Another scene to fit within my other short stories (found on deviantART) This piece should be able to stand alone. I hope! Im beginning to wonder if I can squeeze in a 'yo foos' with every short I write! haha. Never written for two of these characters, so it was interesting to see what would happen. Barrett takes Marlene and Denzel on a holiday as per the previous chapter.

For all regular readers of The Promised Land, I will be away for a week. Good for me, but not so much for those waiting for the next chapter! I will try to make notes and do some scribbles. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy this!

~~ TIME WITH THE KIDS ~~

The Bet

Barrett found Cid standing on the upper deck at the controls of his new ship, The Shera, gazing through the expansive windows at the patches of pale sky between billowing clouds. He came to stand beside his good old friend and he pushed a mug of black tea into him, forcing Cid to take hold. Cid removed the unlit cigarette hanging from his lip to sip the warm liquid. He made a face and plunked it down on the control panel with a rough bang. "Cripes, Barrett, that's a strong shot of whiskey."

Barrett grunted a short chuckle. "Thought you'd need it."

Cid squinted one eye and observed him, leaning his full weight against the railing. "You're the one who needs it."

Barrett patted one of his pant pockets, and through the material a solid square object bulged. "I'm set, but I need my head turned on." No, his juice would come in handy later, but right now…

"It's kinda sudden, think you're up for it?" With one long scrap of a match, Cid lit his cigarette.

'Course he was, Barrett said to himself, it was just looking after children right? He'd looked after Marlene before, given that she was younger then but damn, how hard could it be anyway. "I've supervised men that get up to more trouble than kids. Easy as riding a chocobo."

Cid guffawed at him. "Yeah, when you know how."

"Besides, I told Shera," Barrett told him, cheering himself up. Admittedly, he needed some help, and Shera was a friend and the most down to earth person he knew.

Smoke wafted around Cid's face, nearly obscuring his sly smirk. "I get it. You roped Shera into helping you. And she'd do it, too."

"And why not, she likes the kids," Barrett said in his defense.

"I'm surprised Tifa let you take the two of them."

Barrett cleared his throat. He was as shocked as him. It was too easy, but considering what her expectations of the fortnight were, it shouldn't be a surprise. "She needed a break. Anyhow, she and Cloud needed to… you know," he finished roughly, wondering how much he could admit.

"Those two lovebirds having a dirty weekend," Cid said with a knowing grin, the cigarette flicking as he spoke.

"For Tifa's sake, I hope so." Barrett eyed Cid's drink, thinking he should have made one for himself. Maybe he was going to need it.

Cid creased his brow and eyed him. "You mean..."

"Yep. It's about time those two got together." Barrett stretched his arm along the polished silver railing. "And now's the time, with a helping hand," his laughter echoed around the glass and steel cabin.

Cid joined him in the amusement. "Betcha it takes 'em more than a week."

Barrett shook his head. "Bet fifty it takes 'em three nights." If Cloud was any sort of man that appreciated a good woman and a sexy one than it shouldn't take long at all; not in Barrett's book anyway. Cid didn't know what Tifa was up to and that gave Barrett the advantage. He chuckled as he dug around for some gil, and he piled it on the panel.

"You serious?" Cid lifted his brow, and brought out a handful of money and added it to the stack. "It's Cloud we're talking 'bout here, right? I know he's fast but not that fast."

"We'll see—"

Behind them, the door to the large cockpit whooshed open and Yuffie flew in and dived for the first one she could get her hands on. Pulling on Cid's arm, she whined, "Quick, Cid, hide me, pretend I'm not here!"

Cid raised his brow and leaned away from her grasp. "Geez, toughen up kid, I'm not playing your games—"

Yuffie pleaded and swung on his arm, "Ci-i-i-i-d—"

Barrett folded his arm and grunted out, "it'll teach ya for getting them going. Playing ninja games."

Marlene and Denzel spilled through the doorway, shouting and squealing, and eyeing Yuffie, they made straight for her. The two children were all over her, yanking her arms and holding them. Cid scraped her hands off his arm and took a step back out of their radius. Denzel held her arms while Marlene tickled her ribs and bare lower back. Yuffie doubled over in a type of defense, only to crumple to the floor, shrieking and howling with painful laughter, and begging for them to stop. Marlene and Denzel ignored her cries, and laughing as much as her, they sat on her and tickled her with more force.

"Stop—stop –" Yuffie cried between gut wrenching giggles, "Ninjas—don't- tickle. Barrett!"

Barrett laughed along with the kids and watched Yuffie wriggling away from them. Cid stepped well away from the action. "Sheez, kids, give it a break. That screaming's gonna bust my head. There ain't enough whiskey for this." Despite his words, he smirked at the three.

Marlene and Denzel stood, and still gripping Yuffie's arms they hauled her to her feet. Yuffie untangled herself from them and panting hard, she gripped her sides, a sour look on her face. Her eyes quickly went to the gil laying on the controls, and they lit up with wonder. She scanned Barrett and Cid's faces, and said, "oOoh, you guys are betting on something?"

Denzel looked between the two male adults, his eyes expanding with curiosity. "What are you betting?"

Cid placed a gloved hand on the boy's head, and his other held his cig. "We're betting whether you have your own room when you get back home."

Denzel's bottom lip quivered and his eyes misted over. "Cloud's leaving?"

