A/N: As I've stated in chapter 7, I have a reason why I did not put this story in the crossover section. You will know that reason very soon.

I'm warning you again about character death. Someone will die in this story. It will happen not in this chapter but on the next chapter.

I apologize once again to Stella's fans for making her an antagonist in this story. She will start doing nasty things in this chapter.

By the way, Tifa is in a delicate situation here. (hint: pr*****t)

The events in this chapter take place three days before her wedding day.

DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ


Chapter 11

Three months later…

Tifa was in the library, checking her list. Her wedding was only three days away. She kept on thinking if there are still things needed for the most enjoyable moment of her life or if she had forgotten something about it.

I want this to be perfect. I'm only getting married once. I want my one and only wedding to be something worth remembering.

Hmmm… My wedding gown is finalized along with the veil. It will be delivered here later. My sandals and the set of jewelries to be used will also be sent here. What else? Oh, the flowers! Check. Music for the wedding and the reception? Done. What about the food and drinks? Is the menu okay now? I'll call the caterer later.

"Don't be too stressed, Tifa." Noctis laughed at her. "Everything is settled. I promise you the wedding will become memorable for us and our guests."

"I just want to be sure, Noct. I don't want any flaws on that day."

"Perfectionist," Noctis commented.

Tifa gave him a smile. She had a surprise for Noctis but she would tell him about it when the timing was right. For now, Tifa kept her secret to herself.

She recalled her check-up with the doctor yesterday.

*flashback*

"Congratulations, Miss Lockhart! Or should I start saying Mrs. Caelum? You're one-month and two weeks pregnant," the doctor cheerfully announced. He handed her a prescription. "Take these vitamins. It will help in making the baby healthy! Take more rest, okay? Avoid sleeping very late at night."

Tifa was elated when she heard the news. She and Noctis made love a couple of times after the first time they did it. She eventually had repeated migraines and felt nauseous almost every day. She had suspected that she was pregnant. Her period was also delayed. Finally, the doctor confirmed her pregnancy.

"Thanks, Doc. I'll pay you double. Just promise me that this will not be publicized. I want to tell the prince about our child personally first."

"You can trust me, Mrs. Caelum."

*end of flashback*

Noctis stared out at the window. "The sky is beautiful."

Before Tifa could comment, somebody knocked on the door.

"Come in," Noctis said.

A maid entered. "Good evening, Prince Caelum and Miss Lockhart. The visitors have arrived. Dinner's also ready. The visitors are waiting for you in the dining room."

The visitors were some of Tifa's friends who were invited to the wedding. She had invited Barrett, Marlene, Yuffie, Cid, Shera and Cloud to have dinner with her and Noctis in the palace. She had tried to invite Denzel but his aunt refused because Sapphire was too far. Vincent would come to the wedding day itself. Her friends who would attend her wedding stayed in one hotel.

"Let's go, Tifa."

Tifa smiled when she saw her friends. "Hello, guys! Thanks for coming!"

Shera ran to her and gave her a hug. "Congratulations, Tifa! Thank you for inviting us here for dinner and for your wedding!"

Marlene also hugged Tifa. "I miss you so much, Tifa. I'm very happy for you."

Tifa touched Marlene's hair. "I miss you too, darling." She looked at the other guests and smiled at them. All of them smiled back except Cloud. He nodded at her and looked away.

I hope he has recovered from his broken heart. Somehow, he has the right to be happy too, not with me or Aerith. He needs someone else. Tifa could sense that something was wrong with Cloud again.

She and Cloud had not talked when she left him in Edge. She understood this time. She had given him time to get over her. If she kept on talking to him, she figured it would give him difficulty in forgetting his feelings for her. But Tifa really wanted Cloud to attend this dinner. She sent him a text message and he confirmed that he would come.

"Come on. Let's eat dinner," she announced, trying to sound calm and merry. She tried not to be stressed for Cloud for her baby's sake.

All throughout the dinner, there were live and cheerful conversations among them except for Cloud who was silent. There were reminisces about Geostigma, Sephiroth and AVALANCHE. Noctis shared his experiences as prince of Sapphire and his love for Tifa. He described her as his ideal woman and the most perfect lady he had seen. The girls, Yuffie, Marlene and Shera giggled and teased Tifa who only gave a shy smile. Barrett talked about his life in Corel with Marlene.

