Lost Peace

Tifa was busy at the bar, and around mid-afternoon she heard the unmistakable sound of Cloud's bike pulling around behind the house. She smiled, glad to know he was home and safe.

As soon as he was within eyesight, Tifa could tell something was on Cloud's mind. His was probably the same as her mind's occupation.

He walked up coolly and sat down at the bar, shooting a small smile at Tifa, who returned the gesture in kind, "Glad you made it back safe," Tifa said.

The spikey blond across from her nodded and stood, "I'm going upstairs."

"Why didn't you go straight up?"

"I wanted to see you first."

Tifa blushed a bit and ducked her head, "Oh, knock it off and go shower. You stink!"

Cloud grinned slightly and left Tifa to care for the customers.

A few moments later, someone waved for Tifa's attention while she was up front.

"I've decided to take you up on your offer."

At that moment, Cloud came back downstairs, a severely confused look on his face, "Tifa? Why is there a baby upstairs?"

"Cloud, this is Zelda, the baby upstairs is her grandson."

Zelda looked at Cloud, "So this is Cloud?"

"Yes," Tifa informed.

"Who's the kid?" Cloud interrupted.

"His name is Zell," Tifa replied.

"Why do you have him?" Cloud pressed, his confusion deepening.

"I was taking care of him while Zelda thought about accepting a job here."

"Did she?"

"Yes I did. I'm sorry to impose," Zelda bowed, blushing.

"Tifa, can I talk with you for a moment?"

"Sure, Cloud. Zelda, can you take this food over to that table next to the window?"

"Uh, y-yes."

Cloud walked stiffly into the kitchen and turned on the raven-haired girl next to him, "What are you thinking? We don't have room for more people in here. Why aren't they at their own house?"

"She was homeless, Cloud. And it's not a permanent living arrangement. This is just until she earns enough money to start living on her own with Zell."

"You hired a homeless woman?"

"She's much better than any of the people who answered my ad in the papers."

"How did you know she wouldn't just run off and leave you with the kid?"

"I didn't. But I trusted her and it turned out for the best, so no harm, no foul."

Where had Cloud heard that recently? Upstairs, he heard the baby start crying. Great.

Tifa's ears perked when she heard the sound. She picked a bottle out of a pot of water, shook it, and handed it to Cloud, "Could you feed him?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"No."

Cloud scowled, "Tifa...I've never even held a baby. How in Heaven's name am I going to feed one?"

"Oh, you have too held a baby. I know for a fact that when Mr. and Mrs. Taggart back home had a baby, you were holding that little girl within a week."

"No I wasn't. Cloud was," Cloud said bitterly in a moment of self-contempt, "He almost dropped that kid and his mom was forcing him to help babysit."

Tifa frowned and hit Cloud in the shoulder, "Would you stop it? Who cares? You have the memory, right? So how do you know that you didn't hold Claire?"

Cloud frowned.

"Just go feed Zell and don't drop him. Sit in a chair, remember to support his head, and stick the bottle in his mouth. He can take it from there."

Cloud's frown deepened, "Why can't you or…Zelda…take care of him?"

"Because we're working."

"I can wait tables."

"Just go!"

Cloud scowled, uncomfortable with the thought of babysitting, but went upstairs.

"Don't forget to burp him afterwards! There's a rag close to him!"

Sometimes I really wish I stayed out.

Cloud walked into his and Tifa's room and stared at the tiny, screaming human. Awkwardly, Cloud picked the child up, holding him in his hands as if Zell were a bomb. All the while the child screamed.

Sitting in the nearest chair, Cloud set the child in his lap, holding his hand under the child's neck (quickly adjusting when he infant's head rolled), he waved the tip of the bottle in the mouth of the now distracted baby.

I feel like I've been demoted.

Cloud looked at Zell.

...I wonder if my hair looked like that?

On the baby's head was a single, prominent, nearly invisible, blond cowlick.

Cloud yawned, wishing he had a hand free to cover his mouth.

…

How has he drunk so little?

…

Cloud shifted in his seat. He willed the baby to drink faster.

When Marlene and Denzel came home from school, Marlene immediately asked to see baby Zell. Denzel held no interest for the infant.

"Oh! Did Ms. Zelda decide to stay?" Marlene asked upon noticing the older woman.

Zelda smiled sheepishly and nodded at Marlene.

"Does this mean I can't be the waitress anymore?" the girl asked as she stuck her lip out.

"No, sweetie, it just means that you have help," Tifa assured the girl.

"Okay!" Marlene beamed, her spot remaining, "Can I go see Zell, now?"

"If it's okay with Zelda. It's her choice now that she's decided to stay," Tifa replied as she turned back to her work.

"Can I, Ms. Zelda?" Marlene begged, tired of asking permission.

"Of course, dear," Zelda bobbed her head.

Marlene's face lit up and she dashed up the stairs to deposit her school bag and meet Denzel and the baby.

Tifa was half-listening to the small, crackling radio when she overheard about a disturbance, or rather, disappearance, in Junon.

"The investigation is still underway and residents of Junon are reminded to remain calm. We will release new information as it is obtained, and anyone with any knowledge as to this strange disappearance is asked to come forward. Officers will be standing by near the entrance to the Shinra Tower. In other news..."

"300 people? How does one just lose 300 people?" Tifa sighed, "I've got a bad feeling…"

Cloud came downstairs at that moment, yawning and scratching his collar bone.

"Marlene has Zell?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Did you hear about the disappearance in Junon?"

"What happened?"

"300 people just up and vanished. It was on the radio."

Cloud was silent for a moment, "Why do I have a feeling we're going to get sucked into whatever's going on?"

"Because we're too tangled up in Shinra business to not be dragged into anything."

Zelda came up to the counter, "Two orders for Korean BBQ."

"Alright, I'll get on it," Tifa gave Cloud a long suffering look and went into the kitchen.

Cloud gave Reeve a call.

"Cloud? Is that you?" a surprised Reeve asked.

Does no one say "Hello"?

"Yeah. What do you know about what happened in Junon?"

"You heard the broadcast?"

"Tifa did."

"Ah. Well, first I should let you know that it wasn't 300 people."

Cloud blinked. 500?

"It was 1500."

Cloud's eyes widened in shock, "1500? How the hell do you lose 1500 people?" he hissed into the phone.

"I don't know. I'm asking Vincent to help me get to the bottom of this, and I'm sending a Cait your way."

"Right."

"Let Tifa know what really happened and let her know that there's trouble ahead."

"Isn't there always?"

Reeve laughed, "It certainly seems that way."

"Hm."

He went back downstairs and pulled Tifa to the side.

"What is it, Cloud?"

"I just called Reeve to ask what happened in Junon."

"And?"

Cloud kept his voice low, "1500 people disappeared. Not 300."

Tifa's hand flew to her mouth, "Oh my God. How do you pretend that it was only 300?!"

"Reeve has contacts and he's in a high place."

"I suppose so. But all those families…"

"Yeah. Reeve told me to pass on that there's trouble ahead."

"And we're definitely being pulled into it."

"Because we're trapped in a unique relationship with Shinra."

"You said it," Tifa sighed, "Well, I'd better get back to work. Would you mind helping? Marlene is still playing with Zell and Zelda hasn't quite gotten the hang of waiting yet."

"Sure."