A/N: This one is long. Also I've been working on some drabbles for Zeph on AO3, because I think he needed some development on his side.
It's almost been a year since I started this fanfic, and I guess my writing has slowly gotten better. I'm still working on editing and adding things I forgot to mention, fixing things I didn't like...Thanks for sticking around so long. And don't worry, we'll get to that happy ending some day.
Cloud snorted awake, the scent of bacon stirring him from his sleep. His body felt refreshed after the deep sleep that took him the night before. He glanced around as he sat up, taking in where everyone was. Barret was sawing logs next to he and Yuffie, the ninja turning onto her side a moment later.
Denzel and Zeph were sleeping soundly on the bed above Yuffie. Zeph had kicked his covers off and Denzel lay on his back with a shoulder over his sibling's arm and his eyes fluttering from some dream. It was still a bit early if the slowly growing light in the room was any indication, so perhaps there was time for one more dream before reality came to Denzel, Cloud thought.
Hirdthag was curled up near their feet. Cloud could see a few tufts of short, dirty blond spikes fluffed towards the ceiling, his face half hidden in a pillow. He wondered if he would look like his father at all at his age, a stripe of hair behind his ears littered with silver and white hairs becoming more prominent as the years went by.
Cloud scratched the side of his cheek, short stubble rough on his fingers. How old was Hirdthag, anyway? His mother had been thirty three when she died, so Cloud figured he wasn't even in his fifties yet. He looked peaceful in sleep, not someone who had hunted down humans for nearly half of his life.
Cloud pulled his attention to the bed next to him. Tifa was still asleep next to Marlene. It had become a more usual occurrence that he would wake before her as her pregnancy wore on; it was something that used to only happen sporadically. Many mornings Cloud would have to gently nudge her awake, groggy and pleading for five more minutes. After yesterday, he would let her sleep in. There wasn't a bar to work anymore.
The thought laid heavy on him.
He rubbed his wet lips with his forearm before grabbing his shirt and putting it on. He then stood up and shuffled out of the bedroom quietly, hoping Barret's snores masked his footfalls. Cloud made his way to the bathroom to freshen up a little before heading into the kitchen.
Reggs and Shera were there, the teen nursing a cup of coffee as the latter worked on breakfast. Shera glanced at Cloud and gave him a shy greeting that he returned before helping himself to some coffee. "Cid already leave?" Cloud mumbled before sipping his drink and sitting next to Reggs.
Shera nodded. "He left early. He said he should be back with the others around noon."
"I see." Cloud glanced at Reggs as he came to sit next to him. He looked stressed out, just like the night he had to watch the teen for his first Full Moon. "Hey."
Reggs looked up from his coffee. "Morning."
Cloud sniffed the air as subtly as he could. He thought Zeph could be anxious, but this was a whole new level. "Maybe later on today you can get acquainted with the town. The people here are pretty nice...A lot of them are scientists and engineers." That should keep his mind off things, Cloud hoped.
Reggs quietly nodded before returning to his coffee. Slowly, stirring was heard from the guest room and people shuffled out, grasping for coffee mugs to shake off what was left of their grogginess.
Barret glared at Cloud. "Knew you was gonna drool on my arm."
"No I didn't," Cloud denied the accusation as he looked into his mug. "I could barely sleep because you sounded like a dying chainsaw."
The big man shook his head as he sat next to Marlene, ignoring the quip about his snoring. "Like a damn floodgate opened." They heard some tired snickering from Yuffie and even Reggs. At least it lightened the mood, Cloud thought, even if it was at his expense.
The children were bleary eyed and looked about ready to drop their heads on the table. Cloud chalked it up to jet-lag, they were a long way from home, after all. They had left around four in the afternoon and showed up at eight in the evening in Rocket Town. That was going to mess with their internal clocks.
Denzel sat next to Cloud, and he put a hand on his back. He wasn't as angry as he was yesterday, or at least not yet. It was too early to tell if he would be or if something would set him off later, but he did smell a little forlorn. Denzel looked up at his guardian, his sleepy eyes making him look lost. "You can borrow my phone and talk to Natsumi later, okay?"
That seemed to improve the child's gloomy disposition, and he smiled tiredly at Cloud with a nod. Cloud wasn't about to let the children go without contact from their friends if he could help it.
Tifa sat opposite Cloud, and he was greeted with a piercing look after she glanced at Shera. He bit his lip and looked down into his coffee mug. He heard her sigh and smelled agitation from her. He wanted to blurt it out, but it wasn't his duty. He did what had to be done and said what had to be said to Shera. The rest was on her.
He looked back at Shera and decided to help her put the food on the table. He stood up and walked towards the counter, taking two of the larger platters. "I got this."
She shyly nodded. "Thanks, Cloud."
They finished placing the food on the table, Cloud getting narrowed eyes from Tifa and he returning a furrowed brow before he sat back down. He wished he knew what she was thinking right now.
