Hello everyone! I have returned with chapter ten of Grandfather Paradox! :D I know, it took me forever and a day to get this chapter out too, yeah. I've been under a ton of pressure and stress lately and I've been trying to work through that, but it's tough stuff as you all know. Anyways, I'll let you guys get to reading, enjoy :)

~X[Chapter 10: Pin the Blame on the Blonde]X~

Sephiroth was rudely interrupted from his slumber by the insistent beeping of an alarm clock nearby. His groggy eyes pried themselves open, his world a big blur from the heaviness in the lids. He blinked a couple of times to clear out his eyes and refocus his line of accurate sight. A red digital clock was screaming a shrilling tone at him while the time informed him it was rather early. Five-thirty? He normally never woke up until six or six-thirty at the latest.

The his sleepy memory cleared and allowed him to remember he was no longer in his own world anymore. He was in some other dimension with strange family ties and even stranger relationships. Unable to take that shrill crying from the digital machine any longer, Sephiroth quickly snaked his hand out from under the blankets and smacked a few buttons on top of the clock until it was silent once more.

Sure, he may be in some alternate reality, but why was he still having to wake up so early? As if Gaia was actually listening to his musing, the phone in his kitchen was beginning to go off in a flat key of F. The silverette swiftly tossed the covers from his body and rose from his warmed bed, a cold chill coursing through his arms from the lack of warmth.

He scuffled through the hallway and into the kitchen as speedily as a sleep-lagged body would allow. Once in front of the blaring device, he picked it up and held it to his ear.

"May I ask who's speaking?" Sephiroth asked into the receiver, using his normal and formal greeting when answering a phone.

"What are you, a telemarketer? It's me, your brother." The curt and deep voice of Angeal chuckled.

The general was pleased to hear a familiar and helpful voice on the other end, but why was he calling so early in the morning?

"You probably forgot, knowing that your memory still seems to be out of place, but it's Monday, and that means school." The younger man supplied.

School. Ah, yes. That's where his children would be going for the day. That alone nearly made him crack a smile. He could finally get some time to himself to figure out where this place was and how exactly he got here! No distractions, no parenting, no nothing!

"I figured you might need a little guidance again since you still don't remember anything."

"Your assistance is appreciated greatly, Angeal." Sephiroth acknowledged with a sharp nod of his head.

"It's nothing, you've helped me out more times than I can count! Especially with my own handful." Angeal replied.

Speaking of handful, the general could hear whining on the other end of the line, a voice only belonging to Zack and pleading to not be taken to school today.

"I helped you with him?" The silverette admonished with a quiet scoff. How had he managed that? Technically, how did his other self of this dimension do it?

"Of course. By the time my son was born you already had two of your own and all the advice I needed to know." Angeal reminded with a quick laugh.

Right, the three duplicates of himself were older than Zack except for the littlest one, Loz, whom was a few weeks younger.

"I do not recall how I did that." Sephiroth managed to say as he shook his head.

The Zack he knew was already a handful, but to make him a mere child, that was like making him double the trouble.

"Anyways, back on track here. Make sure you wake them up and that they have something to eat for breakfast." The younger man reminded, guiding his older brother as best as he could from over the phone.

"Understood, then what?" The silverette inquired, wanting to know every step of his battle plan before executing it.

"Once that's done they need to take their school supplies with them and from there you send them out the door and to their bus stop." Angeal added on.

"Cloud too?" Sephiroth included, wondering how the small one would step up onto a bus at the height he was currently at.

"What? No, he's only two, Sephiroth. He's not old enough for school yet. He has to stay with you all day."

All day? The mighty general almost thought a nerve would snap in his head. He had no idea how to take care of a child, a toddler, by himself.

"I know what you might be thinking right now, but it's not bad I promise. You can take some time to get re-acquainted with him since you've seem to have forgotten almost everything about your life." Angeal assured, using a comforting tone to stop his older brother from flipping out inside his head.

"I don't wanna go to school today!" A slightly garbled voice broke in through the younger man's side of the line.

"Zack hush, I'm on the phone." Angeal chided, his voice somewhat muted.