Marlene stared, her face paling, and her brown eyes turning to saucers, she looked ready to cry. Yuffie had a similar expression, but it soon turned to an angry glare, and hands on her waist, she drilled her stare into Cid. "Cloud's leaving again?! If he does, I'm going after him this time!"

Barrett cried, with his hand waving in the air, "Yo foo's, he's not going anywhere! Cid, stop scaring 'em."

Denzel squinted at them with a dubious stare. "What do you mean?"

"Pfft," Cid brushed them all off with a flick of his cigarette in annoyance. "Shit, paranoid bunch. Cloud's a free spirit, he can do whatever the fuck he likes anyways."

All eyes were intent on him and his remark, and a gaping shocked silence ensued. Barrett gave a single grunt of denial. Cid gazed down at the kid's faces, a vision of sorrow, and he barked, "Ah, alright, don't cry. He ain't goin' no-where," he tried a more soothing tone. "It's about being in love, people, love!"

"Ooh," Yuffie expired a long breath, "That changes everything."

"Cloud's not leaving?" Denzel asked him, his face still pale from the shock.

"Nah, kiddo," Cid gave him a crooked smile.

"And you're betting they're gonna fall in love?" Denzel carried on.

Yuffie interrupted, "I bet it takes two weeks, if it even happens!"

Cid answered her gruffly, "Money down." He pointed to the gil on the panel.

She patted her shorts. "I don't have any right now..."

"Same old story..." Cid griped. "No money, no winnings."

Denzel blinked up at Yuffie and Cid, and was about to speak, but Marlene stepped forward and with her hands in a fluster, she cried, making herself heard, "But Cloud already loves Tifa!"

Barrett chuckled, "Marlene's on the money." The simplicity of children amazed him. She turned and gave him a smug smile.

"Alrighty than, we got Barrett after three days, I say a week, Yuffie two, if she pays up, and Marlene says right now," Cid grinned at them all, "Denzel?"

"My own room?" Denzel started.

"Cid!" Barrett barked.

"Denzel doesn't care as 'long as Cloud doesn't go anywhere," Cid went on and he looked at Barrett. "How we gonna prove all this anyway?"

Barrett shrugged. "We'll ring Tifa tomorrow and call her every day." He smiled with a wicked gleam in his eyes, and said, "Won't even need to ask her. I'll be able to tell."

The two children looked between them both with bewilderment, and even Yuffie looked puzzled.

Barrett stepped up to the three and loomed over them, staring them down with a commanding glare. "Listen up you kids, don't ever tell Cloud or Tifa any of this, about the love thing or the betting, you got that?"

Marlene and Denzel stared up at him with gob smacked expressions, having no real idea of what the secret was in the first place, except they were taking bets on whether Cloud and Tifa were in love. Yuffie, arms folded, tilted her head and furrowed her brow, darkly. "It'll cost ya."

Cid barked back, "Not as much as what it'll cost you." He looked at the kids and instructed, "Kids, hold her down while I tickle her, man-style."

"Old man!" Yuffie screamed, moving from him and clutching her sides again, "Nooo! Alright than, I won't tell, but only for Cloud and Tifa!"

"That's the spirit." Cid reached out and landed a heavy hand on her shoulder, attempting to draw her close.

She reeled back, her hands up, guarding herself and she watched him with squinting eyes. "Not this time, Cid!"

Cid laughed and threw his hands in the air. "Ah, just messing with ya." He cocked his head at Barrett. "Whadya' think, we set Yuffie up next?"

Barrett scratched his chin eyeing Yuffie, still in her defensive stance, up and down. "Mmm, see what I can do—"

"Barrett?! Don't you dare!" she shrieked, "I'll tell Tifa."

"Maybe, a science geek," Barrett continued, and he chuckled at Yuffie's eyes turning to smoldering brown.

"I can see Yuf with a speed head wutai biker!" Cid chuckled. "Or someone older, a lot older-"

Yuffie glared at him, and shouted, "No way, you old perve!"

"Sheesh, not me," Cid shot back.

"Who?" Yuffie's pale face reddened, and she squealed, "Not him! Don't you dare say anything to him." She went on, her voice increasing in volume, "You don't know the kinda guys I like," she finished with a shout, "And you'll never know!"

Marlene turned on the two men in Yuffie's defense, and said, "You can't find Yuffie love. She's got to find it herself."

Cid and Barrett laughed, and Barrett answered, "Yeah, yeah, we'll see one day. But Yuffie, if you ever find the guy you like, we'll check him out and see if he's good enough for you."

Cid took a long drag and spoke with some affection. "That's right, kid. He'll have to pass the 'old man' check."

Yuffie relaxed her arms and stared at the two of them, and their statement took some moments to register before a mix of emotions crossed her face. "Ooh, that's sweet, you guys care about the man I like," and she stepped closer, her hands lifting in energetic expression "—hang on, your check?! No way!"

"Spot on. And if he's not, than we'll let him know," Cid told her, "We'll look out for you, don't you worry."

Her eyes softened and her mouth hung open, and she wiped an invisible tear. "You really care..."

Denzel took her hand and squeezed it, and said with innocence, "There'll be someone who likes you, Yuffie." His remark was received with easy chuckles. "We like you."

"Yeah, thanks Denzel," Yuffie replied with a hint of dryness, "thanks alot."