Chapter three; Welcome to the world
Cloud stepped out into the breaking of the day to find him there a sliver haired man with a his blade poised and ready but on the end a stuffed Chocobo was pierced through where it's heart would be,
"Good to see you Cloud" Sephiroth said in his usual manner.
"Sephiroth what is that you want this time!" Cloud asked his tone angry
"Nothing that concerns you I merely wanted to stop by and congratulate you I never would of thought I see the day the 'puppet' would become a father after all a puppet has no feelings" Sephiroth smirked this made Cloud tighten his grip on his fusion sword and raised it so it was level with Sephiroth's chin which just made the man laugh.
"You seriously think you can take me on when you're in this state I hardly think so I mean look at you" Sephiroth laughed and Just like that the sliver haired man jumped into the air and spread his wing and left leaving behind a scattering of feathers and the Chocobo teddy, kicking it aside he turned and headed back inside as Tifa let out another scream.
Back inside Tifa had one had one hand pressed on her bump and the other lay across her head, she was clearly in pain but what could be done but wait for the paramedics and the ambulance to show up, Cloud ran to her side and asked Yuffie to check on the kids. Yuffie had ran straight up the stairs with that and replied within a matter of seconds
"Yeah the kids are fine I think though I will stay up here so I don't want to go deaf!" she shouted from the top of the stairs.
Eventually after a long 15 minute wait the ambulance finally showed up to take the upcoming parents to the hospital, Yuffie and the kids would stay behind and wait on Barret of which had just been informed Tifa had gone into labour early so he was currently on his way to Edge whilst also informing the others although he left informing Reeve to Yuffie Barret still had trouble with Reeve even if he was ex-ShinRa personal..
Cloud and Tifa arrived at Edge general that was ran mostly by the WRO, Tifa was taken straight in a private delivery suite which was rather large apparently being a saviour of the world had its benefits and apparently this was one of them. Once the couple 'settled' (although Tifa couldn't really) the Midwife came to check up them and just see how they were doing, Tifa was already hooked up to the usual hospital equipment, the midwife then proceeded to do the usual midwife checks and questions.
Five hours later and the contractions intensified but she still had a long way to go, the others had arrived at the hospital not 10 minutes ago and the place was abuzz with excitement but with sent of sterile and clean as well as a faint hint of nausea in the air. The Turks had even shown up but they hadn't come emptied handed their hands were full of present for the child although Tifa and Cloud had a nursery already set up and ready, it was painted a soft yellow a neutral colour, a wooden coat that was handmade and had a Chocobo and Moogle mobile hanging above it was in the corner of the room across from the window, a changing table was set up on the west side of the room a Moses basket lay underneath the window and toys covered the selves of the room as well as a few pictures that Marlene and Denzel had drawn for the baby.
Everyone besides the children and Tifa were drinking loads of coffee and Cloud had several members of AVALANCHE on frequent Coffee runs he was just so exhausted but not nearly as much Tifa was and all she had been allowed was ice chips for the past 18hours, the doctor and midwife had made numerous visits to check on her progress but it was slow for quite some time until chaos erupted and the baby was finally going to be entering the world.
Taking Cloud's hand as another contraction began and Tifa was told to push she screamed at Cloud
"IF YOU EVER FUCKING TOUCH ME AGAIN I WILL MAKE YOU WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN STRIFE!" she yelled she knew she didn't mean it Tifa after all was the sweetest kindest women in well Gaia she was just in a lot a pain right now giving birth, Cloud was also starting to feel the strain of the birth on his hand that was it honestly felt like Tifa was crushing the bones in his hand but it wasn't a huge problem he was inside a hospital so getting pain meds wouldn't be a problem. With some more encouragement from Cloud and the midwife Tifa managed to finally push her child out into the world and sighed in relief and felt a tear come to her eye as she heard the cry of her child.
"Congratulations Mr and Mrs Strife you have a beautiful baby girl" the midwife smiled wrapping the infant into a pink blanket and handing her to her parents. Tifa welled up as soon as her daughter was in her arms Cloud then proceeded to join Tifa on the hospital bed and wrapped his arms around Tifa and looked in a haze like manner as tears also welled up his own eyes, he wasn't one to cry in public and he had only ever let Tifa see him cry before no one else so it was quite a sight for the midwife and the staff to see their Hero of Gaia cry.
"She looks just like you Cloud" Tifa muttered eyes still full of tears
"Not quite hun she has your nose and I'm sure your smile" Cloud replied also with tears in his eyes.
