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


Chapter 7:

CLOUD


"No."

"Come on! Please!" Marlene begs, trying to pull my attention from my workbench in the garage. "It'll be good practice!"

Marlene has become very enthusiastic about the baby. This is a good thing because we need all the support we can get, but it's a bad thing because she now wants us to babysit…for Cid Highwind.

"No," I repeat.

"But Cloud!" Marlene drawls, her shoulders sagging.

I sigh and put the wrench back into the toolbox. I thought Denzel and I could try to do some work on the new part I got for Fenrir. I was wrong.

"Marlene, I don't think you understand what you're asking for…" I say without looking at her. "Besides, Tifa doesn't need the practice."

"She doesn't but we do," Marlene insists. "Come on, please!"

I look at Denzel, desperate for assistance. "What do you think about all this?"

"I'd rather not," he admits sheepishly from his position on the ground next to Fenrir.

Marlene crosses her arms and huffs at us. She has almost mastered Tifa's disapproving stare.

Admittedly, I have a weakness when it comes to Marlene and Denzel. I always have. They get to me and find the cracks in the walls I surround myself with and chip away at me until I give.

"Fine…" I grumble, regretting it almost instantly.

"Really?! You mean it?!" Marlene hops on her heels, bouncing with anticipation. I think she is a few seconds from grabbing my shoulders and shaking me.

"I guess…"

"But Cloud!" Denzel leaps up and rushes towards me. "It's Cid Highwind Junior we're talking about!"

"I'm aware." I take out my phone and start going through my contacts.

"Don't you remember what happened the last time we agreed to babysit for Cid?!" Denzel puts his hands on my workbench and almost puts himself between my phone and me, clearly trying to distract me from my task. He wants to prolong the inevitable.

I sigh heavily and rub at my eyes. "I remember…"

It was kind of hard to forget. When Junior was almost two, Cid and Shera had to go out of town for a while and asked us to watch him. Tifa had agreed and the following hours were pure chaos for us. I'd privately sworn to avoid keeping him again at all costs…but that was before Tifa was pregnant and before Marlene started begging for a chance to improve her child rearing skills.

Moments like these really make me wish that I were more capable of telling the kids no.


"Cloud?!"

I sigh and stop my work on Fenrir's underbelly.

"Yeah?" I shout and prepare to have my work interrupted yet again. I am still trying to install the latest part I bought for Fenrir.

"Do we still have any of Denzel and Marlene's old toys? Or did we give all of them away?"

Hell if I know. I can't keep up with all the junk we've packed up and stored away. We have accumulated quite a hoard over the years and most of said hoard isn't even kids' stuff. We have everything from furniture to Materia to weaponry.

The concrete of the garage floor is cool against my back as I haul an arm over my eyes and try to remember if any toys are still in this building.

Probably not…

"Did you hear me?"

"Yeah." I pause longer than is socially acceptable but Tifa waits all the same because she knows that this is still typical procedure for me. "I think there might be some in the kids' closets. I'll check out here too."

"Okay."

As expected, Fenrir will have to wait. I slide out from under the bike and prepare to sort through some of the shit we've packed away in the garage.

Junior isn't even here yet and he's already turned this place into madhouse.

After I find a couple of dust-covered boxes and bring them into the open so I can inspect their contents, it occurs to me that Tifa probably shouldn't be looking for boxes on top of lofty shelves in cramped closets by herself. She doesn't need to do any heavy lifting either but knowing her, she'll try to do so anyway.

Wiping some of the oil and grease on my hands onto my white t-shirt, I open the door to the main part of our home (which was no easy task since my hands were still grimy).

Marlene is at a booth. I think she's making a rather detailed schedule for our evening with Junior. It'll never work but I'll let her have her fun.

"Where is she?" I ask.

Her eyes leave her paper only for a moment before they flicker back down to her task.

"I think she went to Denzel's room."

I nod, making my way through the bar and into the hall.

"Tifa?" I call, peeking into Denzel's empty room.

