Author's Note: And thus concludes our first story. I know everyone is expecting some interaction for Aerith with her mom and Zack with his parents. Rest assured that is coming! There will be a one-shot upload for this. We began writing it, and it took on a life of its own. We couldn't possibly limit it to this chapter, so we decided to make it a one-shot. Be on the look-out for Far From The Tree: Puppies and Flowers. After that, we will begin uploading the second story, named Far From The Tree: Family Ties.
Big thank you for all your support. Your questions really made us think and expand. We appreciate each and every one of you, and we hope you will continue this journey with us as we publish more stories. This alternate universe is very dear to us, and we hope you find it just as enjoyable.
-DREAMS OF THE MORROW-
Completely new territory.
Vincent had to admit that the silver-haired woman's revelation had taken him by surprise. The onslaught... no... the whirlwind of emotion combined with the welling of affection at seeing Lucrecia once again... at hearing her voice... at witnessing her might... it overwhelmed the gunman. Truth be told, he did not know how to react to any of this.
So sentimental... Chaos whispered tauntingly.
"You knew, didn't you?" Vincent demanded internally.
Of course I did.
Vincent felt the smugness pulsing from the immortal within him.
"Why did you not inform me?" Vincent questioned.
Why is it my concern who your kin is?
Vincent suppressed a growl within himself, keeping his beast at bay. The ex-Turk begrudgingly accepting Chaos' answer as he made his way to the vacation cabin in Costa del Sol.
Oh, stop pouting... Chaos reprimanded him, It all worked out.
Vincent ignored the immortal, stepped up to the front door, and knocked.
Sephiroth was washing the plate he had dirtied before setting it into the plastic draining wrack to dry. He had decided to try his hand at making a dish recommended to him by a local. She had been correct. The roasted fish with the citrus enriched glaze sauce had been divine.
Between the light brown sugar, the soy sauce, fresh chives, and honey among a few other ingredients the fresh halibut had been cooked to perfection.
He had wanted to cook some for the others, but they were busy attending to their own business. Angeal was in town and Genesis was out in the wilds beyond Costa's city limits with Bella, getting to know each other's fighting styles and finding out how to combine them into a perfect dance of deadly elegance.
The former general of SOLDIER and threat to the planet however, felt the need to spend some time alone with his thoughts.
He still did not know why Strife had lied to the people that day. Claiming the crimes of the former hero of the Wutai War were the acts of someone else and not his own. Sephiroth had been ready to answer for his crimes, after ensuring Jenova was dead. Why then had the blond warrior lied in his defense?
His musings stopped in their tracks when he heard the door knocking. He headed into the foyer and opened the door.
Red eyes met green as father and son came face to face. For the first time... ever... the gunman was at a loss for words. How should he address his estranged son? By name? By term of endearment? What should he say after that? When did he become so indecisive?
"Hello, Sephiroth," he nodded, going with slightly formal yet friendly.
If you call that friendly...
"Silence," Vincent commanded of Chaos mentally.
Sephiroth was surprised, but not annoyed with this unexpected visit.
He remembered clearly what Angel had revealed in his mother's cave. He felt as awkward now as he did then. This was his father... his real father, and he had no idea how to address him.
And now he was just standing there, staring down the man silently. It suddenly occurred to him that it may be taken as a cold reception.
"Valentine, was it? Would you like to come in?"
Why was he such a perfectionist in battle, but pathetic with conversation? Where was Zackary and his social butterfly nature when he needed it?
The warrior nodded, entering as Sephiroth moved to the side for him. Vincent turned to his... son... trying to figure out what to do next.
Oh, for Gaia's sake... talk to him! Chaos hissed, This is unbearably awkward and infuriatingly predictable!
Talk? About what? What should he say? Should he apologize for hunting him down and destroying him?
What the hell did you come here for?
"I thought we should... discuss matters," Vincent began, "Is this an appropriate time?"
Vincent swore he could feel Chaos facepalming.
Sephiroth nodded. "Yes. I have no important plans for the afternoon. You're welcome to stay as long as you please."
He gestured towards the inner section of the house, leaving it up to Vincent if he wanted to venture into the living room or the dining area.
"Have you eaten? I can brew up some coffee or tea."
Sephiroth was no maid or housewife, but he wasn't rude and wouldn't neglect to offer a guest food. Though the notion did make him feel like a housewife.
He was secretly glad Genesis was not here to enjoy the silver warrior's embarrassment.
Vincent walked into the dining room, his red cloak flowing behind him as if it were moving underwater or in a good breeze. "No... thank you."