Sephiroth had to crack a small smirk at that. While the relationships with the people he used to know may have been altered severely, they were still the same person deep inside. They shared the same soul, the same essence. That was something unchanging and unwavering no matter where you happened to be.

"Anyway, that's basically why I called. I need to get the pup over here to school-"

"Daddy I can't go to school today, I'm sick! (Cough, cough)"

"You are not sick. If anyone is sick here it's me, because I'm really sick of your attitude! (Ahem) If you need to know anything else just give me a call, alright?" Angeal spoke, half scolding his son and half making sure his older brother knew what to do.

"Will do. Take care." Sephiroth responded before he ended the call just before he heard his brother abruptly punish his child.

Now he just needed to make sure those three spawns of his were awake. Gaining as much needed composure as he could conjure up, he spun on his heel and sauntered down the hall. Put on the game face, it's go time. He approached the bedroom door and swiftly swung it open, peaking inside just as speedily. The lights were off and the three were still sleeping peacefully.

Sephiroth realized he could act more normal at this point. Wake up calls were his specialty. He reached over to the left and flicked the light switch on and off rapidly until he heard the three groan and moan in different pitches. When they stirred and slowly started to sit up, the silverette left the ceiling light on and stood firm and tall by the doorway.

"C'mon Dad, fi'more minutes…" Kadaj sleepily moaned, rubbing his right eye with his fist.

"Permission denied. Now get dressed, you've got a bus to catch." Sephiroth repudiated.

"Not even three more minutes?" The groggy voice of Loz whined from the bed on the very right.

"No. Get up." The general demanded.

"But Daaaad!" Kadaj whined.

However, Yazoo rose from his bed as he rubbed his eyes. He was a little shaky upon waking up, but he was doing as he was told without fuss or complaint. Out of all those similar looking spawns of his, Sephiroth had to admit, he liked the middle child the best.

"See? Your brother knows what to do. I suggest you follow his lead. Unless you'd rather leave without eating?" Sephiroth proposed, leaning against the doorframe as a cool smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

Loz was all 'up-and-at-em' after hearing that. Covers flew and a figure rolled right out of the bed and onto the floor. The spiky-headed child was quick to bounce to his feet and stand at attention. Kadaj rolled out of bed but didn't fall to the floor. He groaned and moaned as he did so, not wanting to get up at all this morning.

Seeing that all of the children were up and out of their beds, Sephiroth retreated from the premises and headed towards the kitchen. He needed to fix something quick and filling for them so they would not be late. If he had to take them to school, it would end with rage and a quick phone call to Angeal. He'd rather not trouble the man right now, he had his own four-letter trouble to deal with.

As soon as he entered the kitchen, he scanned through the cupboards. He found what looked to be a box of cereal. He pulled it down and inspected the colorful box. It had a white rabbit on it eyeing a bowl of fun colored cereal on it, which said cereal bits were shaped like spheres, flowers, and other random shapes. Odd, they didn't have this kind from his home dimension. The only cereal that looked even remotely close to this was the Tonberry-blast brand.

Well it looked good enough, so therefore it must be good enough. He closed the cupboard door and deposited the breakfast cereal on the counter below. He spun on his heel and opened up the fridge behind him, scanning for only a moment until his eyes came in contact with a large jug of milk. He grabbed the half full carton and pulled it out, setting it down right next to the cereal box.

He also found where bowls and silverware were kept and placed them around the kitchen table. A large amount of the colorful cereal was poured into the awaiting bowls below, followed up by a large stream of milk. Spoons were then placed into the waiting bowls. Not hard at all. However, Sephiroth noticed that the breakfast seemed to be on the small side. The infantry even ate more than this.

So he decided to run through the pantries again, looking for something small to add to the breakfast. Taking care of children certainly was a hassle. Why would another version of him create four spawns to contend with? He found himself wondering that almost every five minutes now. He stopped his internal musings when his eyes connected with the sight of individually wrapped muffins near the back. He reached up and scooped some of them closer. He had to stop and shrug when they all toppled out of the cupboard and onto the counter below instead.