"In here!" Her voice echoes further down the hallway.

I find her in Marlene's room in the walk-in closet on a step stool reaching for a box on a shelf.

Sighing, I grab her by the waist and pick her up.

"What?" she grouses as I carry her out of the closet. "Hey!"

"You don't need to be doing this kind of thing alone," I murmur and put her safely on the ground.

She rolls her eyes and puts her hands on her hips. "I'm pregnant. Not handicapped. There's a difference."

Tifa prepares to shove her way past me and reenter the closet but I block her path.

Her eyes widen with surprise before they narrow. "Stop."

I turn my back on her and head into the closet, resolving to take care of this myself.

She grabs my arm and tries to pull me back. "Go back to the garage. I can handle this."

I ignore her and climb the stepladder so I can get the offending box.

"Cloud Strife, if you don't stop it right now I'm gonna kick your ass!" Tifa tugs at my shirt.

The funny thing is, she is probably only half joking. Hormones and mood swings have finally decided to make an appearance this week. So when I get down, I could very well be facing a Somersault to the ass.

"Too late," I counter as I toss the box onto the floor.

Tifa plops onto the ground by the box and starts digging into it. "Is this what the next seven or so months are going to be like? Are you gonna make me a worthless pregnant lady?"

"If it keeps you safe."

Her expression softens and her eyes glisten with understanding. She knows how hard it was for me to bring myself to care about things after everything that happened. She knows how terrified I've been of happiness and those I care about imploding in my arms. She knows of my fear of loss in all forms. It's been a constant in our lives and she knows that it is still rooted in my damaged heart and that is fuels some of my actions to this day. Only now, I try desperately to hold onto things and protect them instead of pushing them away before they can hurt me.

She casts her gaze back down to the box of junk and starts mumbling something about how I don't play fair.

"No more stepladders and stools while you're alone. Please."

Tifa sighs heavily. "It's not that big of a deal…"

"Please?" I try again.

She waves her hand dismissively. "Yeah. Yeah. Just don't expect me to sit around all day in a rocking chair knitting mittens and baby booties."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

I know Tifa will never stop being active and I don't want that. Tifa wouldn't be Tifa if she weren't spreading herself thin and going above and beyond for those she cares about. I just want her to be careful. I'd never forgive myself if something happened. We don't need to push our luck. Given our unique circumstances, I feel like we're already walking on thin ice.

"When is Cid gonna be here?" I decide to change the subject.

When I called Cid a few days ago, he was quick to take me up on my offer. He said they were overdue for a trip to Edge and that they wanted to see what was available at some of the airships and automotive shops that have opened up around town. Plus, I think they wanted some time to themselves without Junior.

"Not for a few more hours." Tifa pulls out a few toy cars and puts them on the floor. "So you still have time to work on Fenrir's latest modification. I promise I'll behave."

I nod and head back to the garage, knowing good and damn well I probably won't finish before Cid and Shera get here. I figure I may get ten minutes before something or someone interrupts me again.


Cid Highwind Junior was appropriately named. He was quite literally a copy of Cid Senior. He had dirty blonde hair and wild blue eyes. He even talked like Cid. At the tender age of two, he already had a rather…colorful vocabulary.

I wasn't surprised in the least to see that Cid's aggressive genes had completely dominated poor Shera's.

But you could tell that Shera adored that little boy. Tifa once told me that after they got married, it had been difficult for them to have children, something that may or may not have been the result of her bout with Geostigma. Unlike us, they were trying to get pregnant. But I understand. They were at a different stage in their lives and frankly, Cid wasn't getting any younger. So, not long after the Deepground incident, they were expecting and not long after that, Cid Junior arrived.

Marlene and Tifa are sitting with Junior in the floor, likely discussing his schedule and what's to be expected with Shera as Junior tugs at her clothes and says nonsense to her despite her talking.

Like his father, Junior likes to talk.

"Haven't seen ya 'round much since ya got hitched," Cid muses as we sit at the bar together. "How's married life treatin' ya?"