Cloud picked a few things out, not particularly hungry this morning. "Maybe we can get a plan going."
Yuffie shrugged. "Until the Turks or the WRO get the information we need, we don't have much to plan with, Spike."
He grunted. "I don't wanna mooch that long..."
"There's a WRO building in town, you know that," she replied before sipping her coffee. "Reeve'll probably let you stay there until you find a place, if you're that worried."
Shera frowned. "It's no problem at all that you're here. You kept us when I visited the church spring, and whenever Cid was in the city you let him stay." A small smile grew on her face. "I know how fussy he can be."
Cloud chuckled and half smiled. "Right." He nibbled on a piece of bacon, and began thinking about the future. He had to find a place that would be safe for the family, and Reggs, too. If they could start a new village somewhere or join one that would be understanding, it wouldn't be nearly as troublesome as trying to convince an entire city of their benevolence.
Still, he thought, starting up a new village would be hard work. They would have to build homes, get electricity and plumbing up and running, and some sort of economy going. He figured Reeve would help with the modern amenities part, but they would still need revenue to keep things going.
If they went to an established village, they would have to convince the villagers to let them stay. Cloud knew he would have to be upfront about his lycanthropy because if they found out later it would have been better that they never settled there at all. He thought about settling in Rocket Town, but he wasn't sure what he and Tifa could do here. They already had guards and established bars and restaurants, and while Cloud knew his way around a motorcycle he didn't think he could be considered a grease monkey.
He wouldn't mind settling nearby if the townsfolk truly didn't mind his presence here, though. Maybe they would be alright with that.
"Cloud?"
He looked up from his plate to meet Tifa's eyes. She was frowning. "Hm?"
"Didn't you hear a damn thing I said?" Barret asked, exasperated.
"Sorry...I was thinking about something. What were you talking about?"
Barret rolled his eyes. "Was talkin' 'bout the meeting!"
Cloud shrugged. "Not much to talk about until we're all here."
Barret grumbled, then went back to his plate. Tifa still frowned at Cloud, and he looked down again to go back into his thoughts.
The rest of the morning was spent cleaning themselves up and getting the children and Reggs acquainted with the area. Cloud stayed close to Tifa, and while she still seemed unhappy with his tight lips, she was resigned when he said that Shera would probably tell her soon. "You know I wanna tell you..." he said close to her ear as they stood on the front porch.
She sighed, then nodded. "I know..."
He playfully smirked. "There's some things you didn't want to tell me, wasn't there?" He glanced at her baby bump.
"That was different!"
He opened the door to let Tifa through, not replying to her retort with anything but that growing smirk.
It wasn't much longer before the rest of the group entered Cid's house, filing into the kitchen quietly. Vincent took to his usual perch in the corner, leaning against the wall and watching silently. Shelke stood next to Hirdthag, who held a small smile on his face as she looked up at him in her usual, stoic manner before quietly greeting him.
Nanaki sat in front of Vincent, his ocher eye glancing up at Reggs as he stood near Cloud. The teen averted his eyes, not wanting to stare at whatever he was supposed to be; Reggs swore he had seen the beast at least once wandering the city, but he had no idea what it was doing with Cloud's group.
Cloud motioned towards the living room, the children peeking from behind the couch. "You don't have to stand around with us if you don't want to," he said quietly.
Reggs shook his head. "I feel like I'm a part of this."
Reeve leaned on the table in his usual down to business fashion, his dark eyes tired yet observing everyone in the room with a serious, calculating gaze. "It's been a while since we've all been together, hasn't it?" He sighed and stood up straight. "Rufus has allowed the Turks to help us with this current problem. Apparently it struck a nerve with him, though I'm not sure which nerve that would be."
Cloud knew what it was, because Evan could be a potential target for being his friend. He had been keeping Rufus' half brother safe most of last year, too. "Do they know how long it'll take to find out where they're hiding?"
Reeve shook his head. "I doubt it will take as long as it did for the WRO." He motioned at Yuffie. "She has been trying since we discovered their Kalm operation, but whoever is in charge made them go quiet, in Junon at least."
"With a few exceptions," Hirdthag said.
Barret nodded. "Sneaky as hell. They know Junon's ins and outs like the back of their hands."
"Be that as it may, their base might not even be in the city. Somewhere outside of Junon perhaps." Reeve shrugged. "We've purged any converted WRO personnel, which fortunately wasn't many. Now, we find this mob boss and put an end to him."
"And then we try to pick up where we left off," Tifa said in a soft, tired voice.
Reeve looked at her with resigned eyes. "I'm so sorry about this situation, Tifa," he said quietly.
She shrugged. "If they can't accept Cloud for what he is after everything he's done, it was just a matter of time before we would have to leave."
He nodded. "I suppose it was. Just like it would have been a matter of time before the public found out we were employing werewolves. Edge is strangely split on the matter, however."
Cloud knotted his brows together. "Split?"
