by
Tifa_Lockheart_Nibelheim
Chapter 1: Uncertainty and
Relief
Tifa
Lockheart stumbled down the stairs of her new home.
She,
Cloud, Barret and the rest of the bunch had moved there right after they had
rescued the world. Flying around with the Highwind for a couple of days,
everybody had quickly realized they had to stay together, at least for the
first time, till things would get back to normal.
Tifa was very happy about
this development, because she had always been the one to cheer everybody up, to
care for everybody, and she was sure she couldn't live without her friends now.
Not after all she had done for them… and they had done for her.
She rubbed her eyes and
yawned before she entered the kitchen, where she was greeted by her friends
taking in their breakfast.
Cloud looked up from his
newspaper and gave her his cutest smile.
Tifa smiled back. This was
what she would have missed the most. Lately, their relationship had improved a
lot.
Smiling, Tifa remembered
the day Cloud had confessed his feelings for her…
…It had
been about a week after the group had saved the world. They had finally settled
down in Midgar – well, what was still there of it – and though it had all still
been new and unknown, things had been getting back to normal…
It was a
wonderful evening, the party was again celebrating their triumph over Sephiroth
and Meteor. With Cid, drunk like always, lying around on the floor, the others
either already sleeping or having a loud conversation, Tifa went outside to get
some fresh air before she would start cleaning up.
She
was standing on the front porch, staring
at the stars which were shining as if they knew what was going to happen.
Softly,
the door behind Tifa opened and Cloud stepped beside her, his gaze directed up
to the stars, just like Tifa's.
"Incredibly
beautiful", he said.
Tifa
turned toward him, then, smiling, turned back to the stars.
"Yes,
they really are".
"…just
like you." Cloud added, after hesitating a few moments.
Tifa
blinked. Had Cloud really said those words? Was she probably dreaming?
She
closed her eyes and opened them again, just to see Cloud was still there, now
looking at her.
Was he
waiting for her to reply? Tifa was so struck by those words that she didn't
know what to say.
"You are
always there for me, Tifa", he continued "when I feel bad, you just smile at me
and everything in the world is right again. It's always been like that."
Tifa got
more and more confused the more she heard. Did he actually care for her?
"I know
I have never really thanked you for everything you've done for me, Teef. I just
always took it for granted, I took you for granted…" Cloud took another long
look at the stars, considering his next words, though he seemed to know what he
wanted to tell her so dearly.
"Yet in
the past few weeks, now that all the fighting is finally over, that the threat
is gone, I had a lot of time to think about other things. I had time to sort
out my feelings. Those feelings I kept hidden deep inside of me for so long,
trying to suppress them…"
Tifa's
mind was reeling.
What was
this leading to?
How come
Cloud could finally talk about his feelings openly?
"I
finally realized it, Tifa. Realized that I love you. That I have loved you from
the very first time we met, and that my feelings have only grown stronger since
then, even though I tried to suppress them."
He now
looked her directly in the eyes, his sparkling blue eyes scanning her soul,
longing for confirmation.
Tifa
stared at him in total disbelief, her mind being barely unable to cope with the
information, yet her heart was already reacting: tears started streaming down
her cheeks, making their way unstopped.
"Y… You…
you l…love me?" Tifa stuttered und took a step towards him, her hand brought up
to her heart.
Cloud
gently smiled at her and nodded approvingly.
"Oh
Cloud", Tifa cried and literally fell into his arms, embracing him with all her
might.
"I love
you, too", she managed to say in between the sobs, releasing all the hurt and
ache she had stored inside of her all those years.
Still smiling,
yet his eyes glistening with fresh, unshed tears, Cloud took her head in his
hands and brought her lips up to his.
The
young couple finally shared it's first kiss, a kiss full of passion, of love,
of suppressed emotions that were finally able to break free in this explosion
of emotions.
Hesitantly, Tifa woke from her
daydream of memories and dove back into the pleasures of the present.
Still smiling, she took her seat
next to her love and they gently shared a long kiss.
Everybody around the table was
grinning widely, but they were all happy for their friends who had, after such
a long time, finally been able to admit their love for each other. And even
though they hadn't announced it yet, they were all sure they would seal their
love with a marriage and mostly likely a few kids.
Tifa sighed, grabbed the
coffeepot and filled her cup with the hot, steaming drink.
"I hate it when I sleep through.
Why didn't anybody wake me?" she asked, looking up from the cup, eventually
gazing in the eyes of her love.
He just smiled back at her and
simply stated: "Well, you were sleeping so peacefully, I just couldn't wake
you."
Tifa curled her lips, yet she
just could not be mad at him, especially when he showed his sheepish smile. It
always made her laugh, no matter how down she was.
She sighed once again and started
sipping her coffee.
"You want nothing else? It took
me an eternity to prepare those pancakes!" Cloud tried.
Cid snorted in return.
"Yeah, and that's an
understatement! If it hadn't been for Marlene, it would've taken him till at
least Christmas and about 100 tons of flour!"
Again Cloud grinned sheepishly
and scratched the back of his head. Every time Cloud felt embarrassed, he made
that move, no matter how much unlike him it was. Even though Cloud had changed
a lot, had become somewhat softer, as he did not have to pretend to be
someone else anymore. He had finally been accepted for who he was, he had
finally accepted himself actually.
After everybody had finished
laughing or giggling, depending on who it was, Cloud looked back at Tifa
questioningly.
Tifa just shook her head and
smiled back.