"Fine," I reply flatly as I eye the empty glass in front of me. I'd had water but now I'm thinking I probably should have had something stronger.

"Fine? That all?" Cid bellows as he downs his club soda. "You better pray that the little lady don't ever hear ya say that!"

My brow furrows. "What was I supposed to say?"

It wasn't like things had changed that much. We'd already lived together for years. We already had a family together. It was just a matter of making it official. In fact, it had been a pretty impulsive decision. One day I woke up and decided that we needed to tie up some of our loose ends. I'd realized that it would make everything easier for all of us. And of course, I wanted to give Tifa and the kids the 'real' family they'd always wanted. It was the least I could do after everything I'd put them through over the years and it was a surprisingly easy decision to make. It just…made sense at this point in our lives.

Still, I wasn't without apprehension. Even though we didn't go the traditional route, it was still a marriage, something I'd thought I'd never do, but life has a funny way of showing you that never can get a lot shorter.

Cid laughs again and shoves a toothpick into his mouth. "Nothin'. It's just funny. You change but ya never change. You're still hopeless."

"Thanks."

"We won't be gone long. We only have a few chores to do. We'll have dinner and be back as soon as we finish." Shera stands and approaches Cid and me at the bar. "Thanks again for offering to take care of him."

Tifa smiles as Junior hovers between her and Shera. "No problem. It's important for you to get some time for yourselves."

"True." Shera bobs her head in acknowledgment.

"Can we go?" Cid barks, leaping from the stool and twirling his toothpick around with his tongue. "I'm so hungry I'd eat the crotch out of a dead leper's underwear."

Shera sighs heavily. "Yes. We can go." She turns her attention back to Tifa and me. "Call if you need us."

"Of course," Tifa replies. "You do the same."

"How long will you be gone?" Junior bounces up to Shera's hip.

"Not too long." Shera pats Junior's head, his scruffy, blonde hair curling between her fingers. "Be good."

Junior stays close to Shera, clearly unsure about her leaving him with us.

"Have fun, little man," Cid says as he heads for the door and Junior instantly puts on a brave face, clearly not wanting to lose his father's respect.

The door shuts behind them and now, it's just Junior and us.

"Do you have any Materia?" he asks, breaking the silence instantly. "Oh, what about some of Pa's old spears? Didn't you have a giant sword too? Pa says your sword was big because you were compensating for something. What does that mean?"

I am so taken aback by the chain of questions that I can't even utter a response. I just blink. He talks a lot more than he did before. And he babbled a lot before.

Denzel turns his back to snicker as Tifa subtly holds a hand over her mouth but I know she's laughing at me too.

"Um, let's, uh, start with toys and work our way up to advanced weaponry…" I stutter.

"Yeah! We have plenty of old toys we can play with!" Marlene interjects and I'm grateful.

Apparently, the offer suffices and Junior follows Marlene and Denzel across the bar in search of said toys.

"Is it too early to hide in the garage?" I whisper low enough so that only Tifa can hear me.

Tifa punches me in the shoulder (none too gently). "I'm not even gonna answer that."


As the evening progresses, Marlene remains very enthusiastic and takes her responsibilities as a babysitter very seriously. She has a thorough schedule and a list of activities for the evening. She watches Junior closely and checks on him often. She gives him juice, offers to read to him (only to have him refuse), and even tries to feed him snacks (which he also refuses).

However, despite Marlene's efforts, the only person Junior really warms up to is, of course, Tifa.

He plays with her and even laughs at the things she does. This is fine and all but for the rest of us, it makes him uncooperative. We play board games. Marlene and Denzel even play hide-and-seek with him a while but Tifa is his person (which I understand, she is my person too). She has earned his trust and respect. He has learned that Tifa is the most responsible and reliable of us.

He's not wrong.

