Kris barely made it into the door before she was wrapped in a tight hug. She didn't need to see who it was to know that it was Sarah. She returned the embrace with just as much fervor. For the first time in weeks, she felt herself relax and not think for once. Both women had tears in their eyes when they finally pulled back from each other.
Sarah was the first to speak. "Zack said you were here too. I am so glad to see you both. I can't tell you how worried I've been when your letters suddenly stopped a couple of months ago."
Kris cringed a little at the reminder of how distracted she had been since Genesis first disappeared. She wasn't given a chance to say anything about it when Sarah stepped back with widened eyes. She looked down and then back up nearly immediately and grabbed Kris' hands. Her voice was shocked, but Kris was relieved to hear a little excitement as well. "You're pregnant! Why have I not heard about this! I know you said you were dating one of the Soldier Firsts. Is it his?"
Kris tried not to grimace as all eyes in the room were suddenly on her. Not that the others didn't already know, but it was still disconcerting. It was at that point that she noticed just how small the room seemed. Even though Zack and the others had taken seats at the table, the room was too full. She wasn't given long to worry about it as Genesis stepped to her side, and her attention was back on Sarah.
Kris finally gave a nod as she pulled her fiancé a little closer. "Mom, I'd like you to meet Commander Genesis Rhapsodos. He is my fiancé, and yes, the father of my child."
The woman was barely taller than Kris, so she had to crane her neck back to look up at Genesis. She still managed a bright smile as she held out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm glad to see Kris has found someone she can be happy with. I just hope you're better than your prior reputation seemed to be. Not that I haven't seen all the news about the two of you posted in your fan clubs. I try to take all that with a grain of salt. I know half the stuff I've read since the two of you started dating had to be complete rubbish. Kris would never do most of that."
Kris grimaced when she heard the note of censure in Sarah's voice. Especially when she thought about everything that had been posted about her since she had been the first woman Genesis had dated more than a handful of months. She didn't read those things often, as they usually gave her headaches, but that didn't mean she never heard about it. There were many times that the speculations of his fans were often strange enough to warrant teasing from her students, or more often, Reno.
Kris wasn't allowed to say anything, however. Genesis somehow managed one of his charming bows in the small space before he gave her mother a bright smile. "There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the Goddess. As much as I am disheartened to hear that you distrust me, I am glad to know that Kristobel has such a loving family to come back to. Especially now. Have no fear that I, too, want anything less than the best for her and our budding family."
Kris felt for her mom when the woman had to fight to keep her frown in place. She knew from experience how difficult it was to stay angry with the man when he decided to turn on his charm. It was both a blessing and a curse that his silver tongue often worked in his favor.
Before anything else could be said, everyone's attention was drawn to the door. Reno had been leaning in the doorway, but a male's voice piped up from behind him. "What is this? Who are you, and why are you in my doorway?"
Reno stepped back out of the way, and everyone saw a scowling Zeke. Though, he didn't stay scowling for long. As soon as his eyes landed on Kris and Zack, his face lit up. "So, it was true!"
He then immediately moved to pull Kris into a hug since she was the closest. He wasn't given a chance to let her go before Zack was up and had both of them in a bear hug. Zeke finally laughed as he tried to extricate himself from the bundle. He then looked around at the extremely full room and gave the two youngest Fairs an inquiring look. "What's all this about?"
Zack was still grinning, but Kris' smile had fallen. With both Zeke and Sarah there, now was the perfect time to go over everything. She spoke up before anyone else could. "Well, we were passing through the area and wanted to see you both."
Something in her voice must have tipped Zeke off that all was not well. She didn't miss the look he gave her but turned to the others before he could ask anything. "Guys, would you mind giving us a couple of hours?"
Sarah frowned at Kris' lack of hospitality but didn't reprimand her since she could tell there was something behind the request. Sephiroth stood followed quickly by Angeal. The General was the one to speak. "Of course. We can come back in the morning before we have to leave."
Kris' eyes got wide. She knew that would not be acceptable to her parents, so she shook her head. "No, if I didn't ask you to stay for dinner, I would catch hell. Don't worry about it. We just need a little bit of time to catch up."
Sarah joined her and gave the men a smile of her own. "Kris is right. I would love to have you over for dinner. I would never pass up the opportunity to get to know the people my children trust enough to call a friend."
Angeal gave her a grin of his own before he clapped Sephiroth on the shoulder. "We have heard so much about your cooking, that I can't wait to try it. We'll be back in a little while and let you guys catch up." He then followed Sephiroth out.
The General also gave Reno a glare on the way out that had the Turk rolling his eyes. He still followed them after he winked at Kris and gave the rest a wave. "See ya later."