"Yes. While most citizens are upset or afraid, there's a sizeable minority of people speaking out." Reeve had a tired grin on his face. "Many people you helped out over the months didn't forget you." He looked at Reggs next, his grin fading. "Your father's actions helped make this divide, and I'm unsure if his pride will allow him to come clean about you. Be as it may, he said he would take a more moderate position on the council until he's most likely booted out."
Reggs looked down. "I bet it's only because of my mother."
"If that's so I'll have to thank her personally. I doubt he'll get far because he kept this project secret from them, but he might be able to sway one or two to use reason." Reeve considered the Turks had much ado about it, but Elly would most likely be the boot to his ass on a constant basis.
Reggs looked back up and nodded. "He's friends with two of them, actually. I don't think you'll be able to get us back into Edge, but he might have some luck keeping the WRO in the city."
"Perhaps." Reeve looked thoughtful. "The Aldives had been arrested, and they do have their supporters. Rumors are going around that we trumped up charges on them."
"Shit. What do we have to do, show the damn documents to the public?" Barret asked no one in particular.
Cid grunted. "They'd probably think it's a forgery or some bullshit. Whoever is in charge of prosecution better throw the goddamn book at those people for the trouble they caused!"
Reeve rubbed his forehead with his finger and thumb. "To be frank, it will boil down to political manuvuering. As always."
"So they stand a chance of going free?" Shelke asked impassively.
"A chance. We have to tread very carefully; we don't want them to become martyrs nor do we want them going without punishment."
"Hm, it's an improvement over the old Shinra days but it's working against us." Tifa softly snorted at the irony of it all.
Reeve chuckled bitterly. "Just this once I wish I could. But, I can't let the WRO devolve into that. It's not a democracy, but people have rights and freedoms now. I can't take that away." He wouldn't. That world was dead.
The room quieted down and became heavy with a need for something to fill the gap. Cloud cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, figuring this was the best time to say anything. "I, um...I went to the church the other day..."
"What does that have to do with any of this?" Hirdthag asked incredulously. Tifa told him to hush.
Cloud glared at him, then looked back at the group. "...Aerith visited me."
"What did she say?" Nanaki inquired, getting a gasp out of Reggs.
The blond haired warrior looked down at the red beast. "She said the answers are at the Forgotten Capital." He paused, then pointed at himself. "Answers to this. It's not meant to be cured."
"Not meant to be cured? It would explain why our attempts at something to reverse the affliction, or vaccinate against it have been dead-ends so far," Reeve said as he stroked his goatee. "Did she say where in the city?"
Cloud shook his head. "No. But, I don't think she'd send me on a wild goose chase. There's something there..."
"When do you plan to travel there?" Vincent asked.
The warrior turned to his friend. "Dunno. I guess once the mob is finished off and we've found a place to call home again, then I can see what's behind this affliction."
Reeve let out a short chuckle. "Then I suppose we should try and get those two problems off of your plate quickly, because I'd love to know the whys and hows, too."
"I could go to the Forgotten Capital for you," Vincent offered.
Nanaki looked up at him, then Cloud. "I would join you."
"I don't know where or what form the information is, but if you think you have a chance of finding anything, I'd be grateful," Cloud said with a nod before turning to address the rest of the group. "I suppose while we wait for the Turks to get back to us, I should look for a place to settle. Some place we won't be harassed..." Cloud looked away. All this trouble over him. He hated being a bother.
"We can go over to the WRO building and take a look at the maps if you'd like," Reeve offered.
Cloud nodded. "Yeah, as soon as we can."
Tifa walked along with the other two, desiring a look at these maps and assisting with the decision of where they could possibly end up living. She appraised the building they had entered; it was far less imposing than the building in Edge, only two stories high and plastered with a sand colored coating that made it appear much more welcoming.
The inside looked like it may have perhaps been a converted old school. Tifa figured since the WRO wasn't the government of the area it hadn't a need for much more outside of administrative needs and housing for personnel. Cid was a member of the WRO and leader of the airship division, but outside of that function he was for all intents and purposes the mayor of this town. She remembered he wouldn't consider himself that, however. Just the man with the most clout.
Reeve took them into a large room that had many chairs and a wall to wall display on the far end. He motioned them to sit where they pleased before taking a remote and turning on the display. A map of the world came into view and after a few moments a square area that surrounded Rocket Town was zoomed onto. Numerous white dots twinkled on the land mass.
Reeve motioned at the screen. "The white dots signify areas that would be promising for outposts that could eventually become villages and towns. They're close to clean water sources, in easily defensible terrain, and most aren't too far off from a hub." He pointed at one particular dot, far away from Rocket Town. "They are no further than two hundred miles out, and no closer than twenty."
Cloud hummed as he drummed his fingers on the table in front of him. He and Tifa took their time studying the screen, mumbling to each other or Reeve about this or that. Was it too close to other settlements, was it too far away, was it someplace the kids would like; questions like these painted their choices.