"Hey, Noctis, how many babies do you want to have with Tifa?" Yuffie suddenly asked.

All eyes turned to Noctis except Cloud who bowed his head. Tifa's face flushed at Yuffie's question.

"Hmm… one or two would be fine. But it's still up to her how many she wants." Noctis looked at her in a shy manner. The rest of them laughed.

Tifa felt so shy too. "Yeah. I'm okay with one or two."

"Try for five kids!" Marlene exclaimed.

They all burst out, laughing again. Tifa glanced at Cloud who had been quiet the whole time. What was wrong with him? I wonder if he is still hurting. I hope not. I hope he has moved on. Cloud, just mingle with us. Please.

She glanced at Noctis. He was having a conversation with Cid. Tifa hoped that Noctis had not observed Cloud's cold expression or else he might suspect again Cloud's real feelings for Tifa.

A wave of nausea filled Tifa again. She stood up. "Excuse me," she mumbled. She headed to the nearest bathroom and vomited in the sink. Her head throbbed again. The first trimester is always the most difficult. I can handle this.

She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She looked pale. Her hand went to her tummy. Of course, it was still flat. But she could not get over that warm feeling, knowing that a child was inside her, a child whom she would always love unconditionally.

When she came back to the dining room, Tifa returned to her seat. Her hand accidentally collided with her bag. The bag fell on the floor and some of her things got out. She picked them up. Noctis helped her.

He noticed a small pregnancy kit. "What's this?" he asked.

Oh no. My secret is out, Tifa thought.

"This is a test to know if a woman is pregnant, right?" Noctis observed the object. The pregnancy kit showed two lines.

Yuffie grabbed the pregnancy kit from Noctis. "It's positive! Tifa, you're pregnant?"

Tifa could feel her face turning red. Noctis and her friends stared at her. She could not hide her secret anymore. "Yes. I went to the doctor yesterday actually to see medical advice. He said I'm one month and two weeks pregnant."

Noctis' jaw dropped. At first, he stared at his future wife as if she was only kidding him. Then he was filled with joy. He stood up and embraced Tifa. "That's great! I'm a father now!"

"That's cool!" Cid remarked. "Tifa's officially a mother!"

"Congratulations again!" Shera greeted with a smile.

Yuffie rushed to Tifa's side and embraced her as well. "Lucky you! You have been blessed lately, Tifa. You met the man of your dreams. You're engaged. You're about to become a mother. Congratulations, my friend!"

"The baby is luckier," Barett complimented. "He or she will have two amazing parents who will give him the entire world!"

"I couldn't agree more, Papa," Marlene concurred. She touched Tifa's tummy. "I can't feel the baby!"

Tifa laughed at Marlene's reaction. "Of course, sweetie. The baby is still tiny. When my little angel gets bigger, you will be able to feel his or her kicks inside me." She looked at Noctis and then to her friends. "Let's keep this private first please. It's too early for the Sapphire citizens to learn about my pregnancy."

Marlene pretended to be sad. "What about me? I'm no longer your little angel?"

Tifa pinched playfully the child in the nose. "You, Denzel and my baby are my little angels!"

Noctis was still thrilled at the news. "This is the best wedding gift, Tifa." He stroked her tummy. "What do you want it to be: a boy or a girl?"

"Either gender will do as long as it's healthy and bubbly." Then Tifa added, "And I want the baby to look a lot like you."

Everyone was very happy for her and Noctis. Tifa looked at Cloud once again and noticed that his expression darkened. He failed to hide the fact that he was in a bad mood. He stood up and mumbled "Excuse me". He left the room without looking at them.

I'm already used to that behavior of his anyway. There's nothing new. Cloud, if you want to act that way, so be it.

"Spiky is always blue, isn't he?" Barrett said. "He was mute the entire time."

"Let him be. He is always like that," Yuffie answered. "Let's get used to it."

They were not aware that someone was listening to their conversation in another room.

Stella, who disguised herself as a maid, felt another wave of hatred when she heard Tifa's pregnancy.

I guess I have to kill two birds with one stone tonight, she thought.