He placed three of the four muffins by the bowls of softening cereal. He glanced at the spare one for a moment before he shrugged and decided to eat that one himself. Waste not want not. Right around that time, the three silver-haired children shuffled out of the hallway and entered the kitchen. Kadaj was trying to stifle a yawn as he drug his slouched frame across the floor. Yazoo looked stoic and bored as ever, walking with a straight back and cool eyes. Loz was hopping along behind his second oldest brother with bright eyes.

The three sat themselves in their respective seats and started to chow down on the food prepared for them. Yazoo, however, glanced up after a few bites and looked around him. His eyes then glanced over to Sephiroth before he asked,

"Don't you usually wake Cloud up so he can eat too?"

Sephiroth would have liked to respond to that question, but he couldn't. Come on, how was he supposed to know that? That was something his other self knew, not him.

"Wait, didn't Uncle say that Daddy hit his head or something and doesn't remember anything?" Loz asked around a mouthful of cereal.

"So what? As long as 'you-know-what' doesn't eat with us I don't care." Kadaj snorted as he mostly pushed his food around rather than eat it.

"Kadaj don't be mean, and Loz don't talk with your mouth full." Yazoo reprimanded, taking it upon himself to scold his rather immature brothers.

Oh yeah, Sephiroth liked his middle child the best. Those cool green eyes slithered back towards him as a spoon was set down beside his bowl.

"You usually wake him up so he eats around the same time we do. I know you don't like it when our schedules get messed up." Yazoo reminded.

Kadaj groaned and shot his younger brother a look before snarking off with, "Did you have to remind him? I can't stand him!"

"Enough." Sephiroth stated, directing his voice towards the eldest.

He didn't know why the older boy was so against the toddler, he didn't know if he'd ever piece that together or not. The other two were probably not that close to him just because that's probably how brothers were; all teasing and little compassion. But he wouldn't accept blatant disrespect for no reason other than to be rude. Kadaj simmered down and decided to take a bite of cereal instead.

Knowing he still had some more work to do, Sephiroth peeled away from the kitchen and sauntered down the hall towards Cloud's room. The door was cracked and was letting in a bit of light from the hall come in. His nightlight was still on and coating the room in a soft glow. He approached the side of the bed and glanced over. The boy was still sound asleep with his hands curled against his mouth as he slumbered.

All of a sudden, he really didn't want to wake the little one. He looked so content sleeping like so. However, he caught wind of whispers from the kitchen. With his enhanced hearing, he was easily able to hear what those other children of his were talking about.

"I just don't see why you had to remind him." Kadaj remarked.

"I did because I knew you wouldn't." Yazoo countered.

"I don't see why you like him so damn much. It's his fault mom died."

"It is not and you know it. Mom got sick, that's all."

Loz cut in with a quiet, "Guys, I don't wanna talk about Mommy."

Kadaj ignored his youngest brother and continued to argue with his other brother. There was a scoff from him before he continued, "Yeah, she got sick when he came into our lives. Remember?"

"That wasn't his fault! That was just a coin- a co-in si-de-nse." Yazoo stammered, having problems saying the word 'coincidence'.

"No it wasn't! She got sick when she stayed outside looking for him!" Kadaj bellowed, forgetting to be silent at this point.

"Yeah! It was raining in the park that day and you were supposed to be watching after Cloud! Remember? That was back when you didn't have a problem with him!"

"So what if I forgot to pick him up when we left?"

"What do you mean so what? Because you left him in the park in the rain, Mom went back to get him, they both got sick and she just never recovered!"

Yazoo and Kadaj were starting to get very loud at this point, their voices now easily carrying into the toddler's room.

"Stop it you guys! I don't wanna listen to this!" Loz whined.

"Yeah, I know that! But if that, that… That thing was never born then Mom would still be alive! He killed her!" Kadaj yelled.

"No! It's not his fault! If it's anyone's fault that mom died it's yours!" Yazoo growled, not outright yelling but still getting frustrated.

"You take that back!"

"Make me!"

Chairs scraped against the kitchen tile like nails on a chalkboard and then there was the sound of bodies colliding and voice both screaming and whining. Sephiroth was quick to leave the room and swiftly glide into the kitchen where he stood in place with wide eyes.

