Author's Note: I have good news for all of my readers! This chapter is going to be filled with lots of good stuff! ^-^ I love Tifa and have tortured her enough for now. So things are going to get better for Tifa! (But for how long…? *laughs maniacally*) Also, WARNING: tiny hint of lime in this chapter!

Also:

"blah blah blah" = talking.

blah blah blah = thinking.

"blah blah blah" = Chaos speaking.

Rating: M for violence, language, and some lemony goodness in later chapters! Also; character death!

Pairing: Vincent x Tifa.

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII or any of its characters~


| [viii] |

Tifa stood naked in front of the full-sized mirror, observing her changing body. She remembered the health class she had been required to take in school and what they had taught about women going through pregnancy but seeing it in herself was actually pretty amazing.

She had gained back all of the weight from her grieving period but, much to her delight, she gained it in all the right spots so her renowned figure was back. Not only was it back though, it was better than ever! Her stomach had protruded the tiniest bit and it seemed as though her breasts had grown quite a bit already. And on top of that her hair and nails were the nicest they had ever been. She was sixteen weeks along, according to the doctor she saw in town.

She peeked out of the tiny window and saw that the Sun was shining brightly outside and it was with that that she decided to wear a pair of denim shorts and one of her many midriff-exposing tank tops.

The scent of something cooking hit her and it all but dragged her from the bathroom and down the stairs to the kitchen where she found Vincent putting together the food he had just cooked.

She sat at the table eagerly awaiting her meal. Vincent carried plates to the table and set them in front of her. He had made a lean roast beef sandwich and provided sides of baby carrots, an orange, some Greek yogurt with honey, and a spinach salad. He had been skimming through the mansion's library one day and in the health section he had found a book on pregnancy dieting. He had found that in her second trimester iron, calcium, vitamin D, and fiber were very important so for the next ten weeks whenever he cooked he'd only make food rich in those nutrients.

"Vincent Valentine," She gave him a serious look after eating half of her sandwich. "I have reviewed your application and resume and I have come to the decision that the job for 'Lead Cook at Seventh Heaven Bar & Grille' is all yours! Or the position for Tifa Lockhart's Personal Chef. Whichever you'd prefer." She giggled then, sipping at the papaya smoothie he had given her.

When he only responded with a raise of his brow she grinned then. "You're seriously an awesome cook. If you keep cooking for me I'll end up even fatter than that Boundfat we fought in the Valley!" She giggled and then gasped, suddenly remembering her morning bathroom observations. "Vincent!" She stood suddenly and turned so that Vincent could see her profile. She rested her hand on her stomach and smiled warmly. "Look! The baby bump is getting so big!" Her belly had been swelling much more subtly than normal, the doctor had told her, but that meant that the baby was just on the smaller sign and it probably didn't mean anything.

Vincent did look at her. He saw that a bump had grown, yes, but he noticed a lot more. Like how she was practically radiating, and how her hair looked even shinier and softer than before, but most of all he noticed that the swell of her bosom and hips had grown. The infamous Tifa Lockhart body had grown even more enticing.

He pulled his eyes away, blushing in his head at the lewd thoughts. "You're right." He answered softly, looking down into his coffee mug.

Tifa pouted. She wasn't sure what she had wanted or expected him to say but it certainly wasn't that. She sat and started on the salad.

Vincent swore he felt his mother smacking the back of his head and lecturing him on what was proper to say to women and what wasn't. "You're right about the bump," He decided to add to his original response in the hopes of getting that pout off of her face. "but you still look wonderful, Tifa."

The woman's heart fluttered at that. She looked up and winked at him. "You don't look half bad yourself!" She giggled and blushed faintly, surprised that she had just said that. She thought that Vincent was ethereally beautiful, even otherworldly handsome. But she would absolutely die of embarrassment if he knew that she thought that way.

Vincent blushed faintly as well. He knew that she was only fooling around with that compliment because he doubted that anybody would ever see him as even mildly good-looking, but the comment still made his own heart flutter.

"I think my boy has, oh, what do you humans call them? Crushes! That's it. I think my boy has a crush."