Cloud could feel the pain in his chest once more. He quickly walked out of the dining room. He didn't want to see everyone especially Noctis and Tifa how miserable he was of their wedding. He could not tolerate the thrilled look on Noctis' face when he learned he was going to be a father to Tifa's child.

The woman I love is getting married and there's nothing I could do about it, he thought.

His thoughts were focused on his jealousy of Noctis and of Tifa's pregnancy. He didn't notice a woman was in front of him until he collided into her. The woman was slim and had black hair. She was wearing a maid's uniform and black sunglasses. There was a scar on her left cheek.

"Sorry," he stuttered.

"It's all right," the woman answered.

Cloud headed to the garden outside. He wished he could take Tifa home tonight but it was a wish that would never happen.

I wish she never met Noctis. It's us who should get married three days from now, not them. It's me who should be the father of her child, not him. I am so stupid in letting her go. But for now, I'll set aside my pain and be happy for her. She deserves all the blessings she have right now. I'll always love you, Tifa.


Tifa was in the garden with Barrett and Yuffie. Cid and Shera toured around the palace with the help of the Caelum's official tour guide and took Marlene with them. Cloud was nowhere to be found. Noctis was in the penthouse of the Sapphire Towers to update the king about the wedding.

"I could sense the tension between you and Cloud a while ago," Yuffie said. "Did you guys have some misunderstanding again?"

Tifa answered her with a question. "Did he tell something to you about us?"

"No. You know that chocobo-head never opened up to anyone except to you and to Zack and Aerith when they were still alive."

"Three months ago," Tifa lowered her voice to avoid being overheard by the Caelum employees, "he confessed that he is in love with me. I turned him down. I told him I belong to Noctis but I'm still willing to be friends with him. He begged me to leave Noct for him but I said no. He was deeply hurt."

Yuffie giggled. "I get it. He is jealous of Noctis. He could not accept that you gave up on him. Karma has finally struck him. He deserves it! I have always had this gut feeling that he loves you as more than a friend but he had been a weak to say it to you. My hunch turned out to be right."

Barrett was serious. "It's his fault. He had no balls to admit to himself first that he really loves you. Just when you are in the arms of another man, that's when he decided to have the courage to tell you what he feels! He is too late!"

"With the way he reacted during dinner, I am sure he is still hurting, Teef," Yuffie chimed in. "He finally walked out when you told your pregnancy."

"I'm sure he will be able to move on soon," Tifa said. "He has to. He is alone in Edge. He'll seek for company eventually."

Then Tifa noticed a shadow behind the bush. She glimpsed something blond and smirked. She came up to Cloud and put a hand to her waist. "How long are you hiding there? Eavesdropping again? Did you know that you were our topic a few seconds ago? Join us."

"I heard every word," Cloud answered curtly. "Thank you for embarrassing me to them, Teef."

"I just told them what was wrong between us. They are your friends, too. Come on." She held Cloud in the elbow and dragged him to the spot where Barrett and Yuffie were standing.

Cloud suddenly gave her a hug. "I miss you a lot," he said.

Tifa hugged him back quickly and released him. "Thank you for being here, Cloud."

Barrett and Yuffie laughed at them.

"She is the one that got away. Right Cloud?" Yuffie teased.

"Whatever," Cloud remarked.

Outside the Sapphire Towers, there was a large TV screen showing various advertisements and pictures of famous people in Sapphire. There was a photo of her and Noctis followed by a photo of Squall.

A picture of Stella was shown. She was described as one of the most brilliant architects in Sapphire.

"Who is she, Tifa?" Yuffie asked. "She is beautiful."

"Stella, the ex-girlfriend of Noctis," Tifa replied. "She works in the Sapphire Towers."

"Nice. She's lucky to have a chance with him. But you're luckier because he chose you to be his wife."

Tifa remembered Noctis' friendly ex-girlfriend. The girl was really nice and generous. Tifa wanted to trust her but she still held back. Stella was a mystery to her. Sometimes Tifa could feel that Stella was still in love with Noctis.

She has so many suitors to choose from. I wonder why she still didn't have a new boyfriend after Noctis.

"She's all right. She's nice," Tifa told her friends. "She wants us to be so close to one another but for some reasons, I could not give her my full trust."

"Maybe you're just jealous because she went out with Noctis first," Barrett said.

