An Alternate Universe

By: Final Serenity

---- A Daughters Love ----

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Chapter Eight: The "Special" One


He patted Murk's head again.

It had a been a few hours since he'd been out here but considering he was wearing a hole in his living room floor, he thought a good time spent out here would be better on his nerves. There was so much that he had to think about but certainly one above all.

Tifa was the one cause of his restlessness.

Two days ago when he had first received the news of his wife's pregnancy he had been intrigued to find that only one of his daughters was distraught by the news. Tifa with eerie silence and lifeless being made him wonder who was his daughter, really. She always kept to herself even distancing from her sisters, and if that weren't enough even her mother did not know of her.

He had decided to find out for himself what made Tifa the way she was.

During the day she seemed normal as usual not being a person of many words and simply working at her chores. However unlike her sisters Tifa was slower at many of the chores; sewing in particular. Though she could cook well enough but anything else she would appear to be less than efficient like her sisters. There was a moment that he wondered, during his break at lunch he'd decided to come into the house and eat rather than out in the barn.

Shera had served him, but when she walked back to the stove to put more food upon a tray she knocked over a pitcher of water. Tifa caught it brilliantly, and while her sisters thought nothing more of it…he couldn't help think that it was an astounding catch. Such reflexes that would allow her to keep hold of a heavy water filled pot.

Then there was that one time, the thought of Tifa being the one…

Even the possibility of it being true, even if it was just a fanciful thought that maybe…just maybe his daughter had been the one cutting the fields in the dark of the night. He finally resolved to spend the night in the barn and watch the fields to see who exactly who was the one cutting it.

Tonight had answered that very question.

Murk's head lolled for a moment before he let out a soft "wark" and settling back down into his hay bed.

He woke when he wanted and slept when he wanted, he being a loved creature amongst the household and did his respective duties but only did more if treated respectfully. A stubborn chocobo no doubt but also one of the best that a human could want, or even hope to ever have.

Sighing he turned and walked from the cover of his barn into the frosted night and towards the home he'd built.

He stopped.

Squinting his eyes he gazed out across the way passed the fencing of his yard and towards the reaches of the forest. The light was coming up and even if it was still dusk the dew settling its place on leaves; he could see them clearly.

Two figures standing at the edge of the forest towards one another; they must be speaking as their mouths kept moving the smaller person swaying a little.

He knew who they were.

A thankful smile came to his face as he took a last glance towards the figures before heading into the home and back to the living room. Rekindling the fire and pulling from the three seating sofa the throw blanket he went through the kitchen and back out the door. He came out just to see her climbing over the fence with such ease; being clothed in something other than a dress.

She stopped her eyes big and wide.

There was a moment of awkward silence as she stood there with a queasy look on her face; and he stood with great uneasiness.

"Come on now," he called out to her, she wasn't that far away but considering she was hardly dressed for the breezy morning air he didn't want her catching a cold…there was a lot that needed to be discussed later. "You'll catch a cold."

Tifa hesitated but did as she was told and walked the rest of the way; when she reached him they stood together and said nothing. He gave her a nervous sort of smile before opening the blanket and wrapping it around her shoulders. After a few more awkward moments together it wasn't so bad; they made it into the house and after he insisted that she eat something he sent her up to bed.

Needless to say it was really; really uncomfortable being as they both knew what would come. However it need not be so soon after a trying night for the both of them a good rest was in order.

He climbed the stairs after her and headed into his own room greeted by his worried wife.

"Darling!" she rushed from her seat on the bed and into his arms. "I was worried when you didn't come up for hours, even well after supper I did not see you."

"Almera, Tifa is to sleep in this morning I don't want anyone waking her," he stated, there was no pause in his line as he began to take off his overcoat that should have been left at the door downstairs, as well as his boots. "When she does wake, I want her to have a hardy meal and then send her out to me."

"…What's going on?" normally Almera would let this behavior go, seeing as how her husband's word was law in this house…but not about this.

Dane was quiet for a moment his thoughts collecting as he pulled over the covers and slipped into them. "There are no such things as goddesses."

That took her a little by surprise. "I don't understand…"

"The fields, our fields were not blessed by the goddesses hands but cut by our daughter's hands." He breathed out the memory of waiting in the barn, of the moment he thought he would have been discovered…and then watching as his middle daughter did a man's work in the night.

"…you can't be," Almera felt her fingers slip on her night gown she had been clutching in her hands. "Tifa was…the one cutting the fields?"

He slightly nodded while leaning back on the pillow, his eyes coming close the images of his daughter in the fields. The way her eyes lit up and her body worked mechanically, the way she dressed as a young boy but in truth had the spirit of a strong laborer…He'd never seen a woman or any type a female do what she had done; he'd never seen a young boy even work the way she did.

She made it look so simple.

Almera was sitting on the bedside her eyes searching the floor as if it would give her answers, but suddenly her face returned to normal and she stood. "I need to get breakfast ready I will make sure the girls don't disturb Tifa and darling…you should rest too."

