Family
Disclaimer: We do not own any characters of Final Fantasy. They are the property of Square Enix and Sony. We do not make any money from the writing of this story
Pairing: Sephiroth/Cloud
W A R N I N G: This is about male pregnancy (possibly) and male/male relationships. We are letting you know now what the relationships WILL contain. So, if you are AGAINST such pairings, please find something else more to your liking, you have been WARNED.
Flames will be ignored.
Special thanks to: VanillaJewelz, Emela, SanctumSyte, Peachi Bunni, Anelir-sensei, KhaosRyu, LazyLamia, Foskett, Kitsune Kit, Reaper Nanashi, Norm120, free the sky's Clouds, LucTickleVoldy, Galectia-Nightshade, Allen Sario, Queen of Light 17, xxLivingPuppetxx234, Devils Puppy Dog, Empress Satori, Crimson Blade Kos-mos, Utena-Puchiko-nyu, BlackDomina71, Lil-Rahl, cloudstrifejen, 191026, freefall1310, ladyaffirmed, sephirothpaine squallpaine, Lady-yuna7, Axel'sGirl507, Firehedgehog, Lil Becc,and to those who have read and didn't review thanks for reading thus far. We hope you enjoyed it.
Notes: After careful consideration, I've decided to make this a cross-over with Final Fantasy VIII. If there are any questions or concerns, please email me or Mitts. Thank you! Now on with the story.
ArchNemesis
oOoOoOo
Chapter 35: Concern
Another sweep of the area where Cloud had last been seen turned up nothing, although Zack had found Fenrir, Cloud's prized motorcycle, lying on its side just off of the canyon road, there was no sign of the short petite blond. Judging by the position the bike was lying in, it was easy to surmise that Cloud must have been in an accident, possibly with another vehicle. But Zack hadn't seen any other tire marks on the dirt road, other than Fenrir's double treads.
Checking the bike over, Zack had noticed that the hidden blade rack compartment was empty. That obviously meant that Cloud must have been involved in some type of skirmish. And sure enough, when the dark haired man looked harder, he'd seen that there were signs of what looked to be a struggle, though Zack wasn't entirely sure, for tracking was not his specialty, it was Sephiroth's. But he could make out at least three different footprints to the boy's known boot design—Cloud had had his heavy set boots specially made, to show a wolf's head with a ring clenched between snarling jaws. The wolf had become Cloud's trademark, and he'd incorporated the symbol in all of his belongings, including his left pauldron and gauntlets.
He remembered he'd once asked Cloud what the meaning was behind the wolf, and the blond had simply smiled saying, "The wolf is my display of courage. It tells me I have to be strong for myself, and for Stephanie."
Zack groaned out loud. Cloud's disappearance couldn't have happened at a worse possible time. When his lovely wife, Aerith, and fellow AVALANCHE members had come running to him saying that Sephiroth and Vincent were waiting to be picked-up in the lower sector of Junon, Zack had thought everything was going to be fine again, that their lives were going to go back to being normal. By all the graces of Gaia, it seemed that Sephiroth had an admirer, who had aided him and Vincent to escape out from the Hojo's grasp.
But on the day of receiving the news, Cloud hadn't come home from his last delivery. No word was heard from him, no sight seen of him. And if that wasn't bad enough, on top of that, Cid had fallen ill. Tifa and Aerith had taken it upon themselves to accept the responsibility of caring for both Cid, and Baby Stephanie.
Frankly, Zack was quite worried about Aerith. The last couple of nights that she'd been looking after the child, she had started to look extremely tired and completely drained by the time Tifa came to relieve her. During the day, Aerith would watch over Cid while Tifa had the baby, and then they would switch over.
Stephanie was proving to be a real little trial. She was normally a quiet baby who hardly cried or complained, except for when she noticed that Cloud wasn't getting her. Those moments were trying at best. But now, without her mommy there at all to feed her or hug her—just to give plain comfort, the infant wailed for eight hours straight into the night, leaving Zack and Aerith with frazzled nerves.
The former 1st Class smiled forlornly in memory…
"And you want one of those?" Zack asked, incredulous of the child's lung capacity.
"Yes! Why not?" Aerith answered sweetly over the din.
"I love my niece, I really do," Zack said, rubbing his throbbing temples. "But… that's-that's… Good merciful heavens! Where is Cloud? I can't take that noise!"
"Don't say such a thing, Zack! What if this was our daughter? Would you say the same thing?" Aerith questioned, her beautiful eyes tearing up.
"Huh? No, no, honey, please don't cry," Zack begged. "I'm sorry! It's just that I'm seeing how Cloud is handling being a parent, and he's exhausted all the time, regardless of the fact that we sometimes baby-sit. Just maybe if, the pitch wasn't so high….. "
Aerith ran from the room, scooping up the still hollering child in her arms and slamming the bedroom door behind her.
"She's so touchy lately," Zack huffed to himself now, crossing his arms over his chest, thinking about his wife and her strange mood swings. His thoughts jumped back and forth between her and his friend. "Cloud… I know you're out there, and I'm going to find you," he mused openly, walking back to his jeep.
oOoOoOo
Malicious cerulean eyes watched the short-spiky haired blond as he walked around the sweet smelling rose garden far below her balcony. Her chest burned with hate at the sight of the beautiful male. Even she couldn't deny how lovely he was, and it pierced her heart to know that her husband, much to her disgust, blatantly ogled him at every opportunity.
He would have to go.
Before her thoughts could twist any further with plans of how to dispose of the home-wrecker, the lady was pulled from her dark musings by tender arms wrapping tightly around her slender waist.
"You shouldn't allow yourself to be upset over nothing, my dear," Lazard said delicately in her ear.
"He can give you what I cannot," she replied sorrowfully. "I've seen you gaze upon him, as if I'm plain. Do you resent me that much to desire another, a male no less?"