Out of the numerous dots lighting up the map there were three that they were interested in. Two of them were located near bays, one near a river. Cloud stood up and walked towards the screen, motioning towards the dots. "How about these?"
Reeve motioned towards one in the northwest. "This isn't a bad place if you want to start a port." He chuckled a little before continuing on, reading off the little data bubble on the display. "The weather is a little temperamental since it's so close to the North Sea, however."
His finger moved towards an area due west of Rocket Town. "The bay here is far less favorable for a port, but has a river leading out to sea. The surrounding area is of a higher elevation than the first spot. There's some forest nearby, as well. I would think that might be a positive in your book, Cloud."
Cloud nodded. "You know me pretty well, don't you?"
Reeve smirked before pointing at the last one, due south-southeast. "This one is further inland. It's located closer to the foothills that lead to the Nibel mountain range. The west side of the area is plains and the east gentle hills. There's some forest growing there, and there's a river and a lake."
Cloud looked closely at the last two areas mentioned, Tifa next to him now to study the screen with him. "I don't think we need a port, just a way to get to Rocket Town and back."
Tifa nodded. "I wouldn't mind being close to the sea, but a port town run by a werewolf might be unsettling to most." It almost sounded like the beginning of a silly children's story.
"Yeah, and I'm not versed in how to run a port, either." Cloud pointed at the two remaining areas. One was very far from Rocket Town, with a few smaller towns scattered along the way. The other was maybe sixty miles out, with a small village twenty miles north of it. "I wanna check this place out first," he said. "Tifa?"
"Yeah, that looks the most promising," she said as she casually pointed at the dot.
"Perhaps tomorrow, then." Reeve shut off the display and faced his friends. "Eventually people will have to settle there, but they'll have to go through extra screening. Unless you happened to just want a werewolf village, that is."
Cloud shrugged. "There's just me, Penny, Reggs and my father, and I don't know if any of them but Reggs wants to settle down here. Unless either you or I want it to end up being a hideaway, it'll have to grow with humans eventually." His mind went to the subject of the two hermits living in the Junon woods; they would have to tell Penny what happened before she wandered off again.
"We can probably figure that out later," Tifa said. She was more interested in starting up their new home before wondering who would eventually join them.
"Right." Cloud scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Well, there's two promising leads. I guess we're on our way to a new place to call our own, right?"
Tifa nodded with a small smile. "Yeah. It'll be interesting, living out in the country again."
Reeve walked towards the door with them, and into a hallway that led back out. "I wish you didn't have to leave your home. After everything you've done...I guess I'm still flabbergasted."
"It's not like we talk about everything we've done." Tifa shrugged. "It'll probably be a good thing for us in the end."
Cloud nodded. "I hope it is."
"I hope so, too." Reeve was at their side, hands behind his back.
Cloud looked at him. "I was meaning to ask, but how did your employees take the news?"
"More positively than Edge's citizens. Only a few of them seemed truly upset at the prospect, but most of them seemed strangely uncaring." Reeve shrugged. "Maybe it's because quite a few of them recognized you from the Deepground Incident, or your help during the Kalm operation and word got around."
"So I guess you aren't looking at a hostile takeover any time soon?" Tifa asked as they left the building.
"No, I don't think so."
Cloud smirked. "You can always hide with us if it comes to that."
Reeve chuckled. "I might take you up on that if I have to, actually."
They slowly made their way back to Cid's house, their eyes momentarily looking upward at a large oil rig sitting near the WRO building. Shera manned this thing, Cloud remembered the two talking about it. The three took a turn onto Cid's street, the scent of grass and trees comforting. Edge would be cold and a little gloomy right now, though the crisp air that blew from the north had a beautiful scent from the sea.
Cloud sniffed again, and his mouth watered. Someone was cooking meat nearby, and it was making him hungry. "Do you smell that?"
Tifa snorted, then grinned. "Of course I do."
It was growing stronger as they came closer to Cid's house. "Maybe he's having a cook out," Reeve mumbled.
"Maybe."
The house was empty, and Cloud heard people conversing towards the back of the house. The three traveled towards the back door, the greasy scent of ground beef getting stronger...and the smell of whiskey. And Corel Wine. He frowned, it smelled exactly like Tifa's recipe, too.
As Cloud opened the back door he looked about the backyard with mild confusion. They couldn't have been gone that long, two hours at most from their site searching. But there were silly little blue and red decorations hanging from the wooden fence and even the Tiny Bronco.
There was a wooden picnic table covered with bottles of booze and some simple sides, and a small cake. Cid was cursing at his grill, or maybe at whatever was cooking upon it. Everybody else was gathered about, talking.
"What's going on?" Tifa asked as she came from behind Cloud with Reeve.
Cid turned around. "Huh? Oh. Well, you two were supposed to have some fancy party today, right?"
Tifa walked closer to Cid and his grill. "I wouldn't exactly call what we had in mind fancy."