He thought back to his chat with Marlene about small talk... well, it was more of a lecture from her whilst he remained quiet.
"The most important thing to remember is consideration for the person you're talking to," Marlene explained, "Ask about their well being or mention something good you've heard about them. And then listen when they answer. It should tell you what direction to take the conversation."
"How are you doing?" Vincent asked.
Oh, yes... brilliant conversation... Chaos sighed.
"I am healthy and content," Sephiroth replied, and then he realized a possible way to clear his confusion from before. This man had been on Cloud's team when they ventured across the face of the planet to defeat him. Maybe he knew the reason for the warrior's actions.
"Though, I am rather confused about something. Perhaps you can provide me with the answer that eludes me. Assuming you know Strife well enough?"
"Very well," Vincent told him, "What is your question?"
Sephiroth eyed him with curiosity. "I've known him as an adversary and only recently as an ally. Why would he lie to the public about my actions regarding what I tried to do years ago?"
Vincent considered this, knowing Cloud as well as he did. "I suspect that the truth is too much for the public to absorb, so he gave them a version of the truth that the people could accept. To allow you the chance at a new life."
He paused for a moment. "What he told them is not much deviance from the truth. You were manipulated by an evil creature..."
The gunman huffed. "More than one, in fact. And in the beginning, it was truly Jenova who roamed Gaia using your likeness. But people would not be interested in details, and Cloud realizes that."
Aww... your first father-son talk, Chaos chided.
Sephiroth took in the information and thought it over. It did make sense, and when explained that way it wasn't so far-fetched to believe that it was a truth.
"In that case, I'll accept what he said and put the issue behind me. Thank you for clearing up my confusion," Sephiroth then added, "What is the reason for this visit? If you require the others, I can call them."
"Actually, I thought we should discuss your mother," Vincent suggested. It had been on his mind ever since Cloud defeated Jenova. He would finally be able to hold Lucrecia... to touch her...
That certainly got Sephiroth's attention. "Has it been confirmed that Jenova is indeed dead?"
He hadn't heard anything since that night, but her silence wasn't anything new. The world had thought she had been defeated before and she turned up later, so he dared not to get his hopes up.
Vincent slowly nodded. Cloud had informed him that the demon queen was, indeed, dead.
"The time has come to set her free," Vincent said with a smirk behind his scarf, "but we must take great care. She has been in that cave, encased in crystal for years."
Sephiroth seemed to relax with relief, though any signs were completely reigned in. He only nodded.
"To finally set my mother free. I have longed for the moment, though thankfully this time I shall be releasing my real mother."
He offered the smallest hint of a smirk. "I shall try my best not to lose my sanity in the process this time."
The gunman's eyes glinted. "A worthy endeavor, Sephiroth."
A pause... and then, "I have spoken to Reeve about her condition. He has recommended medical personnel to be standing by. After being suspended for that long, she will most likely be unable to move."
Sephiroth nodded. "Then we shall handle her release with care."
"Reeve says he will be ready in a few weeks' time," Vincent explained, "He needs to set up a special facility for her rehabilitation."
He thought about it for a moment. "She will probably wish for your presence as she recovers."
Sephiroth thought it over as he gazed around the house. It was spacious and with Bella there, he and Genesis hadn't butted heads as often. But Sephiroth knew it was only a matter of time before the fiery warrior lost his temper at something and tried to pick a fight. And the silver warrior knew he'd be the most likely target.
To keep the peace in a house that was graciously lent to them by Strife, he realized it'd save a lot of trouble to accept.
"I would not object to that invitation."
"I'll make the arrangements then," Vincent replied.
The two stood there for a moment, not knowing what to say.
Are you going to acknowledge the Behemoth in the room? Chaos pressed.
"Perhaps... I could join the two of you... every now and then," Vincent suggested, the words thick in his mouth. It was the most awkward he had felt in a long time.
Sephiroth regarded him for a moment. "Now and then? I was under the impression that you had been visiting her often, spending hours in the cave at times. It's clear you still have feelings for her, or… am I mistaken?"
The gunman drew in a breath, not used to verbalizing his thoughts. "You are not mistaken. I..."
He paused to think of his response. "...I am unclear if you desire to be alone with her... or if you wish for me to be present when you are there."
Could you be any more pathetic? Chaos snickered, to which Vincent glared inwardly.
Sephiroth looked directly at him then, and the measured gaze was almost unnerving, yet analyzing. His resolve, however, was clear.
"You and I do not have much history together, and the history we do was as enemies. That being said, I was also never given the proper example of how a father should be, as I've been told by others that Hojo did not represent a prime example of one."