Still, I see that Tifa is getting tired and has grown at bit weary of the clinginess. Like Cid, he is a big personality and it can slowly suck the life out of you. Not to mention the fact that Tifa is still pregnant and is still battling early pregnancy symptoms like fatigue. Earlier, she said something about leg cramps and she's been sitting a lot since.

I decide it's time to step up and take one for the team.

"Wanna see a real motorcycle?" I offer as Junior shoves a toy bike across the floor next to Denzel.

Junior looks up at me with wide eyes filled with wonder.

"Yeah!" he exclaims and to my surprise, he immediately gets up to follow me.

Tifa mouths thank you as she sinks into the couch, looking weary.

As I pass Marlene, I bob my head in Tifa's direction, silently motioning for her to stay with her. Understanding as always, Marlene translates my silence and goes to Tifa's side.

When Junior and I enter the garage with Denzel, Junior's eyes manage to get even bigger. He starts bouncing all over the place. He goes to my workbench. He goes to the toolbox. He goes to air compressor in the corner. There is so much he wants to investigate that he can't decide where to start, but once he sees Fenrir, everything else is suddenly background noise.

"Can I sit on it?" he asks as he circles the bike like a vulture.

I grab him under his stubby arms and gently put him onto the seat.

Immediately, his hands go to the handlebars and he is making motor noises with his mouth. They're actually pretty impressive.

I stand nearby, making sure that he doesn't fall off or actually turn the engine over. He's been exposed to airships since he was born and I'm pretty sure he is capable of starting Fenrir and taking off.

For a while, he is content to just sit on the bike and use his imagination but soon, I see him getting ideas.

"Can we go for a ride?" he asks, his eyes pleading.

It seems just like yesterday that Denzel was timidly asking me that same question.

Silently, I go to the other side of the garage and grab the sidecar I'd gotten (and then modified) so the kids could ride with me on some of my shorter trips.

"Give me a hand," I call and Denzel rushes over to help instantly.

We hook the sidecar up to Fenrir and I start looking for Denzel's old helmet. I think we still have it…somewhere. I really should reorganize Seventh Heaven and its entirety so I'll know where things are.

"Think Tifa will mind?" Denzel asks quietly as he wipes some of the dust off the sidecar's leather seat.

"No. I think she'll be thankful for the space." I find the helmet amid some other miscellaneous stuff I have stashed away throughout the space and start trying to secure it on Junior's head.

Junior squirms and pushes at my wrists. "I don't like it. It smells funny."

I stop fighting him and let my arms fall to my sides. "If you want to ride, you have to wear the helmet."

"Why?" he asks, his brow wrinkling together.

"Because you might get hurt."

Junior mulls this over a moment, his eyes examining the helmet sternly. Eventually, he decides the pros of riding Fenrir outweigh the cons of the smelly helmet.

"Can I come?" Denzel asks as he stuffs his hands in his pockets.

I put Junior into the sidecar and then motion for Denzel to hop onto the seat behind me.


We don't go far. We drive through the quieter parts of Edge, going offroad occasionally (something Junior finds hilarious). Then we go to the market and get some pre-dinner ice cream after I make them swear to keep it a secret and never breath a word of it to anyone. Ever.

I ride around aimlessly until the sun starts to go down. I figure Marlene will have her dinner plans in place by now. Plus, I worry that Junior might be getting cold now that he is full of ice cream and the temperature is dropping.

If he gets sick, I'll never hear the end of it.

When we get back to Seventh Heaven, dinner ready as expected and Marlene is ready for round two of trying to get Junior to eat.

Junior bounces into the bar with Denzel and me. He has that cute walk that kids have when they aren't really toddlers anymore, but they aren't technically a child yet.

Apparently, Junior and I bonded on our ride because he sticks pretty close to me. He watches every move I make. It reminds me of how Denzel used to look at me. It's a mix between curiosity and admiration.

So I go with it.

"Tell me a funny story about Pa," he insists as we start eating breaded cutlets and leftover bean soup.

I have lots of stories about…Pa but I'm not sure if any of them are age appropriate. It takes me a while to sift through my memories and come up with something I can actually tell.