Once they were gone, Zeke turned to Zack and Kris with a hard look. Though it changed slightly when he noticed Genesis was still there. He glared at the Commander for a moment before he spoke. "Since you didn't leave with the rest of them, I'm guessing you must be that Soldier I keep hearing about. The famous one that thinks your position makes it okay to lead my daughter on."
For the first time since Kris had known Genesis, he was speechless. She realized that was probably a good thing with the way his brow was drawing down and jumped into the conversation before he regained himself. "That's not quite true. We are actually engaged."
Zeke's eyes widened for a moment before his frown was back in full force. "I suppose that's something. At least he decided to do right by you since I guess that baby is his?"
Kris shot a glare over at Zack when she heard him snicker, but she was quick to answer. "We were engaged before I found out I was pregnant. We love each other."
Zeke still didn't look convinced. "Don't think half the village hasn't been following his fan clubs. Ever since they found out a local was in the news, it's been all anyone talks about."
This time it was Kris' turn to not know what to say. She hadn't considered her family and neighbors seeing all the stuff the two fan clubs posted. Her cheeks had heated to the point she could feel her ears burning.
Finally, Zack must have had mercy. He stood and called out. "Dad, as much as I hate to say it, Kris is right. When they first started dating, I wanted to kill him too, but since then, I have seen him go out of his way to make Kris happy. I may not like his past, but I know he'll do right by her."
Kris gave her brother a grateful look before her gaze was drawn back to Zeke when he sighed. He then waved toward the table. "Fine, I'll let it drop for now, but I'm guessing you both have something going on, or you wouldn't both be here at the same time." He then gave Kris a slight smile. "Why don't you take those blasted glasses off and we'll all sit and have a chat."
Kris' hands went to her shades before she could stop the gesture. She shared a look with both Genesis and Zack before she cleared her throat. This was not going to be a pleasant conversation. "Mom, Dad, before we do, there is something you need to know. A lot has happened, and I don't want you to freak out. Just know that I'm okay."
Both of them stared at her for a moment with concern. She finally sighed and pulled her glasses off. She tried not to let their horrified looks get to her, but she couldn't manage to stop her tears. Though, as soon as Sarah saw them, she moved to wrap Kris in a hug. "Shh, it'll be alright. We are here for you. Why don't you sit here and tell us what this is all about?"
Despite how worried she was about everything, Kris felt comforted by that embrace. No matter how nervous she had been, it was nice to know she did have a place to call home. She wiped at her eyes before she nodded and grabbed Genesis' hand. They all went to the table, and Sarah pulled out an extra chair. After they were seated, both Zack and Kris launched into the tale of everything that had happened over the last two months, including the return of Kris' memories.
To say that Sarah and Zeke were stunned once everything was revealed was an understatement. Still, both Zack and Kris were relieved when their parents' only response was concern. Kris almost felt like the weight of the world had been removed from her shoulders. Having them both reassure her that they never wanted to try and take the place of the father she lost, but they still considered her a Fair was the best thing she could have heard.
They had barely finished their tale before there was a knock at the door. They had all almost forgotten that there were three more guests expected. Sarah wiped the last of her tears away before she answered the door with a smile. "I suppose you are right on time, but I'm afraid we haven't finished dinner yet. Why don't you all three come in and wait while I get that done."
Kris stood to join her. "I'll help. The guys can all talk things out while we cook."
Sarah gave her a smile and a nod. All of the guests except for Reno looked slightly uncomfortable. Especially after Zeke stood and gestured for Genesis to follow him outside. Kris looked like she was about to follow them, but Sarah placed a hand on her arm to stop her. She shook her head and lowered her voice. "Don't worry. Whatever Zake has to say won't be bad enough to run the fellow off. I can see that much just by the way he watches you when you aren't looking." She then smiled and squeezed Kris' hand. "I can't say that what you have said doesn't worry me, but at least I know you have someone out there that will stop the world to keep you safe if it comes to it."
Kris' resultant smile was bright enough to light up her face. Before they could move on to cooking, both their attention was drawn by loud laughter. Zack had given the others a quick tour, and something about the house had Reno laughing his ass off. He came out of the back room and grinned at Kris. "So, you had to share a room, eh? That wasn't uncomfortable?"
Kris rolled her eyes. "Don't think I've forgotten where you grew up. I'm sure if you had any siblings, it would have been the same. A person does what they have to, and trust me, I'm more comfortable with Zack then I would ever be with you."
Sarah gave Kris a questioning look at her harsh teasing, but it melted away when she heard the redhead laugh. She even smiled when she overheard his response. "Touché Fair. At least I know you have roots to keep you humble. I was a little worried when I heard about your upbringing, and the fact that you were engaged to Commander Cranky."