"I suppose your right" Tifa smiled looking into her newborn baby's eyes then she noticed it, "Cloud look the Mako has been passed on do you think she will be safe?" Tifa asked all of a sudden full of concern.
"I'm not sure did Aerith say anything to you in your dream?" Cloud whispered and Tifa nodded slightly before adding
"All she said was the Jenova cells had not been passed on to her but she never mentioned Mako" Tifa replied as Cloud placed a soft kiss on her forehead then whispered to her "Do you want to have her tested for the Mako content in her bloodstream" Cloud asked and Tifa simply nodded a yes. The nurses were still scurrying about the room cleaning up the place and putting everything back in order so Cloud was able to ask,
"Excuse me nurse?" he began and the nurse turned
"Yes Mr Strife what is it?" she asked in a pleasant manner
"Um I was just wondering our daughter she has traces of Mako in her eyes and I was wondering since Mako runs in my bloodstream if I've passed it on to my daughter?" Cloud asked the nurse smiled at Cloud and Tifa then looked at one of the other nurses and asked her what she thought
"Umm yes we certainly can arrange for your child to be tested if that's what you wish" the nurse then smiled once more and left the room.
"Hey can we come in yet!" Yuffie shouted from the other side of the door as she saw the nurse leave. Cloud looked at Tifa for approval and Tifa nodded her approval
"Yeah you can come and met our beautiful baby girl" Cloud answered then Tifa looked at Cloud and asked
"Cloud darling what should we called her?" Tifa asked completely unsure of what to call her.
"What about Petal Strife" Cloud asked just as the gang came 'running' through the door.
"I like it" Tifa whispered in her reply. Yuffie was the first one in running straight for the new parents; Cloud put a hand out and caught her before she came any closer possibly crushing their daughter.
"Sorry" Yuffie blushed as her eyes swept over the new arrival.
"So what it's um name?" Yuffie asked receiving a slight punch in the arm from Marlene at the way she had asked the question.
"Everyone I would like you to meet our beautiful baby girl Petal Strife" Tifa smiled holding her daughter in a way the whole group could see her.
"Aww she's so cute I want one" Yuffie squealed and everyone looked at the pale man as he went several shades paler 'poor Vincent' was the collective group thought.
"Fuck Strife she looks just like you" Cid said looking over Tifa and Cloud's new bundle of joy.
Petal was taken accompanied by Cloud to a Mako testing room, Tifa couldn't join them as she was order to rest up in bed after going for a shower, Cloud carried Petal all the way to the testing and treatment room not allowing her to be out of his arms for a second. The others had just all about left, all but Barret, Yuffie and Vincent as they first up spent most of their time packing the truck up with the presents that the Turks had brought that couldn't be left behind, all that was to be left was plenty of nappies, a few blankets and several baby suits one of which Yuffie had bought a little baby suit that had a moogle on it and underneath that said 'Daddy's little Mog'. At the testing room Cloud didn't let go of Petal as they injected a needle into her soft skin at her elbow and blood was drawn, 3 samples of blood was taken and well she was taken it well but then again she had, had several injections already after being brought into the world to protect her from what had been common infections and illness that were fatal to babies and infants that was until the WRO came up with a multiple vaccine that would protect newborns. Petal was certainly taken after her dad already and she was still just a few hours old. After the blood had been taken Cloud was able to return with Petal to their room as it would be a case of waiting for the results of the test anyway.
Tifa woke early the next morning to the sound of soft cooing in the small coat next to her, a tender and loving smile graced her lips as her eyes cast on the soft cooing baby next to her, Cloud was still fast asleep in the arm chair of the room he seemed so peaceful Tifa didn't want to disturb him, so instead she lifted her daughter into her arms then god forbid Petal started to cry which in turn woke Cloud up,
"Hungry?" he asked
"Maybe well I'll give it a try" Tifa said, it worked and soon the little girl was fast asleep in her mother's arms. Later that day the doctor came by with the test results of Petal's Mako test and the results were positive to say the least.