He let out a sort of chuckle before letting himself drift off into sleep.

Almera understood.


"But mother!" she cried, it was unfair!

"No more Aeris," Almera bit out as she slapped the dough together. "I don't want to hear another word about it!"

Aeris frowned before stomping off towards the living room to return to the quilt mending that her sisters were currently doing. They were having an hour or so from their normal chores to work on the baby blanket, it was just before lunch. The hour was finishing up and Aeris had finally had enough whispers between her sisters about, why Tifa of all gets to sleep in.

They always woke at dawn and did their daily tasks but it seemed that today was something different, their mother had forbid any of the girls to go and wake Tifa. It wasn't fair at all seeing as they all did their fair share of work and Tifa was no exception, she wasn't special. Only when any of the girls decided to ask their mother about it, she just would tell them to mind their chores and not worry about it.

"Did mother say anything?" Jesse was the one to ask the question, well the first one that opened her mouth.

They had all been wondering what was going on, it wasn't like their parents to tolerate laziness or slothfulness and certainly no one was allowed to sleep in. There had to be something strange going on in the household and the girls wanted to know what exactly it had to do with Tifa.

"No, she didn't say anything." Aeris breathed out her hand pushing back some strands of hair. "Elmyra and Shera, mother wants you to come help with lunch."

The two oldest girls nodded and in unison headed for the kitchen leaving, Jesse and the youngest girls left with the quilt. Aeris joined them walking around the large wooden quilting frame; as finely crafted as it was they could not claim that their father had been its maker. No, this was a gift for Christmas that her father had bought in the earlier years of their marriage and so far it has lasted over the years.

"Maybe Tifa is sick," Marlene thought aloud. "And that's why they let her stay in bed."

Yes, that was true and a valid reason as to why their parents allowed her to sleep during the daylight; it is only if they are sick do they stay in bed.

Aeris however wasn't convinced.

Out of all the girls Tifa was the one that hadn't gotten sick since childhood, she was a sturdy girl that was for sure a little slow when it came to most of the work but did the job. She would even take the orders of her older sisters without complaint unlike Yuffie and Marlene. In fact if it was thought about long enough most of the girls would state that they barely even knew what Tifa was like.

Which is why it made no sense, then again Marlene could have given her cold to Tifa and it was simply making its way around the house like the usual illnesses do.

A creak in the steps of the stairs made their attention turn to the bottom of the staircase; there stood Tifa wide awake and dressed as usual. She looked a bit confused however even though there was a lack of emotion you could see it in her eyebrows the way they creased.

"Tifa!" Yuffie jumped up and ran to her, pulling up her arms and looking her over. "She doesn't look sick to me."

"I am not." Tifa remarked while smoothing out her ruffled dress thanks to Yuffie; she looked to Aeris and Jesse who had subtle looks of irritation.

"Tifa!" Almera walked through the kitchen arch way and came to her daughter, with a bright smile and kisses both cheeks she gave her a hug. "Darling come, I hope you're hungry!"

The younger two girls followed along with a confused Jesse and Aeris following after them. The sight was so very odd. Tifa was obviously not sick nor did her mother seem to have indifference about her sleeping in; the back door opened as their father came in from the fields. He paused at the door for a moment before smirking and coming to sit next to Tifa on the side of the table instead of at the end where he normally did.

Their mother served the two and ushered the girls to go back into the living room and clean up the quilting; Shera and Elmyra to help.

"What is going on," Aeris was frustrated this was becoming ridiculous as the actions of her parents were nearly their complete opposites. "What has Tifa done to be treated so special?"

"I don't know," Elmyra was concerned as much as Aeris, this wasn't normal and in their household normalcy is what holds them together. "It is very strange all of this."

"Tifa doesn't do as much work as the rest of us," Shera added in pushing up the rims of her glasses. "If I am correct she is lacking the skills of homemaking as the rest of us as well."

"It doesn't make sense!" Jesse stood with her hands on her hips.

"Girls," Almera walked through the door a stern look on her face. "I can hear you."

Aeris stepped forward as she put her hands up. "Mother we just don't understand it is not fair that Tifa is allowed to sleep during working hours, and is given lunch before us."

Their mothers head tilted as she took a deep breath. "You all listen to me right now; I am only going to say this once. We don't have to explain anything to you; we're not obligated to tell you girls everything. Now you finish cleaning up and come eat your lunch."

Turning on heel Almera left a stunned room of girls. They had never really had their mother act so coarse towards them; their father plenty of times but…never their mother. Her sweet temper and demure appearance they never expected such a command to come from her.

But was enough to keep them from talking anymore on the matter of Tifa.

Most of them just figured it was none of their business and if it had to involve them, it would.

However there was a couple that just couldn't seem to let it go.

It wasn't fair…

What made Tifa so special?