He then clapped Zack on the shoulder. "I didn't want to only be stuck with this guy for company when we get back to Midgar."
Kris chuckled but turned around to help Sarah with dinner. She threw her response back over her shoulder. "It won't be Genesis that keeps me from going out. That doesn't mean I won't have someone to keep me busy."
She missed Reno's grin, but not his words. "Nah, don't worry. If ya wanna go out, Uncle Zack and Uncle Reno have you covered."
Kris turned back around and raised a brow at him. "If you think I am insane enough to leave my child with you, think again."
Despite the nature of the words shared between the two, Sarah was pleased to see that her children had such good friends. She watched as the rest of the group got into a debate over how wise it was to leave an infant with any of them. Even the General and Commander Hewley got involved. She couldn't hold back a giggle at how animated they were over such a silly subject. It was a great reminder that these men who had been through so much, that the world thought of as terrifying, they were human too. They were no more monsters than she was, and it helped ease her worry.
After that, the men all devolved into random conversations. Even after Genesis and Zeke returned. When they came in, Kris gave him a curious look, but he just shook his head and smiled. That eased her worry. She knew he had a temper sometimes, but at least it seemed as though he had managed to hold it this time.
It was late when everyone finally decided to turn in. They had all stayed after dinner to sit and talk. Kris had found the sight of everyone crammed into their home to be humorous, but it was the first time she had felt nearly normal since her memories returned. Despite what they still needed to face, she was glad they had the chance to stop. It served as a reminder that life went on. People learned to adapt, and no matter how things happened in the past, she would not ever have to fear such betrayal again.
Once Zeke gave notice that he was done for the night, everyone started to shuffle out. That was the first time that any of them brought up the question of where they were to sleep. They had managed to get two rooms at the inn, but there were no others. Kris had been correct that Genesis did not want to sleep in a separate room from her.
Despite Zeke's adamantly expressed dislike of the idea, Kris finally decided to let Reno have her bed for the night. She and Genesis would take one room and Sephiroth and Angeal the other. Zack would sleep in his own bed. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of listening to Reno snore, but those arrangements made the most sense.
As Kris was leaving, she shot Reno a devious grin. "I hope you like the bed, just make sure you take mine and not his. Mom may have washed his sheets after we left, but if not, I feel for you if he tricks you into swapping."
Zack let out a loud protest that his sheets did not stink that had the rest of the group laughing. Genesis was tempted to add his own prodding at the boy but thought better of it when he saw his fiancé's smile. He missed the sight of it too much to ruin the moment. For now, he was just happy to see her relaxed. He would give anything to keep that look on her face for the rest of their lives.
That was precisely what he had told her father as well. Despite the lack of blood relations, he had no doubt the Fairs cared about her. She was their family. The thought made him think of his own parents. Despite how betrayed he had felt, he had come to realize how blessed he had been. Both of them were. Neither of them had their blood relations anymore, but they did not lack for it. The people around them cared enough to bridge that gap, even if they could not erase the past.
He waited patiently for her to tell her parents goodnight and gave them a promise that she would be back in time to help with breakfast. They both gave her a hug before they shocked him. Sarah smiled before she gave him a hug, as well, and Zeke held out his hand to shake. Genesis could hardly believe this was the same man that had threatened him earlier.
Zeke gave him a small smile and a nod. "I suppose we should welcome you to the family properly. Just make sure you stop by as often as you can. We don't want to miss seeing our grandchild grow up."
Kris was practically beaming as they finally walked out and toward the inn. She was lost in her own little world as they headed into the room. There were two small beds, but neither of them cared that they would be sharing one.
When they finally laid down, Genesis pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "My love, your desire is the bringer of life, the gift of the Goddess. I wasn't sure what to expect when we arrived here, but I am glad I agreed to come. I now know that our child will never lack for love. From you and I, as well as all four of her grandparents."
Kris leaned her head back and grinned up at him. "Her, huh?"
He smirked as he leaned down and kissed her. "Call it a hunch, but have no fear. I will be satisfied as long as the baby is healthy, and you are unharmed."
Kris felt a slight stirring of her worry again, but she shoved it aside. Just for this short stay, she refused to let it get her down. She could think about it while they finished the trip to Nibelheim. With that thought in mind, she curled closer to Genesis and drifted into a deep and thankfully dreamless sleep.
A/N: Next chapter we get to Nibelheim, so I hope you guys enjoyed this little bit of fluff while we can. Things will be getting exciting for some of our team. I'm looking forward to this final bit, so I hope you are too. Thanks for reading, and cheers!