"Well Mr and Mrs Strife I'm please to inform you that your daughter Petal has a very low level of Mako in her bloodstream the level that it's at is so low it's only going to affect her eyesight but it is a benefit she will have a great sight" the doctor informed the couple who had been holding breath the whole time were finally able to release it in relief
"So she'll be alright then no problems" Cloud asked just to confirm what he had just heard, "Yeah she will be fine and by these results she shouldn't experience any of its rather horrid side affects unless she was to be exposed to a high dose in the future but I hardly doubt that" the doctor answered
"I'm just wondering then if Cloud and I were to have any more kids in the future they wouldn't be affected with Mako then either" Tifa asked merely curious
"Um well I'm not a 100% certain but the chances are low and we could always test them anyway" the doctor replied
"Thanks doctor you've put our minds at ease now" Cloud said as the doctor turned and left the room.
A week later and Tifa was discharged from hospital along with Petal, Cloud hadn't actually left Tifa's side in that week really and the kids they were at Barret's just now and were goanna be staying there on a mini break just while the new parents got settled into to the new routine but upon arriving home, disaster their home and bar had been trashed, it was just a mess the door of off its hinges and in half, the bar emptied of booze and glasses were smashed, upstairs in the apartment well it was not to bad in the living room it was just the TV and the coffee table that lay in half, the children's rooms Marlene and Denzel's that is had been left untouched well and the bathrooms, Cloud and Tifa's room was a mess, it stunk of an overpowering mixture of perfumes, clothes where everywhere, the bed in two, pillow's shredded, the window smashed and the wardrobe in pieces and writing across Tifa's mirror was 'Where is it I know you have it so hand it over' it was written in black ink then more horror Petal's room was the worse everything was destroyed minus the Moses basket. Nothing had been kept everything gone the wall was coated in a black gooey substance, the window was also smashed just like in Cloud and Tifa's room and on the windowsill lay the only clue a black feather, Cloud stepped forward and took the feather in his hand as Tifa picked up the Moses and gently lay the sleeping Petal in it.
"Sephiroth!" Cloud shouted through gritted teeth which was received a punch by Tifa in his arm as she mouthed
"Petal"
"Sorry" Cloud mouthed back as Tifa wrapped her now free arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder,
"Cloud I don't feel safe here" Tifa cried softly into Cloud's chest
"hush Tifa it will be alright we'll go to Barret's now will that make you feel better" Cloud said in a soothing manner and Tifa simply nodded as she reached up and gently kissed his soft lips, then removing herself from his hold she turned and left to get some things ready for leaving (well things whatever they had left that was) but instead of going left to their bedroom next door she went right to the little small closet a little off the hall, removing the key from her pocket she unlocked the closet and began to fill her arms with whatever she could carry, when she arrived back in the nursery her arms were full, there was a DVD, a photo album along with 4 picture frames (one of Cloud and Tifa on their wedding day almost a year ago, another of Cloud, Tifa, Marlene and Denzel, another of the AVALANCHE gang after Geostigma was cured and probably the most special of all was one Cloud had found when he was living at Aerith's Church it was one of her and Zack in her flower patch his arms were wrapped around her and a soft yet still beautiful smile grazed the flower maiden's lips), a jewellery box one that Cloud recognised, a small clear bag full of Materia, several potions, elixirs and the little tattered horse teddy Tifa was given as a child that she carried around everywhere (it was one of the only things that was untouched by the fire) and the Fenrir teddy Cloud owned as a child although it was in better condition than Tifa's horse as it usually stayed in Cloud's bed when he was a child (it was also saved during the fire it was one of the few things Tifa had brought with her on the way to Midgar all those years ago). "Hey what's all that?" Cloud asked as Tifa placed the items carefully on the floor next to the Moses basket,
"Memories and sentimental things" Tifa said standing back up at him,
"Ok Teef I'm goanna call Barret and asked him to take the truck over as there is no way you can ride on the back of Fenrir with Petal and all this stuff as well as other things and there is no way I'm having you go in a taxi especially if I'm not there" Cloud said as he turned and left the room this time,
"Cloud hun on your way back will go into the kids rooms and get the suitcases as well as some of their things?" Tifa called after him.