He waited for a moment before adding. "I'd be willing to let you show me the correct example, if you wish to."
For a moment, the onslaught of... emotion... confused Vincent. For so long, he had locked away anything that resembled feelings, not willing to open up and be devastated again, like he was when Lucrecia rejected him to marry Hojo. Then again... he had never really... tried.
"Are sins... ever forgiven?"
"I've never tried..."
He met his son's eyes. "I am not certain I know what a prime example is... but I will... try... to be one for you."
Sephiroth nodded and held out his hand. "Then let's both be there to support her."
Vincent grasped the silver warrior's hand. "Agreed."
*FFTT*
It was late at night. Very late. The streets were quiet aside from the random dog barking every now and then. Cloud had finally sat down on his bed and worked on untying his boots. It had been a long day of deliveries, and the paperwork that followed took up the rest of his time.
He hadn't even gotten to eat with the family, which he regretted. He decided to make it up to them by making a scrambled egg breakfast in the morning... that is, if he got up before Tifa, which was rare.
Tifa...
He smirked to himself as he thought back to that day. He had done it... despite the execution, he had finally done it. He asked her the hardest question. To marry him. And she had said yes!
He hated how he had asked her, but he needed her to know how he felt. After all the heartache, all the guilt and regrets, the miscommunications, the arguments, the battles they were in, Cloud had realized that she wasn't merely part of his team, or his childhood friend...
He loved her.
Now he had no idea what to expect. Questions had been swimming in his head for a few days now, but he buried them beneath the surface and focused on his daily tasks, but at night... they'd break through the ice and crawl to the forefront of his mind.
What kind of wedding would they have? Big or small? Inside or outside? Should they try to start a family? Did she want kids? Or were Marlene and Denzel enough... Denz was his legally, but Marlene was Barret's pride and joy. Would she want a girl? What about his mako? Was it safe? Would the baby be healthy? Would it have mako in its system? What would that do to Tifa?
These questions were becoming overwhelming and he couldn't help his increase in heart rate as he fought against this unexpected wave of panic.
That is, until he heard something coming from the next room. Someone was calling out his name... and it sounded scared.
His head shot up and he bolted to the door.
"Tifa!"
The barmaid lay in her bed, taking jagged breaths as she lightly thrashed around. Whimpering and moans arose from her lips, her expression reflecting the distress she was obviously feeling. The blanket tangled in her feet and legs, and a sole tear rolled down her cheek.
"Cloud... please... hang on..." she cried, her words slightly slurred, "Don't leave me..."
Her hands gripped at the sheets, and Tifa grunted.
Cloud knocked on her door. "Tifa?"
As he heard her whimper he thought someone might have broken inside.
He rushed through the door and was met with the sight of Tifa in her bed, tangled up in her blanket and struggling. And was she... crying?
He walked over to her bedside and took her shoulders as he started to gently shake her.
"Tifa... Tifa, wake up!"
"NO!" she shouted, her eyes popping open. She sat up quickly, gasping as if she had been running for hours. She scanned the room before focusing on Cloud. Her arms flew around him and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"Gaia... you're alive," she breathed, holding onto him like he might disappear at any moment.
He sat there, frozen, unsure what to do. She was okay... at least physically... but emotionally...
She was terrified.
You're alive!
She had been dreaming about that day he died? He felt like he couldn't figure out what to do to help her. There was nothing to fight... and then he felt his inner Zack cuff him upside his head.
Idiot! She's crying and scared! You're her fiancé! Console her!
He slowly brought his arms up to her and embraced her, letting out a deep sigh to calm her as well as himself.
"Of course I'm alive, Teef. Who else would you be engaged to?"
He winced at his own poor attempt to lighten the mood. How could everyone think he was so cool when he was such a total dork?
She sniffled, drawing in just a little more of his presence. Pulling back, she gave him a half-smile and wiped her eyes.
Engaged...
Oh, she loved the sound of that. They were engaged. Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart were going to get married.
"Did I wake you?" she asked, her eyes offering a preemptive apology.
He shook his head with a slight smirk. "I was just getting ready to crash for the night."
He blinked just realizing. "Damn, Either I'm really tired or I'm getting sloppy. I didn't even grab my sword when I heard you struggling."
She tilted her head a little. "Got a lot on your mind?"
Having him in front of her helped get the other image of his death out of her head. She really wished she could stop having that dream, but seeing him die... it left its mark on her, a scar on her soul, so to speak.
He smiled down at her.
Yes!
"Not really."
He only hoped he could hide his worries from her. She didn't need to deal with his childish worries when she had to sit there and watch him die. The very thing he had taken off for to avoid... and she had to suffer it anyway.