"Maybe."

Cloud had no comment. When he saw Stella, there was something familiar on her face.

She looked like the maid I just bumped into a while ago except that the maid had black hair and a scar on her face. This woman was blond but she and the maid had the same facial structures, Cloud was thinking. I notice something weird from that maid. She was wearing sunglasses when there was no need to wear it because it's night time.

"Hey, Cloud. What are you thinking?" Tifa asked. "You seemed distracted."

"Nothing." Cloud's thoughts of the maid vanished as he looked at Tifa. "Congratulations, by the way. You're getting married and you're having a child with Noctis."

"Thank you," Tifa answered with a smile.


Stella clutched a bottle of poison in her hand, eager to kill her rival for Noctis' heart. She was dressed in a maid's uniform. Entering Sapphire Towers was easy since she worked as an architect there. Entering the palace was another thing. Security was too tight in the palace. So Stella had to knock one of the maids she saw lurking in Sapphire Towers just to get her uniform. She locked the unconscious maid in her office.

Here she was inside the palace watching Tifa and her friends in the garden. Stella was wearing a black wig and sunglasses to hide her real identity. She faked a scar on her left cheek, using make-up.

She saw the expression on the face of blond man with Tifa. She noticed that the man was too serious and unhappy.

His name is Cloud, right? I wonder if he is interested in Tifa. He walked out when Tifa admitted her pregnancy. Tifa's pregnancy must have put him in a bad mood.

She had tried to be friends with Noctis' soon-to-be wife. She invited her to different events and made suggestions for her wedding. She planned to be a best friend to her. Once she gained Tifa's trust, Stella could kill her without any complications. But the Tifa girl proved to be tough. She was not the type of person who trusted too easily. She turned down Stella's invitations to go out with her or visit her home. She would reason out that she was too busy with her wedding.

Now that the wedding was fast approaching, Stella was becoming desperate. She tried to start a rumor by sending a call to the reporters that Tifa was having an affair with Squall. The call had been anonymous, of course, so the rumor was not traced to her. She hoped Noctis would break up with Tifa but he didn't. He just dismissed the rumor as something groundless. She had to eliminate that woman just to have Noctis again.

I'll kill her when she's not aware. I must not battle her face-to-face. She has unusual physical strength.

Stella saw Noctis coming up to them. He was leading them to the Sapphire Towers. She silently followed them.

Noctis put an arm around Tifa's shoulder. "Do you want some wine, guys?"

"Why not?" Barrett said. "I'm curious how wines here in Sapphire taste like. Thanks, Noctis."

"Let's go to the Sapphire Towers. We have a bar on the second floor." Noctis looked at Tifa. "You cannot drink wine, okay. It might harm our child."

Tifa nodded. "Okay. I'll just drink orange juice."

Noctis and Tifa went to the Sapphire Towers followed by Barrett, Yuffie and Cloud. Barrett and Yuffie were talking about materias while Cloud became quiet again. His eyes were on the ground. He was trying not to look at the future married couple in front of him. All of them were unaware that Stella was behind them, hiding from one bush to another.

Once the group entered the bar, Stella casually walked outside. She was hoping one of them would order her to get the wines.

"Hey, you," Noctis called out.

Stella turned to him. She suddenly felt nervous. What if Noctis recognized her?

She was relieved when Noctis did not. "Can you get one bottle of wine and three glasses, please? Get some orange juice for Tifa. Thank you."

"Yes, Prince Caelum," she answered in a low voice. My disguise is successful.

Stella proceeded to the room where the wines and other drinks are stored. She got three glasses and poured wine on each. She grabbed another glass and filled it with orange juice.

She held the poison in her hand and poured it in Tifa's orange juice. It would take an hour for the poison to destroy Tifa's internal organs and kill her.

This is your last night, Tifa. I will only kill not one but two. You and your baby, Stella thought.

Stella quickly placed the tray of glasses in the circular table inside the bar. She noticed Tifa was seated between Noctis and the blond man with a sword on his back. She got the glass of orange juice and put it in front of Tifa.

"Thank you," Tifa said with her usual smile.

Stella wanted to smile back but stopped herself. That is your last smile, Tifa.

She quickly went out of the bar and hid in her office beside it.