"Once," I begin, "Tifa was blinded by a monster and Tifa hates Blindness. A lot. She would get scared."

"I wouldn't get scared. I just like being able to see," she argues as she stirs her soup with her spoon. Apparently, she doesn't have much of an appetite. I've learned morning sickness doesn't always happen in the mornings. Go figure.

I act like I didn't hear her. "So I tried to comfort her, but when I did, she thought I was another monster and she suckerpunched me in the nose."

Junior's eyes widen. It is apparently hard for him to imagine the sweet Tifa he knows punching anyone but he doesn't know the Tifa that I know. Tifa could be as cunning and ruthless as Rufus Shinra when she wanted to be.

Denzel laughs through a mouthful of food. "She actually hit you?!"

"Yeah. She was wearing gloves too." I take a sip of my water.

"I said I was sorry!" Tifa protests but I pick up on the quiver in her voice. She wants to laugh.

"My nose was broken and your dad thought this was very funny." I continue. "He laughed and laughed until he almost swallowed his cigarette. So he's chocking. My nose is broken. Tifa is blind and everyone else is laughing at us."

"You left out the part where I fixed your nose afterward," Tifa adds.

"And Tifa fixed my nose," I parrot flatly.

"What was Sephiroth like?" he asks, apparently already having another question locked and loaded.

I'm kind of taken aback by the question and Tifa suddenly looks nauseous. Briefly, I wonder how much Cid has told him about our old foe.

"Cold. Detached. Arrogant." I rub at the back of my neck.

"Ruthless," Tifa adds, her eyes faraway. "Vengeful. Sadistic. Deluded but still smart."

"Was his sword really as long as they say? Did he really run you through with it? Pa says he really cut you up. Did it leave a scar? I wanna see!" Junior is practically crawling across the table towards me despite being trapped in a highchair.

"Yes. Twice. Yes. And I'm not showing you the scars."

Junior deflates. "Why not? Are they gross? Are you all mangled underneath?"

I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. "Because I'd have to take my shirt off. I don't think so. And yes."

I never should have tried to bond with this kid. Once he starts talking, he doesn't stop. He's a never-ending chain of questions.

"Marlene?" Tifa dives in to save me. "Didn't you want to watch movie after dinner? Why don't you go get everything ready?"

"Okay!" Marlene jumps up from the table. "Come on, Junior. Let's go pick something out."

"Thank you," I mumble once the kids are out of the room.

Tifa grins and starts clearing the table. "You're welcome."


After cleaning the dishes and doing a few other chores, Tifa and I join the kids for the movie in Marlene's room (luckily, their makeshift movie theater is still present from her bout of Chocobo pox). However, Tifa doesn't last long. About halfway through the movie, Tifa falls asleep.

Tifa had thrown herself across the bed horizontally to use my stomach as a pillow. I'd started running my fingers through her hair and she was asleep within a matter of minutes.

Meanwhile, Junior had fallen asleep on the beanbag chair between Denzel and Marlene.

"You two stay with him." I lift Tifa up bridal style. "I'm taking her to bed."

Upon entering our room, I pull the covers back and place Tifa on the bed as gently as I can. I take off her shoes and I'm about to put the blankets over her when I see her stomach trying to peek out from under her shirt.

It's small but I think she is finally starting to show.

A part of me wants to touch the slight curve in her stomach but another part wants to keep all of this at arms length. I feel happiness but I also feel fear. I feel warmth and attachment but there is also apprehension. My emotions are at war with one another and I can't really figure out how I feel, so I end up covering Tifa with blankets and leaving the room.

On my way back to check on Marlene and Denzel, I hear the front door open.

"Cid and Shera are back," I declare as I enter the room and haul Junior out of the beanbag chair. He is limp and apparently, a heavy sleeper like is father. He is snoring a little bit but he is roughly three-years-old so it's still cute unlike Cid's snoring that kept me up many a night.

Denzel and Marlene follow me back into the bar where Cid and Shera are waiting.