He was quick to deny it and to tell the demon to keep quiet but now he wondered; did he have feelings for Tifa? It was pretty obvious that he did, but he'd have to put them to rest as soon as he figured out how to. Last time he had feelings for a woman he was shot and then experimented on and turned into a demon. And on top of that Tifa was everything he wasn't; absolutely beautiful, sweet, strong, and deserving of everything good that the Planet could offer. Why would she want anything to do with him?

"I know we're heading back tomorrow, so, do you think we can go walk around the town a little tonight? I thought it'd be fun to give you a proper tour of Nibelheim!"

He nodded, finishing off his coffee. He actually had something he had wanted to show her anyways.

Nibelheim had been burned to the ground in the year 0002 if Vincent's memory served him well. After that Shinra immediately had the town rebuilt with fake citizens in an attempt to cover up what had actually happened. After Sephiroth's defeat the town had slowly been rebuilt again but with actual citizens inhabiting it this time. It was much different than it had been during her childhood but she seemed so excited that he didn't say anything.

•••

"And then my father had heard the rumors from our neighbors that it was all his fault that I had gotten hurt so he forbid Cloud from associating with me whatsoever anymore. I remember how scared and angry Cloud had looked when my father was shouting at him!" She chuckled sadly, the memories of her life before Sephiroth and AVALANCE bittersweet.

He nodded, looking down the trail that Tifa was looking down. It was the trail that led to Mt. Nibel.

"It was pretty stupid of me to think my mother was off hiding in the mountains, huh?"

"You were only a child." He commented, looking back down at her.

She smiled softly at that. "So, you have spent the whole day learning all about my childhood…"

"I have."

"So what about yours?"

"Come," He turned and began to walk towards the centre of the town. "I've something to show you. I'll answer your questions as we walk."

She nodded and followed, curious as to where they were going. But not enough to forget her questions. "Where are you from, anyways?" He didn't look like any one nationality so she had never been able to tell.

"I was born in Wutai and lived there until my father moved us to Midgar for his work when I was about twelve." He explained, passing through a few markets and vendors.

"You're Wutainese?"

"Shì de."

"Really? I never would have guessed!"

"Really." They were getting close to his destination and he was growing increasingly nervous. How would Tifa take this surprise? He thought she'd be happy about it, but what if it only hurt her? "My mother was Wutainese but my father was Mideelian. I've been told that I look more like him."

Tifa was about to comment and presumably ask a million more questions but Vincent gestured to the park they were about to enter.

"This is Nibel Park, a nature reserve meant to honor the Planet as an apology for the incident and its cover-up from Shinra." Vincent explained, staying behind a few steps to allow Tifa to explore.

"This is so beautiful! I didn't know that Shinra was even capable of creating something so beautiful and pure."

"There's something I think you should see." Vincent headed for the Eastern part of the Park where there was a meticulously designed garden of white and yellow tiger lilies, nearly identical to the ones found in Aeris' church.

She walked the stone trail through the garden until she was met with a large pond. She froze instantly.

In the middle of the pond was a bronze statue of the one and only Cloud Strife on a pedestal with a plaque that read:

"In loving memory of a hero,
whose legacy as savior of our Planet,
will never be forgotten.
08/19/1986-09/12/0009"

Tears fell from her eyes and streaked down her cheeks as she looked up at the statue. It did look just like Cloud. They got the spikes of his hair just right. She felt as though somebody's fist was squeezing her heart.

"Cloud's only ever had one dream," She turned so that she was facing Vincent. "and that was to be some great hero." She started to walk away from the statue and back to the gunslinger. "I hope he can see this memorial from the Lifestream. He's always been my hero and he's the Planet's hero but I don't think he ever realized it. If he wasn't a hero why would they build such a memorial in his memory?" She looked up to the sky then. See, Cloud? You're a hero. Just like you always dreamed.

"From what I've gathered Shinra had this memorial put up about a month and a half ago at the demand of the people of Nibelheim."

She grinned wide and moved closer to the man before her and wrapped her arms around his chest, nestling her head against it. "Thank you for showing me this."

He tensed up like he always did but this time he awkwardly tried to reciprocate the hug, his arms fell around her shoulders loosely and only as awkwardly as Vincent Valentine could hug.

•••

Tifa had called Shera to tell her the news of her pregnancy when she had found out about it. She hadn't been ready to tell anybody about it yet, but seeing as Shera was due any day now, she would be able to help Tifa with her own pregnancy.