He waved his hand dismissively. "These days it woulda been. We're all here, so let's have that party you two wanted." He turned back towards his grill, damning it again as he used the spatula.
Yuffie bounced over to Cloud and Tifa. "Was totally my idea, you two! Whaddya think?"
"The hell it was just your idea! I pulled the liquor for it!" Barret boomed.
Tifa put her hands on her hips. "You took from the bar's liquor stores?"
Barret waved his hands, his cheeks blushing as Tifa's eyes narrowed. "Hey, it's better here than in Edge!"
"He's right, Teef." Cloud crossed his arms. "It'd just gather dust over there."
Tifa sighed, then nodded. "I guess so. Yeah."
"Yeh, so let's have some fun while the goin's good!" Barret grabbed Cloud's shoulder and dragged him to the table. Vincent was next to it, glancing at the two before looking away; he looked slightly uncomfortable. Cloud figured both Cid and Barret forced him to drink in his absence. Or tried.
Now it was his turn, no matter that he didn't want to get plastered. He wanted to think about the area he would scout out tomorrow, the mob boss and what he was going to do to him, the knowledge of the Cetra on lycanthropy...
A glass of ice and whiskey appeared in front of him. Cloud looked down at it, then at Barret. "Not right now, Barret. I gotta lot of things on my mind."
"We all got shit on our minds. Best to forget about it for a little bit, especially right now!"
"I don't know..."
"Get that stick out of your ass, Cloud. You can put it back in tomorrow," Cid drawled out nearby.
Cloud scowled, then took the glass. If it would get them off his back. He figured he could nurse the drink over how ever long the party would be. Yeah. He took a small sip of the potent liquor and scrunched his nose. It was one of the more potent whiskeys, and every time that first sip would hit his senses hard.
He looked around the backyard, observing everyone and taking a sip here and there of the drink forced upon him. Denzel and Zeph were crouching under one of the wings of the Tiny Bronco, talking into the phone speaker; he had given Denzel his phone before leaving and told him when would be a good time to call up. Cloud couldn't make out what was being said over the din of everyone else's voices, but he made out that it was Rosa and Natsumi's voices coming from the speaker.
Hirdthag was speaking to Shelke about going back to Junon to help him. Cloud sighed into his glass before sipping again. He honestly didn't understand his father. What had he been planning to do after he bit him? Had he expected him to return and join him? Cloud remembered how he was slowly feeling different in the forest almost all alone as he waited for Hirdthag to make an appearance. Even with Cait Sith to keep him company he had started to feel more feral. Maybe his father hadn't been thinking ahead that night. Or maybe he had been lonely?
Cloud wasn't really sure. But it seemed that having the company of humans for the last few months had maybe snapped him out of that more animalistic, depraved mindset that stuck to him all these years. Hirdthag's eyes were a lot more like that old picture on the nightstand in his mother's house now, and a lot less like the monster he met at a campfire, sneering at his confusion. Cloud looked down at Shelke, she was smiling and nodding at his father. He turned his head to look elsewhere.
Cid was drinking a bottle of beer and flipping burger patties with the other hand. Tifa was talking to Shera, who politely declined when asked if she wanted some Corel Wine, something she always loved to drink when visiting Seventh Heaven. Tifa raised a brow, then looked back at Cloud. He nodded at her before sipping from his glass again.
Vincent was savoring a glass of wine, still sober. Cloud mused he had probably gotten here before Cid and Barret had a chance to hound him into heavy drinking with them, not that he would have done it. Reeve stood patiently next to him and Yuffie chattered to them incessantly, but there was a faint smile on Vincent's lips. Cloud figured he was feeling a bit like he was feeling right now.
It felt really good to have a family like this.
Barret was holding Marlene on his shoulders, the little girl giggling as he jogged about the yard with her. Eventually he let her down and she went to play under Vincent's cloak, and Barret went to the table to get himself a bottle of wine. Cloud sipped from his glass some more, the liquid making his stomach glow.
Nanaki was talking to Reggs by the fence, the teen still acting like the outsider to a pack that hadn't quite let him in yet. That was silly, Cloud thought before refreshing his drink. He frowned at the glass; did he really go through the entire glass already? He walked over after another good sip of his whiskey.
"Hey."
Reggs looked up from his seat on the grass, looking as he had for the last two days. "Hi, Cloud."
"Welcome back," Nanaki greeted.
Cloud smiled and nodded at the beast, then turned to Reggs again. "How're you feeling?" he asked before sitting down in front of him with his glass on his knee.
The teen shrugged. "A little better." He looked at Nanaki. "He told me you're the guy that killed the werewolf that sent the city into a panic."
"Yeah."
Reggs' eyes looked about the other party goers. He had seen them and stood there during their discussion earlier in the day, but how could a bartender and a delivery boy know them?
He looked at Cloud, and the warrior glanced his way with his brows raised. "I don't think I ever asked who you were."
Cloud looked at him blankly, and took a gulp of whiskey. "I'm Cloud."
