is painfully obvious. It feels weird without her here with us asking about our day and telling us about some of the patrons that came to the bar and some of the stories they told her as she served them.

I am a few seconds from going to check on her despite the psychological issues I have with maladies. I resolve to finish my sandwich and at the very least look in on her, but before I finish my food, I hear Fenrir outside.

Seconds later, Cloud comes in through the door, his clothes dusty and a little bit of dried monster blood on his forearms. He waves, his mouth contorted in a half smile but he doesn't speak. His eyes go to Marlene and then to me but it is obvious that he is searching the space for Tifa, which tells me that he felt her absence as soon as he crossed the threshold or he already suspects that something is wrong.

"Is she in bed?" It's more of a statement than a question.

Marlene nods.

"Get started on your homework if you haven't already," he says as he brushes past us and heads for their room.

Still chewing my sandwich, I wait until his footsteps are relatively far away before I quietly get to my feet and follow.

"Denzel!" Marlene whispers harshly. Being the voice of reason (as she usually is), she tries to stop me. She already knows I'm headed up to investigate or snoop, as she would probably put it.

Marlene is chastising me but she is still following my lead. She is in my shadow. She probably followed me initially to try to stop me but now I think she is too curious to stop. She wants to know what they're saying too.

I get as close to their room as I can, which isn't that close but I know (from experience) if we get any closer, Cloud will know we're here. His senses are too sharp.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. It was just a long day so I'm pretty drained. And I guess I'm not completely myself again yet."

"Maybe you should close the bar again tomorrow. Take the day off to get better. You clearly—"

"We can't afford to close the bar anymore."

"Wanna call Yuffie?"

"I'm not that sick."

Their room falls silent but it is a strained kind of silence. I can practically hear Cloud slowly nodding in response but I know he is worried because I'm worried too. Tifa has been like this for a few days now. It comes and goes, which is odd for the usual virus. Something else is going on with her, possibly something more serious.

My mind goes to Ruvie and Gaskin even though I know it is practically impossible for Tifa to have Geostigma. Yes, Geostigma is gone but there are plenty of other things out there that could take her from us.

Human life is fragile. I've learned that lesson well. I can't count the number of people I watched die after the plate collapse and Meteorfall. Death is everywhere and it is much stronger than us. There are so many things that can go wrong with your body and even though Tifa is young, she is no exception.

But then I think about what Rick said. Could it be that simple? Could we just be overreacting? What if Tifa is just...pregnant?

No. They'd tell us if they were trying to have a baby...wouldn't they?

I'm so distracted by my musings that I don't hear Cloud's footsteps. Marlene starts tugging at the back of my shirt to warn me but it's too late.

Marlene squeaks and tries to vanish inside the wall next to us.

He looks at us a moment, his expression unreadable. Marlene and I have gone mute. We can't speak, so we just gaze up at him with pleading eyes. However, this doesn't work as well as it used to.

Cloud walks past us and I realize that he probably knew we were here the whole time. All he says is: "It's rude to eavesdrop."

I sit there, stunned and kind of sheepish. Marlene hasn't moved either.

He doesn't turn or stop walking but I think I hear Cloud snicker very softly as he silently motions for us to follow him.

Even though he didn't say so, Marlene and I know that this is his way of saying that we need to follow him, not ask questions, and start our homework, which is exactly what we do.

A/N: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

Fun fact: Rick is actually a character from the FFVII universe. He's from Denzel's section of On the Way to a Smile (so you can easily look him up if you chose to do so). In Denzel's episode, it is said that Rick is actually in Edge before the events of Advent Children and Denzel knows this so I always assumed that they would reconcile at some point, which is why I decided to give him a small role here. So I didn't make him up! What I did make up, however, is the Moogle Girl's (the girl from Advent Children with pigtails and Geostigma) name. The series has always just called her Moogle Girl so I decided to give her a little more of an identity. Because…why not?

As always, I want to encourage you guys to let me know what you'd like to see! Give me your suggestions and requests (even if they are set before, during, or after FFVII) and I will see what I can do to work it into the story in some way!

Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!