When she mentioned that she and Vincent were planning to return to Edge in a few weeks Shera had scolded her for thinking about doing such extensive traveling now that she was carrying. She immediately told her that she'd get Cid to come pick her up when they were ready to go.

So the morning following their evening at the Park, right when Tifa finished the breakfast Vincent had cooked her, the Shera had landed on the outskirts of Nibelheim to pick them up and drop them off in Edge.

Cid had sent his most trusted crew members to handle the trip because Shera wasn't comfortable flying and the uncouth pilot refused to leave her alone for a second in case she went into labor.

Tifa had spent the flight talking to Vincent and to Cid's crew. Vincent observed her silently and was pleased with what he noticed; she was practically radiating happiness. He could tell that some part of her was still saddened, but it seems as though she had gotten through the worst of it.

•••

"That was Yuffs' on the phone," The barmaid explained as she stepped into the living room where Vincent was sitting on the new couch. When he had left her in Del Sol, before putting himself to rest in the coffin he had actually gotten ahold of a home décor specialist and had the nicest, most expensive couch they had delivered to her home to replace the one he had soiled.

He looked up from his book and groaned inwardly. The ninja was a great girl but she was Gods awful annoying and seemed to always give him headaches instantaneously when she was around.

"She's gone ahead and named the baby for me." She rolled her eyes, sitting on the arm of the couch.

"…"

"Its name will be Yuffie Jr. She's certain it'll be a girl so that's the only perfect name."

His lips twitched a bit, his subtle version of a smile. "Have you thought of any names?"

She shrugged. "It's still early so I haven't thought about it extensively. If it's a girl she'll definitely be an Aeris though. That's an easy one. But if it's a boy…? I'm not sure. Maybe Brian after my father or…" She paused. "Cloud. I haven't decided."

"Well you have plenty of time."

"That's right. Oh, and I talked to Elmyra today too. She has vast plans for turning Cloud's office into a nursery. She has recruited you and Barret to help with the labor."

"When did you want to start on that?"

"I'm not sure but pretty soon, I think. It'll take a while to get it all set up and I want it to be ready when I bring the baby home."

He nodded, suddenly struck with an idea. "If you'd write up a list of the basics you want for the nursery, as in colors and the like, I'd like to start drafting out ideas and such. Consider it your early baby shower gift." A bit of red crept into his cheeks and he looked away from her, hoping the blush would go unnoticed. He had begun to wear his cloak and leather bindings less and less frequently to dress more comfortably. It also allowed him to go out in public without being stared at as much.

Like today, for example, he wore a pair of black slacks and a deep crimson button-up shirt. He almost felt naked without the restricting leather and the cloak that concealed most of him, but he was growing used to it.

Tifa herself blushed and looked away. "Vincent, I appreciate it but you don't have to do that. It's way too much."

"I'm sure Elmyra wouldn't let me do all of it on my own anyways." He shrugged and found the courage to look back up at Tifa, surprised to find that she was also blushing.

When she looked back to him and found him looking at her her blush only deepened. She crept carefully from the arm of the couch so that she was on the couch itself, awfully close to her roommate.

"Vincent?"

"…" His heart was beating so hard and fast he thought he'd faint on the spot. He didn't know what she was doing, leaning so close to him and slouching forward the slightest bit so that when he looked down at her he was forced to see the cleavage her tiny little shirt exposed.

"Kiss me." Lately Tifa had begun to understand why the second trimester of pregnancy was often referred to as the "Honeymoon trimester"; her hormones were driving her crazy. She had enjoyed making love a lot, but she wasn't ever overly sexually charged that she needed it. But right now, she did. Normally she'd just go take a shower and take care of it herself, but she was afraid to. She didn't know the extent of Vincent's superhuman senses and she'd die for sure if he heard her or something.

Vincent was beyond bewildered. He felt a shiver shoot up his spine and a warmth in the lowest part of his belly at the demand that was only worsened by the way she was looking at him through her long lashes, biting her lip, and still slouched enough that her cleavage took up about 75% of his visage. But the demand also brought a tornado of questions to surge through his head. Why did she want him to do that? What did she want with him? Could he even kiss a woman that he hadn't formally dated? His mother had been strict with etiquette and manners growing up, so he didn't know that the people in Tifa's generation weren't nearly as strict with these rules. What about Cloud? What about Lucretia? Did Tifa have feelings for him?