His own petty worries were nothing in comparison.
She gave him a deadpan stare with a complimentary smirk.
"Try again."
He sighed then. Damn it. He'd have to work on his poker face some more.
"Yeah..."
He turned away slightly and looked at the floor. It was always easier to talk to his feet than to admit his weakness to the one he loved the most.
"I let myself get lost in what-if's."
He lifted his head and stared at the adjacent wall. "It started out with questions for what type of wedding we'd want... and then it spiraled into..."
He went silent.
She sighed, watching him pull into himself again. They would really have to work on that if they had any chance for a successful marriage.
Marriage!
"Into what, Cloud?" she pressed, reaching out to take his hand. Tifa savored the warmth of his skin, waiting for his answer.
He glanced her way, never turning his head. "I'm excited to marry you, Teef, don't think I'm regretting anything or I don't want to, I'm just worried for our future."
He sighed then, realizing he'd need to explain that better before she took it wrong, as he was being so stubborn. Why couldn't he say what was on his mind?
"You know how Hojo experimented on me for years. I'm fine, yeah, but what about any kids I have? Would they be okay? And what about you? Yeah we... under the Highwind years ago, and you're fine, but what if it's different when you're carrying my..."
He felt his throat tighten a bit, so he stopped talking. He felt himself blushing slightly, talking about this sort of thing, but he also didn't want to dig himself into a deeper hole.
Ahh, the Highwind... one of her most cherished memories. Such an incredible night...
Focus, Tifa.
She pulled him into a hug, stroking his hair lovingly. "Oh, Cloud... I know. The future is never certain. But whatever happens, we should face it together. That's what being married is all about. You don't need to worry about these things all by yourself. Lean on me when you need to. I'm here for you."
He couldn't help but smirk a bit. "Hey... I thought I was the one trying to comfort you. Not the other way around."
He rested his head against her's, smelling her hair, which carried a hint of berry and wild flowers. Must be a new shampoo.
He liked it.
"You smell nice."
Her cheeks instantly heated up at the unexpected compliment. Between that and feeling his breath near her ear, she just knew she was as red as a sunburn. She couldn't stop the smile from forming as she pulled back to stare into those mesmerizing blue eyes of his.
"G-Glad you like it," she breathed, glancing downward.
He chuckled slightly under his breath. "Did that really make you blush?"
He leaned down to get a closer look. "Wow, you really are blushing. How'd you get your face to turn that red, Teef?"
Dammit! She was hoping he hadn't noticed.
"You caught me off guard," she argued, her pulse racing, "That's all..."
She couldn't stifle the giggle quick enough.
A giggle? Really?
He smirked at her, giving her the same look she had given him moments ago.
"Really. I caught you off guard?"
She sputtered a little, trying to think of a witty comeback.
"Well... you... you blushed first!" she accused him.
He arched an eyebrow, secretly enjoying how flustered she was.
He leaned in and pecked her on the lips. "Guess we'll need a tie-breaker then."
A tie-breaker, huh? I'll show you a tie-breaker!
She lunged forward, meeting his lips in a long, passionate kiss. All of her heart and soul went into it as she slid her arms around his neck.
His eyes widened and glowed before he leaned into the kiss and returned it. If this was something they'd be doing a lot as a married couple, he didn't mind admitting he'd enjoy getting used to it.
The ability to think started to ebb and with it, so did his worries and concerns. All he could focus on was Tifa: his rock, his fiancee, and soon to be his wife!
He wasn't sure how, but at some point during the kiss, his shirt had ended up being tossed to the floor.
She pulled back a little to admire her handy work.
"So, now who's blushing?" she teased, sliding a solitary finger up his arm and over his shoulder. Her eyes glanced at the scar near his shoulder, the one he received after fighting so many enemies... and then finally Sephiroth.
"Red as can be," she finished, grinning at him.
He leaned in and smirked at her. "Are you sure that red isn't just reflecting off me from you? You're pretty red yourself, Miss Lockhart."
"Oh, nice try," she challenged, "I couldn't reflect that much red."
She got as close to him as she could, brushing her lips over his, murmuring, "But if there's... any doubt, I can just keep trying."
Her arms encircled him, not allowing him to pull back at all.
His first instinct was to pull back, but his stronger instincts kicked in and he relaxed. His eyes glowing slightly as the mako pumped through his veins as his heart rate sped up.
"I'd never doubt you, Teef..." he whispered in her ear. "Never."
"And I promise you, Cloud," she whispered, releasing all of her inhibitions, "I'll never let go."