He was greeted with the sight of Kadaj and Yazoo rolling around and trying to get a good hit on the other with Loz crying and covering his ears with his hands. The younger brother was currently pinning the older one down with his hands over his throat, leaving the eldest squirming and writhing as he was being choked by the normally docile younger one.

The scuffle, the crying, the noises, all of it just added up enough to make Cloud wake up in his own room and start screaming at the top of his lungs from both his fear of the dark and hearing the fight within it.

Sephiroth's enhanced senses were ringing for a moment, his ears trilling and his vision crackling like static for a good second. He was quick to reign control over them before stepping in. Over all the shouting, screaming, and crying, he added in his own voice stronger than thunder.

"If you do not stop this insolent behavior, prepare to be punished to the highest degree possible!"

That was enough to make Yazoo glance up and stop choking his brother, but it wasn't enough to stop Kadaj from lashing out further. While the younger silver-haired boy was distracted, the eldest pushed him off and pinned him down against the kitchen tile, giving him a taste of his own suffocating medicine.

Sephiroth knew threats alone wouldn't quell the eldest child's rage. He had to act in a different manner. So with stern eyes and a firm grip that could pass for a stranglehold, he grabbed ahold of Kadaj's shirt and yanked him right off his younger brother. Yazoo quickly scrambled away, backing up enough to crash into the kitchen table and shake the whole thing. This caused Loz to squeak with fright before going back to crying and muffling his ears with his hands even further. Cloud was still crying in his bedroom even if he didn't see the scuffle himself; the shouting was enough.

Kadaj squirmed and fought wildly in Sephiroth's vice grip, wanting nothing more than to choke his brother to death for his comment. Yazoo kept his frame bunched against the table, lips pursed and green eyes wide.

"That is enough out of you, Kadaj. Now stop fighting or I'm going to do much more than hold you back." Sephiroth warned, an icy growl misting from his mouth like poisonous air.

"It's not my fault mom died! It's not! It's not! It's Cloud's fault, not mine! Make him take it back!" The oldest boy screamed, tears swelling thick in his eyes as he continued to squirm and fight.

"Listen to me, listen!-" The general hissed, having to grip the back of the boy's shirt a little tighter so he'd stop fighting and attempt listening. "-It is no one's fault your mother died. No one's. Not Cloud's, not yours, not Yazoo's. It was fate that she happened to die when she did. It was her time and I'm sure she knew that. Now stop fighting and apologize, for your departed mother's sake."

With those words, he went against his better judgement and let Kadaj go. The boy adjusted his shirt with a huff and a liquid sniff, but made no move to go after his brother or shout anything else at him.

"Sorry." He acknowledged with a small cracked voice.

Yazoo did not respond verbally, but approved of it with the tiniest nod of his head. He stopped clinging to the kitchen table and relaxed his tense facial muscles. Loz pulled his hands off his ears when he heard the fighting stop. When he realized all was calm and cool again, he wiped the shameful tears from his eyes and resumed eating, much more quiet and bouncy, but resuming nonetheless.

"Now eat your breakfast like your brother, you're all still going to school." Sephiroth directed, pointing the other two back to their seats.

As soon as they were seated, the silverette parted from the kitchen to quiet the screams of the youngest child, whom was still wailing away like a siren or alarm. Not having to worry about waking the little one up anymore, he entered the room and turned on the main light with ease.

Cloud stopped screaming and lifted his head up when light washed in. His face was beet red and there were tear tracks crawling down his cheeks. When he saw Sephiroth standing by his door, he eagerly reached his hands out to him with a loud whine. The general closed the distance between them and picked the child up from his bed with a faint blush adorning his cheeks.

The young one was quiet then, snuggling up against him as he was saved from the sounds of the scary fight.

Sephiroth heaved a heavy sigh. If the day started out this explosive, how would the rest of the day treat him?

A/N: And there's a wrap for chapter ten :) I hope you guys liked it! I know it was well overdue! Next up: The kids go to school and Seph gets the whole day with just Cloud! What will be in store for him then? Well then, until the next chapter my good readers!

Toodles!

PS: For those who are interested, there is a poll on my profile about some stories. I've been working on a side-story or two without uploading them, so if you want to vote on which one will be my next fic I upload, you're free to it :3

~Zimithrus1