Reggs frowned at him. "You know what I mean. All of these people you're friends with..."
"Does it really matter?"
Reggs bit his lip and fidgeted in his spot before glancing at Nanaki, then Cloud again. "I mean, I barely know you at all..." he said slowly. "You know me better than I know you."
"Uh, yeah, that's true." The spiky haired man tapped his knee. How much to tell him? His lips felt a little looser from the whiskey in his empty stomach. "I was a delivery boy before all of this crap happened."
Nanaki snorted. "A courier with a giant sword."
Reggs nodded. "I knew that. That old man from the inn we used when you took me out to hunt said he remembered you from your delivery runs." He scratched his cheek. "But how do you...know everyone here?"
"...Do you really wanna know?" Cloud asked quietly.
"I do."
Cloud took a long gulp of whiskey. He really didn't like talking about this. It had been like pulling teeth for Zeph as he grew more curious after Christmas, but here he was again, talking about things that shouldn't matter. "Did they say anything about what happened during the Jenova War?"
Reggs shrugged. "A little bit. There wasn't a lot of information on what exactly happened until this school year."
Cloud knew that. It was mostly just rumors in the beginning, but most people were too busy moving on with their lives to think too deeply on it. The Planet stopped Meteor, and that was that. "Okay. So what did they say?"
"That Shinra and and a small group opposing them tried to stop Sephiroth from destroying the Planet. The book didn't really go into a lot of detail, but it did say he was controlling that Jenova thing and that he summoned Meteor." He looked up for a few moments, thinking. "Someone sacrificed themselves so that the Planet could stop it, too."
Reggs looked back down. "It's kinda crazy, everything written. A lot of us think it's just a cover up or something the WRO cooked up." It certainly seemed that way to him. A small group of unnamed people went against Shinra and a madman. Shinra used to be the world government, and he assumed Reeve was part of a coup; maybe that small group had something to do with it.
Cloud chuckled. "It was pretty crazy. I was the leader of that small group, so you could only imagine the kinda pressure I was under."
The teen gawked at him. He wanted to argue, but how else would Cloud know all these people? A president, Wutaian royalty, a world class pilot and a cat-dog creature that could talk. Alann said he was part of the evacuation during the Deepground Incident, too. "What?" He looked at everyone again. "You were the ones mentioned in the book?"
Nanaki nodded. "Yes. We aren't very active anymore, I'm afraid."
Reggs shifted his eyes from side to side. "So, what happened?"
The warrior couldn't help but grin at the blank look on Reggs' face. "We faced Sephiroth after the Sister Ray blew away the shield he erected, and Diamond Weapon to boot. Then when he showed up over Midgar three years ago, I faced him again." He blew out a sigh." I really hope he stays dead from now on."
"Wait, you're the one the book said...It said the group that fought in the Jenova War teamed up with the Shinra to stop those creepy guys that were hanging around Edge. Then Sephiroth came back, and he had to fight an unnamed person when all that black stuff came down from the sky. After the fight that pool in the church appeared..." He felt overwhelmed. He was in the presence of an unnamed hero from a history book.
Cloud nodded, then sipped his drink. "I'm not gonna get into the details." Details were full of blood, sadness and regrets. "But why else would a lowly delivery boy be a close friend of Reeve Tuesti?"
Reggs tilted his head slightly. "If you were known for everything you've done, you could have lived in Edge, still."
Cloud shook his head. "Then I'd have to deal with anyone not on board with the idea of having me around. I never wanted to be a celebrity anyway, and Tifa didn't want that either."
The teen looked down, still feeling guilty for his part in everything. He really didn't understand their generosity towards him at all.
"Why don't you enjoy the party some? It has to be better than keeping to yourself," Nanaki said, trying to change the subject.
"Yeah. It's not like they're gonna bite." Cloud sipped some more whiskey, then snorted. "I mean, I guess a few of us do..."
"Speak for yourself, Cloud," Nanaki remarked with a grin.
He stood up. "Like I wasn't..." He extended his hand towards Reggs. "You're a teenager, act like it a little."
Reggs took his hand and stood up. "I'll try."
Cloud nodded, then moseyed off again towards Barret. He was sitting at the table, leaning an arm on it while drinking from his bottle. He glanced at Cloud, then motioned for him to sit next to him. "You lookin' a little looser, Spiky."
The blond sat down and shrugged. "I think you gave me the strongest stuff you could find."
Barret chuckled. "Yeh. You need it. What'd I say about forgettin' troubles for a bit? You felt better after that night you had Corel Wine for the first time, right?"
Cloud nodded. "I didn't drink to the point of a hangover, though."
"Well, just don't drink to the point you can't stand up!" Barret began fiddling with something behind him as Cloud looked at his boots. He felt a tiny weight on his glass, then glanced over to see it being topped off. "We got all day!"
"I haven't eaten since breakfast!" He was feeling rather funny.
"Yeh, you ate like a bird, too." Barret waved at Cid. "Hey, when you gonna be done?!"
