"Is it on?" Cloud called out to them.

Marlene squealed.

"I'll take that as a yes" Cloud mumbled with a smile as he made sure the extension chord was plugged in all the way.

"Yes it's on." Tifa called out to him.

Cloud stood and rounded the corner. He grinned when he saw his little family gathered around the Christmas tree, in awe of the brightly colored lights.

"Beautiful isn't it?" He asked as he joined them and wrapped an arm around Tifa's shoulders. He nodded approvingly towards the tree. The whole room in fact, was a Christmas wonderland, it had everything but the snow.

Zack would have been proud of them; his athletic ability was only matched by his knack for spreading holiday cheer. Cloud felt the familiar pang of mourning for his friend, he wondered if him and Aerith were celebrating in the lifestream. Did one celebrate in the lifestream?

He felt Tifa wrap an arm around him, evidently wondering the same things. "We should send his parents a Christmas card...who knows how they must feel right now. Aerith's mom too."

Cloud nodded. "Of course. I wonder if anyone visits them."

"The Turks do. They visit whenever they can...it's their way of atoning...I suppose." A single tear fell down her cheek. "Do we deserve to be happy like this?"

Cloud pulled her closer, wiping the tears that had welled up into her eyes. "I don't know." He whispered to her. "But the kids deserve this, we need to be strong for them."

Tifa smiled as she watched the children Denzel and Marlene as they cheerfully put ordiments on the tree, singing along to the Christmas music that played on the radio. Tifa repressed a sigh, the thought that she didn't deserve the life that she had was still plaguing her mind.

Cloud took her gently by the hand and started to lead her to his office, she couldn't go on torturing herself like this. His thoughts on how to help her let go of her guilt were interrupted by the children.

"Where are you going?" Marlene asked.

"Is everything alright?" Denzel asked worriedly.

Cloud nodded "Present talk, we'll be out in a minute." And then the two adults disappeared.

Marlene returned to hanging gifts humming Christmas songs cheerfully until she heard the office door shut. And then she sighed. "They're not talking about presents." She said softly to Denzel.

Denzel shrugged. Returning to the tree to hang the trinket that he held in his hand, it was an old spare Fenrir part that Cloud had once made into an ornament. "It's none of our business." He said. "If it was important they'd tell us."

Marlene nodded as she concentrated on aligning the ornament just right, so that the lights on the tree made the glass angel reflect the light. When she finished she stood and sighed. "They've been upset since I asked them to adopt me..." She sighed. "I really wish I hadn't done that."

Denzel frowned. "So...you don't want them to adopt you?" He asked slowly.

Marlene looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "Of course I do. Well...kind of anyway...I don't know what to think anymore." She wiped the tears away from her eyes and walked to the kitchen where she retrieved two sugar cookies for her and Denzel. She gave him the cookie and he gave her a hug. They were siblings whether legally or not, could Barret really take her away from that?

Tears welled up in her eyes but she wiped them away. She couldn't feel like this during the Christmas season. For all she knew this could be her last Christmas at Seventh heaven, she had to enjoy it.

A/N Wow that was depressing! That was supposed to be a fluff one-shot. O_0 Well, I'll try to actually add some fluff in next time. The next few one-shots will be Christmas-y because in honor of December. Anyway, merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it, and happy winter/holidays to those who don't. Love y'all -Reibun