"Hello Barret we've got a problem I'll explain everything in more detail when you get here but I need you to come over and pick Tifa and Petal up and take them to yours" Cloud asked down the phone line not allowing Barret a chance to speak
"Thanks Barret oh can you also bring some of your tools and wood please" Cloud replied after Barret had spoke
"Cheers ok see you soon and I would drop the kids off with Yuffie there won't be enough room for them" Cloud said before hanging up the phone, he place the phone down then headed back up stairs and into the children's room starting with Marlene's room as that was closet, he found the suitcase and the holdall quickly and placed the suitcase to one side as he shoved some stuff into the holdall making sure to pick up Marlene's favourite book and her other favourite teddy and threw into the bag then grabbed the camera that still lay on her dresser and left with an empty suitcase and a rather full holdall, Cloud quickly dropped off the cases at the nursery before turning to do the exact same in Denzel's room but he took an extra holdall so he could pack some Fenrir essentials and once he was done in Denzel's room he left the bags outside his own room besides the suitcase and started to pack some stuff in there but when it came to Tifa's things he wasn't sure what she would want so he stopped and headed back into the nursery,
"Cloud you done packing?" Tifa asked as she had heard the phone conversation and then Cloud's moving about in the rooms.
"Not quite I wasn't sure what you would want so I've um left it for you to do I'll keep an eye on Petal" Cloud said scratching the back of his head in his usual uncomfortable manner, sighing Tifa got up and left leaving just the teddies to be packed.
"Oh my Tifa" Cloud whispered to himself holding up the two stuffed animals. Once Tifa had finished her packing she dragged rather effortlessly the full suitcase to the top of the stairs left it there then headed back to the nursery, the last case was packed with every single thing that was still intact in Petal's room (mostly clothing and nappies) then Cloud was on 'case duty' moving all the cases to the door and set them on the curb as Tifa picked up the Moses basket with the still sleeping Petal and followed Cloud to the curb,
"Hey Teef you alright to wait by the curb I just need to pack some stuff for Fenrir" Cloud explained
"Yeah I'll be fine anyway we can't have you without your beloved bike now can we" Tifa said snaking her free arm around Cloud and pulling Cloud towards her to kiss him only letting go when she needed air more. Cloud then turned and headed to the garage. When he got back to the curb side Barret was just pulling up in his truck,
"Hey spiky how is the new father" Barret yelled jumping out the truck
"Hush Barret my daughter is sleeping and trouble if you're goanna ask" Cloud answered "Holy Shit momma what happened here?" Barret asked noticing the door
"We think this is the work of Sephiroth" Cloud replied
"What that momma's boy is back when did this happen?" Barret asked this time it was goanna a game of 20 questions
"Yeah he's back Aerith was the first to tell me then well Cloud came face to face with him when I went into labour" Tifa explained and Barret's faced turned form angry to confuse "Barret I'll explain everything in on the ride to your place" Tifa said
"Yeah for now we need to seal this place up" Cloud said unloading the wood and tools Barret had brought and placed it over the door. Soon the bar was sealed up and sign was stuck on the door 'Closed until further notice sorry for the unconvinced this is due to a family matter' and with that Cloud jumped on Fenrir and sped off for Kalm with Barret and Tifa following close behind.
Cloud reached the Kalm broader well before Barret and Tifa only to have his path blocked by Sephiroth, quickly Cloud opened Fenrir's secret compartment and drew two blades before quickly halting the bike and jumping off, Sephiroth was ungraded his sword was in the ground behind him and in his grasp he held the little Moogle teddy Cloud had bought Petal just over a week ago.
"Congratulations Cloud" Sephiroth said
"Sephiroth enough of the games just tell me what you want!" Cloud demanded
"Ah Cloud I on the other hand I'm enjoying the games and well you're just going to either guess what I'm up to or let it unfold in front of your eyes and if I were you I would have what I'm doing unfold in front of your eyes it's the best way Cloud" Sephiroth sneered.
"Sephiroth just tell me I mean why on earth would you come back when Midgar and Jenova are dead so why!" Cloud shouted back
"No Cloud you're not getting anything from me, Congratulations again" Sephiroth said as he threw the Moogle teddy at Cloud and left just leaving feathers behind. Shaking off the encounter with Sephiroth and praying to God that Tifa wouldn't notice the effects of this meeting and made his way back onto Fenrir and sped of back to Kalm and still managed to beat Barret and Tifa to the house.
Tifa jumped straight out of the truck with Petal in her arms and jumped right at Cloud he met her and returned her embrace,
"Hey I missed you" Tifa said looking up at Cloud
"I missed you too" Cloud whispered back lowering his head to kiss her but their kiss was short lived as Petal stirred as Barret had shouted
"Hey lovebirds get a room will yeah I mean there are kids about"
"Yeah mine and you just woke her!" Cloud shouted back, Barret just shrugged and threw a suitcase at Cloud which missed Tifa and Petal only because of Cloud's superfast reflexes. "Will you watch it! For god sake how many times Petal" Cloud shouted back.