"When they're done! If your ass is hungry right now go snack on some of the shit we picked up!" Cid responded before turning back to talk to Shera.
Barret grumbled as he grabbed at a large bag of chips on the table. "He gonna burn them at this rate..." He pulled open the bag and offered some to Cloud.
He took a handful after putting his drink down and ate them mindlessly. It wasn't meat but it would soak up some of the alcohol in his stomach at least. He hoped. "So whose idea was this?"
"We all kinda thought it was a good idea. What, you don't like it?"
Cloud coughed as a chip became stuck in his throat, then against his better judgement took a big gulp of his drink to get the piece dislodged. "I like it," he rasped before wiping booze from the sides of his mouth with his forearm. He absolutely loved it. "I was just surprised when I came into the backyard, that's all."
"A lotta shit about to go down, and we're all here...We were gonna celebrate today anyway. Not like we had anything better to do!"
"Coulda prepared some more."
Barret scoffed. "Ain't no point in that right now." He put his arm around Cloud, tugged him close, then took a giant gulp of wine. "Now, bein' a husband is different, Spike. I aughta know. You might be livin' together for years, but you just crossed that little invisible line that made things different. It's cause that's more committment than just...you know."
Cloud drank some more, then nodded. "I know what I wanted. I hoped that that was what she wanted..." And she did, to his pleasant surprise.
"Yeh, 'cause you can be a jackass sometimes, and she gotta deal with that."
Cloud glared up at him. "Takes one to know one."
"You're definitely both jackasses."
They turned to look at Yuffie, who was standing in front of them with an impatient look on her face. "Can ya get outta the way? I want a snack while we wait for Cid's crispy burgers."
"Fuck, I'm gonna make sure you get one that's extra dry!" Cid said by the grill.
She turned her head and scowled at him. "They're already gonna be dry, you cooked them too long!"
Cloud raised a brow. "When'd you become a chef?"
Yuffie looked back at him and shook her fists. "You don't have to be a chef to know those things are gonna be drier than sun baked sand!"
"They'll be fine!" Barret lazily assured her before knocking back the rest of his bottle and starting on another one. Cloud nodded and sipped from his glass, a smirk forming on his face as his cheeks glowed.
She pointed at Cloud. "Just wait until you're eatin' charcoal, Furball!"
He glanced back at the table. There wasn't a scrap of meat, except for some cooked bacon next to a plate filled with tomato slices. He plucked a piece of bacon off of the plate, then nibbled on it with a smug expression on his face. "I'll be fine."
Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Omigawd, you're gonna be a trip later." She snatched the bag of chips from Barret before turning around and leaving with a huff.
Barret pulled away from Cloud and gave him a slap on the back, making him lose a little bit of whiskey on his jeans and grey shirt. "I'm gonna chat up your old man a bit."
"You aren't gonna get him drunk too, are ya?" He looked his way, Tifa was talking to him. That was kind of new.
Barret chuckled as he stood up and turned to face the table. "I'm gonna see if he's where you get your low tolerance from."
"Pfft."
Cloud watched quietly, refilling his glass and then looking over in time to see Denzel and Zeph approach him. Denzel had his phone in his hand, raising it up to give it back to the tipsy warrior. "Thanks for letting us borrow your phone, Cloud."
"Rosa told us you're the talk of the town," Zeph said.
He took the phone and pocketed it. "It's nothing..." Cloud sighed heavily before looking at Zeph. "Yeah, I guess I would be after all those rumors started..." He looked away.
"I just wish this was some bad dream I was having," Denzel groused.
Cloud put his drink down on the table and put a hand on each of their shoulders. Cloud blinked a few times, trying to collect his thoughts and feelings. "Life is pretty unfair, isn't it? But you guys keep truckin' along. I'm proud of you both."
He sucked in a breath before continuing on. "I know what happened in Edge was horrible, and I kinda blame myself a little for it, but Tifa'n I'll make sure you guys are happy. And, um, you know...We'll just take this one day at a time, alright?"
Zeph blinked at him as he started rambling. Denzel just nodded. He was still upset about having to move, but Cloud had those sad, drunk eyes looking right into his own. Cloud straightened his back and rubbed the back of his head. "I know how hard it is to start over. But none of us are alone this time."
Denzel's eyes lit up when he remembered why Cloud and Tifa left the house earlier. "Did you find a place for us to live yet?"
Cloud gave a slightly exaggerated nod. "Teef and me're gonna look at it tomorrow. It's got a river, and a lake, and a forest, and hills..." He was pointing at the fingers of one hand. "So if we choose that place you guys'll have a lot of places to explore."
Denzel shifted his weight on his feet. "Are there any people?" He was used to the bustle of the city.
"Um, there's a village ten miles away. Hey, I'll take you out to visit Rocket Town if we settle there! You know that." Cloud frowned at the look he was being given.