Shera's eyes brighten at the sight of her son splayed across my shoulder.

"He fell asleep during the movie." Marlene giggles a little as she gently pats his back.

"Was he good?" Shera asks softly.

Cid pries Junior off my now slobbery shoulder and transfers him to his shoulder.

"He was really good. I think he had fun," Marlene replies, sounding very mature. "We played games. Had snacks. Cloud even took him for a ride on Fenrir before dinner!"

"Look at you bein' all thoughtful and considerate." Cid scoffs but actually seems kind of proud. "Where's Tifa?" He asks as he eyes the space.

"She fell asleep during the movie too." I shrug.

Cid laughs, making Junior bounce a little against his shoulder.

"Three kids too much for her?"

"Apparently."

"She'll have to get over that if you two ever decide to have another runt of your own." Cid snickers.

Marlene and Denzel exchange knowing glances and look at me expectantly, as if to say: Are you gonna tell them?!

I chuckle nervously. "Yeah."

I'm not telling them we're pregnant. Not now and not alone. Once Tifa gives me the go ahead, we'll figure something out. Personally, I want to tell everyone collectively so I can just rip the proverbial bandage off. You know, take all my lashings at once.

"Don't pester him, Cid," Shera interjects. "We'll get out of your hair now. Thanks again so much for looking after him. Tell Tifa thanks for me?"

"Sure," I say.

"You're welcome! We'll tell Tifa!" Marlene adds, waving. "Be safe!"

"We'll be in touch," Cid opens the front door for Shera. "Don't be stranger."

"Mm."

I lock the door behind them once it shuts and I want to collapse into the nearest chair. I'm not even pregnant and I'm exhausted.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be," Denzel admits, a hint of a smile on his lips. He's been a really good sport through all this even though I know he didn't want to be here.

"Yeah, but it didn't really go like I hoped it would either," Marlene counters, looking a little disappointed.

"You did good," I insist as I start turning all the lights off. "Don't sweat the small stuff. We made it through without any casualties."

"Can I go to my room now?" Denzel grouses with a yawn.

"You're free to go. Don't stay up too late though. Lights out by 11," I reply but Denzel has already disappeared into the hallway. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised he lasted this long.

"Do you want me to help you pick up all the toys?" Marlene offers politely.

I look around at the wreckage scattered throughout the space. "Nah. We'll deal with it tomorrow."

Honestly, I don't have the strength to clean all this shit up. Besides, it can wait until morning.

"Okay." Marlene gives me a quick hug. "Goodnight, Cloud."

I smile and return her embrace. "Goodnight."

After making sure everything is off and all the doors are locked, I go back to my bedroom and collapse onto the bed next to Tifa.

Immediately, she sits upright, looking around frantic.

"Cid and Shera already came to get Junior," I reply before she asks the question I see floating around in her head.

She falls onto her back again. "I can't believe a fell asleep like that."

"Well, fatigue is one of the symptoms of your…ailment," I say with a yawn.

"Still! It couldn't have been later than 8!"

It wasn't but I don't rub it in.

Sighing, she rolls over to face me. "Thanks for taking over."

"No problem."

"Think we're ready for three kids?" she asks.

"As long as the third one isn't Junior Highwind…" I grumble as I kick my boots off my feet.

Tifa chuckles and puts a hand under her belly. "It won't be."

Apprehensively, I put my hand on top of hers. "Then I might be able to handle it."


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

So I have a question for you guys. I've had some discussions about Genesis Rhapsodos recently and I am curious as to what your thoughts are on the character post Dirge of Cerberus. Is he a future protagonist or antagonist? Any theories? Personally, I thought that ending/bonus scene of his at the end of Dirge of Cerberus was…ambiguous. To me, it was hard to see where they were going with the character. Like, how was I supposed to feel? How am I supposed to interpret this scene? What should I expect? I know I need to be excited but to what end? This may have been the intention but I am still curious as to what you guys think!

Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!