"I'm not going to lie to you, Quistis, he is quite the beauty," her husband replied honestly. "But I have no desire for his body, other than using it for bearing our child."
"So, he's agreed to do it, I take it?" she asked, moving her hands to join her husband's, resting over her damaged womb.
"But of course, my love. After a bit of persuasion, he was only too happy to agree to it."
oOo Flashback oOo
"The answer is no, Lazard. I'm not breeding stock for you, or any other rich bastard," Cloud hotly declared.
"I don't recall giving you a choice, Mr. Strife. And I'm sure your child would appreciate having her mother around to see her 'firsts' of many," Lazard countered.
"Leave my daughter out this," Cloud hissed dangerously, his eyes faintly glowing.
Lazard paused, taking a breath to calm his nerves at witnessing the raw power the boy was exhibiting.
"Such a beautiful child, so I've been told. Silver haired. Blue eyed. Sweet natured."
"You bastard, you'll NEVER get your hands on her," Cloud bellowed, his fear for his child's safety making his temper boil.
"I got you, didn't I?" Lazard stated simply, silencing the snarling boy in an instant. "My men are prepared, if need be, to… how shall I say… give a loving couple a child that they've longed for," he threatened.
"I will kill you, if you lay a hand on her!"
The air in the room had become charged with the young boy's aggression, his stance positively poised for attack. Lazard was shaky inside, but the aristocrat ploughed on. He wasn't going to show the spiky haired blond that he was fearful of him.
"You are in no position to carry out such meaningless words," Lazard said to Cloud's threat, his voice carrying a tone of self-assured confidence. "By the time I hit the floor dead, your daughter would be gone without a trace. Mr. Strife, do you really want to take that type of risk?"
Cloud's shoulders sagged at the truth of the words that Lazard spoke. If he struck now, he might get his revenge for being kidnapped and accosted. But his precious jewel would be lost to him—forever.
Resigning himself, Cloud asked quietly, "What must I do?"
oOo End flashback oOo
"See, Quistis, there's absolutely nothing to worry about," Lazard said to his troubled wife, pulling her back gently towards their bed, his need for her apparent.
"But why can't we simply have the child he's already borne?" Quistis asked, a desperate hope shining in her eyes.
"Because that child is his, and his partner's. She bears their traits, their persona. The one he will birth for us will be of our making, not someone else's," Lazard explained, running his hands through the long silky hair of his wife's head. Taking a portion of it between his fingers, he lifted it to his face and inhaled the raspberry scent of the golden strands.
Leaning over her, Lazard bestowed little kisses on her brow, then her cheek, and continued until he reached her lips.
oOoOoOo
Days had passed since Vincent had talked to Aerith, letting her know a ride home was needed. He and Sephiroth, along with the girl, Selphie, were waiting for Zack to come and get them. He had asked about Cid, wanting, no… needing to speak with his lover… to hear his crass voice once again. But to his disappointment, he was denied. Aerith merely stated that Cid was unavailable to come to the phone.
He's dying! Chaos howled loudly in his host's mind. Vincent didn't reply, because he knew the beast was right. His and Cid's forced separation was killing them. Vincent felt ill for the majority of the day, his head throbbing, and his limbs aching. He could only imagine what type of pain his lover was in.
Hang on, Cid, I'm coming.
"Vincent?"
Red eyes widened in surprise at the call of his name. Rarely had anyone approached him without him noticing. But obviously it was not the case now. His senses were dull with his hurting, and he didn't particularly care for that.
The ex-Turk turned his questioning eyes towards Selphie, the girl who had aided him and his son to escape the lab, and waited to hear what she wanted. He was indebted to her, but that didn't mean he was entirely trusting of her. She seemed just a little too eager to help.
"Yes?" he drawled, enquiringly.
"Someone's knocking at the door," she said.
"That will be Zack. I'll go and let him in. But you wait here with Sephiroth, just in case it's one of Hojo's lackeys."
oOoOoOo
'Well, I never thought that I would be back here in Junon', Zack thought as he walked the streets in Sector 5. The town was busting with a flurry of activity. There were mothers leading their daughters in and out of boutiques, and men, young and old, doing various types of odd jobs such as repairing broken rooftops or repaving sidewalks.
From the look of things, the city had been hit by a major rain storm recently. It looked worse now than it did when it was dry. The air was heavier, thick with the pollutants from the Shin-Ra's Electric Company stream stacks, and the rising steam from the underground passages brought the stale stench of sewage into the air, making breathing more difficult from the toxic fumes.
The ex-SOLIDER walked to the far end of town, where one of several inns was located. Inside, the drab dark entryway was brightened with a variety of green potted plants, and high skylights sparkled as the waning rays of the sun dimmed. Zack continued through the small entrance before walking into the lobby. From there, he went directly to the stairs, taking two at a time.
He soon found himself on the 3rd floor. Peeking around the corner, Zack cautiously approached his final destination: Room 310.
Raising his hand to knock again, Zack was startled when the door was snatched opened and he was swiftly pulled inside—the door closing behind him with a soft click.
oOo TBC oOo
A/N: Well, tell us what you think! Seph and Vince are so close to home. But what's this… Cloud is missing? Is that true? Don't know? Well, stay tuned for the next chapter to find out.
ArchNemesis & Mitts
oOoOo Teaser for Chapter 37 oOoOo
Laughter erupted in the vast space of the garage.
"Don't you get it?!" Zack shouted, enraged at hearing why his friend was taken. "Sephiroth is going to lay waste to everyone, and everything, in order to get his husband back—there is nothing to help me keep him in check! He's already gone ballistic once for someone trying to rape Cloud while he was pregnant. You call them now, damn it! And get Cloud back on this fucking ship!"