"Cloud can't help it if other people are wary of him, Denzel," Tifa interrupted. She was holding a plate with burger patties on it.
"I know."
"Well, go ahead and make your burgers." Tifa glanced at Cloud, noticing his slight sway as he looked up at her. "...I'll make yours, Cloud."
A few minutes later he had his burger, Tifa guiding him to a lounge chair in the shade of the house. It wasn't as dry as he thought it was going to be; maybe it was the cheese, or maybe Cid was right. The bread soaked up the alcohol in his stomach far better that the chips did earlier, and he opted for a water bottle before he ended up completely wasted. There was plenty of time later to drink with the others some more and it was only about five right now if his phone was right.
He wanted to sober up a little.
Tifa had her chair up close to his, and she looked over with a wry smile on her face. "So that's what you were keeping secret for Shera," she said after eating a chip from her plate.
He turned his head and took a sip of water. "Guess you'll have to age some Corel Wine for her so she can enjoy it after her delivery."
Her smile widened. "Yeah." She looked towards the yard, watching everyone eat. They weren't too far from everyone, but it seemed like the others wanted to give them some quiet time together. "I talked to Hirdthag a bit."
"About what?"
Tifa shrugged. "This and that. You both have the most expressive eyes when you feel guilt." She looked back at Cloud, and found him staring at her as he munched on his burger. "He could barely look at me."
"You were talking about stuff from the past, weren't you?" he asked between bites of food.
"A little. I think...I was facing down that fear I had for so long. Ever since I saw him dart out of the brush, and now when I get to talk to him by myself, he's just like you. He doesn't know what to say." Tifa sipped on her soda and stared out into the yard.
"I still don't know quite what to say, either. I can bring up the past, but there's no resolution. It's...just like us. What can we say to the survivors of the Sector Seven Plate Collapse? That we're sorry?" Tifa watched Denzel in particular; he was sitting next to Vincent and talking to him as he ate. "So I told him that maybe I'll forgive him in the future, but for right now we should all move on from the past and look towards what we can change in the here and now."
"So, what we've been doing to ourselves the last five years?"
She nodded. "It works, for the most part. Don't you think?"
"Yeah."
They ate their lunch in silence afterwards, watching as the children started playing with a large blow-up ball Cid had found in his shed after eating his burger. Their first victim was Reggs, the teen getting whacked in the back of the head with the large, soft ball. He tossed it back but Yuffie caught it, then she assaulted Barret's forehead at close range.
It started a little battle that Cloud and Tifa were eventually dragged into, and then became a game of Keep Away. The adults let the children win after a few passes each, and a few of the more spry among the party pretended to have a tough time catching the ball.
After a while Cloud and Tifa retreated to a corner of the yard, sitting and leaning on the fence while watching the children start another game with the ball. Yuffie and Reggs was with them, and one of them was explaining the rules of the new game.
Cloud slowly wrapped his arm around Tifa's shoulders, then brought his other hand over hers. It was resting on her baby bump. The scent hadn't lost its ability to trigger his protective instincts at all, but he knew that to protect them both he was going to have to leave just long enough to end a threat once and for all. Tifa looked towards him and flashed a tired smile.
He returned it before looking at her belly again. "I...You know, back home people liked to give their spouses nicknames."
Tifa nodded. "My father used to call my mom Music-Weaver." She hummed, then said the word in Nibelese. "Hljodsongr. I forget what Mom used to call him. It was so long ago. But he never stopped using that name."
Cloud chuckled. "My father said he used to call my mom Sunshine." He squeezed Tifa's hand gently. "I think that suited her." His eyes looked up at Tifa.
She raised a brow, knowing where he was going with the conversation. "What do you think suits me?"
"Bjargi," he said simply.
"...A rock?" She raised a brow.
Cloud nodded. "Yeah. You've always been the rock I've kept my feet on. I'd be lost without that support." He pinched the fabric of his pants with his other hand. "Fylbjargi."
She chuckled. "Support rock." Tifa liked that. "And you...Gaetavargr."
"Guardian Wolf?" Cloud snorted.
Tifa nodded, then laughed a little. It was subdued but genuine, something Cloud remembered from happier evenings at camp during their adventure. "You're always trying to keep us safe. I would use Cloudy Wolf, but I think it makes more sense in Standard." She grinned playfully at him.
"Skyrvargr?" He shrugged. His name was a word in Standard, an occurance that happened in some backwater places because the name sounded right. "I guess you're right." He leaned his head towards her and sighed.
"Mm."
They watched the party go on as they sat together in silence, enjoying the time alone they were having before they would inevitably go back into the fray and party with the others. The sun was nearly set and Cid had lights to illuminate the yard. It was almost carefree to the two, and they appreciated that feeling.
Cloud kissed Tifa's forehead, savoring the scent of her hair as he did so. He had to protect her, protect his family. Not just the family he built in Edge, but these people gathered here today. For them. He knew he could fix things.
But for this evening, he would enjoy the feeling of family.