His thoughts were brought to a screeching halt, however, when Tifa decided she couldn't wait for him to get through his inner turmoil and leaned up to brush her lips against his.

His mind was completely clear now for instincts, pent up needs, and irrational behavior to take over. When her lips brushed against his he lost all control. He pushed his lips into hers hard, taking Tifa by surprise.

But she was ready for it. Her arms rested over his shoulders and she pressed her body into his, her breasts against his firm chest. She gasped when his nipped at her plump bottom lip and he used the opening to slip his tongue into her mouth to dance with hers.

She moaned as their tongues partook in a heated yet elegant dance.

Keeping his mouth to hers Vincent pulled the gauntlet from his hand, afraid of accidentally cutting Tifa's smooth skin with the talons. He left the black glove that he wore beneath the gauntlet on, however. His hands found solace in her hips. The skin of her sides was hot against his gloveless hand and he could even feel the heat a bit through the glove on his other hand.

The martial artist's back arched a bit at his touch, pushing her breasts into his chest even more. Heat was pooling like a hot spring in Mideel in her core and she needed more of his touch. Careful not to break their kiss she moved so that Vincent's back was pressing into the couch and she was straddling his lithe hips.

She could feel his desire against her inner thigh and it only fueled the fire in her core like gasoline. And when his hands slid down her hips and to her thighs, moving sensuously from her outer thighs to the inner—where he came teasingly close to the source of her need—she lost the little control she had left.

Her mouth left his and began to work its way along his jaw and down his neck to suckle and nip at the junction where his neck met his shoulder. He sighed contentedly at the feeling and his hands reciprocated by moving around her hips to her bottom, giving one of her cheeks a good squeeze before pulling her so that her core was closer to his.

The scent of her arousal almost brought Vincent to the point of salivating. It was overwhelming his superhuman ability to smell. And everywhere her hands and lips roamed felt as though they had been scorched. He hadn't felt such need in decades. And when her hips twitched, pushing herself against his own arousal more, he to do everything in his power to not just push her down onto her back, rip her clothing off, and fuck her until she couldn't see straight.

But when her hands found their way to the belt that held his trousers up and she moaned his name against his skin, his hand grabbed hers, stopping her. She looked up at him, confused, and then blushed furiously as she realized what had just happened. She scrambled off of his lap as if she had been struck, falling and landing on the floor on her bottom.

"Tifa," Vincent's voice was breathless and Tifa felt her own breath hitch. "We can't." He was panting, dizzy and out of breath.

"I'm s-so sorry!" She pulled herself up, stumbling back so that she was as far from him as she could be. "I don't k-know what c-c-came over me!" All heat had left her body and now she felt cold. She couldn't believe she did what she just did. Especially to Vincent. She knew what kind of emotional baggage he had with Lucretia and she still pushed herself onto him like it. And she wasn't the type of girl to do something like this. She hadn't even been that way with Cloud. Her hormones were getting bad and seeing Vincent on the couch reading in a button-up shirt that mimicked the color of his eyes with the sleeves lazily rolled up to his elbows with his smooth, unruly onyx hair spilling over his shoulders her body had gone into auto-pilot or something.

He stood from the couch and began to step towards her. "Tifa, I apologize for…encouraging that."

He was rather close to her and she flinched when his hand rose close to her face. He had intended to let his fingers mindlessly trace over her jaw or something but he let his hand drop back down when she flinched.

"You're…you're going to leave me now, aren't you?" She felt as though she had just been punched in the gut when she realized that he was probably going to flee now to hate her from a distance. She had broken down the barriers he had worked so hard to build. And he probably thought that she was dirty or something.

He nodded, looking down. "For tonight, yes. I'll be back sometime tomorrow so we can discuss your ideas for the nursery."

"Vincent, I'm sorry." She felt tears starting to well up in her eyes but she made no move to catch them.

He nodded and turned from her abruptly, grabbed his gauntlet, his cloak off of the cloak rack and headed out the front door.