"No, thanks. I'm not really
hungry today. The coffee will be enough", yet as she registered Cloud's worried
look, she added "Plus lunch will be in less than 2 hours, so I surely won't
starve."
"Yeah, guess you're right about
that." Cloud stated and softly kissed her on the cheek, trying not to knock
over the coffee. One hot shower a day was enough.
"So, any of you have plans for
today?" Yuffie asked, curious as ever.
"Why you askin'? Something you
wanna tell us, girl?" Cid replied, professionally preventing his cigarette from
dropping out of his mouth.
The young girl grinned brightly
as she answered.
"Well, it is not really anything
that should be important to you, but I have
a date today!"
Silence.
Nobody around the table said a
word.
They just stared at the ninja as
if she had just told them she had just met the reincarnation of Sephiroth while
doing some shopping around the corner.
Red was the first one to regain
his ability to speak and looked at the girl in a somewhat proud way.
"Well, I appreciate that you
finally found your mate."
Cid started laughing furiously,
hardly being able to breath at all.
"That spoiled brat and 'finding a
mate'? That's impossible! Don't cha think so? Hey Teef, what'd you say?"
Everybody turned around in order
to listen to Tifa, who surely had some cheering words for Yuffie and would tell
Cid not to judge about a girl that easily.
Yet Tifa remained quiet. She
simply stared into her coffee cup, yet her eyes were closed.
"Teef", Cloud tried and softly
touched her shoulder "Teef! You ok?"
He slightly shook her and Tifa
slowly opened her eyes.
"Umm… well… I don't feel very
well. I think I'm just gonna lye down for a bit."
Thus she rose from her chair and
turned in the direction of the stairs. Yet Cloud stopped her in the middle of
the motion, grabbing her wrist.
"You ok? Do you want me to come
with you? Do you need anything?"
His face showed deep concern and
worry. Now that he had finally found the love of his life and confessed his
feelings to her, he was not going to lose her ever again to nobody and nothing.
But Tifa just shook her head and
half-smiled.
"No, really. I'm ok. It's
probably just a cold or a flu or something like that. Don't worry."
After gently kissing him on the
lips, she turned around and made her way up the stairs.
Cloud returned to his place at
the table, meeting reassuring smiles.
"Hey Cloud, calm down. After all
the tension lately, everybody should be allowed his or her 'day off'."
Cid tried to reassure his young
friend, as he himself had been suffering from a strong headache lately.
Although he was not really sure whether it was form the tension or more likely
from the grave consume of alcohol.
Yet Barret's face was only a façade
as his gaze followed the young woman ascending the stairs, not showing his
inner turmoil. Surely had he noticed that Tifa was not doing well lately, and
he was seriously concerned about her.
Later, he told himself, he would
talk to her, and tell her to visit a doctor. Even if it were just a simple flu,
one should not handle his health unconsciously.
***
Tifa sighed as she sat down on
the bed she had left just a few minutes ago. Carefully, she lay down, trying
not to let the dizziness overwhelm her.
What's
wrong with me? she questioned herself. What's going on?
Even though she had told Cloud
she might probably be suffering from a flu or any other similar illness, she
herself did not believe in it. It was more like an excuse until she was sure of
what might be wrong with her.
Dizziness, sleepiness, morning
nausea… Tifa was too experienced a woman not to have a suspicion about what
might be wrong.
Well,
not exactly wrong, but… different.
If only there were somebody she
could talk to.
Aeris…
It was especially in moments like
these that she missed her friend. Sure, one might say they had just been rivals
for the love of Cloud, yet still Tifa had never hated Aeris. She might have
been sad that Cloud loved her that much, but she had always wanted what was best
for Cloud. Plus Aeris had always been a friend to her, somebody that needn't be
cheered up, but that pulled her out of depressions. She had been the only other
woman that she could talk to about… well… women's stuff.
As if on cue, a knocking sounded
from the door, followed by a small voice.
"Hey, Teef, can I come in?"
Tifa smiled. Yuffie.
Probably not as good for a conversation as Aeris, but at least not one of the
guys.
"Yeah, sure, come in", Tifa
answered, pushing herself into a sitting position with a deep sigh.
The young ninja perked inside
before entering the room, and, as she had made sure that it was ok to come in,
she quickly slipped through the door opening, as if afraid that somebody might
watch her.
Yuffie looked at her with an odd
expression showing on her face.
"Umm… Tifa…", she started, sort
of nervous, not sure whether she did the right thing, yet being too curious not
to do it.
Tifa smiled at her reassuringly
and gestured for her to go on with whatever she wanted to tell or ask her.
"Yeah… well… I kinda noticed… you
know… the… state you're in lately and I … umm wanted to make sure whether… you
know…"
Yuffie tried, rubbing her
knuckles nervously, which was a rare sight with the young girl, as she was
normally over-self-confident, and thus did not question anything she did.
Yet to Tifa it was clear what she
was about to ask.
"Ummm… I just wanted to know
whether you… you know… you are… ummm…"
It seemed to be pretty
embarrassing for the young girl to raise a topic like that.
"You wanted to know whether I'm
pregnant, right?" Tifa asked, yet it was more a statement than a question, to
ease the nervousness Yuffie was suffering from.
Yuffie exhaled visibly, nodding
hesitantly to confirm what her friend had just said.
"Well… are you? I mean… you don't
have to tell me if you don't wanna…"
Tifa giggled softly, yet the
tension inside of her seemed to drive her crazy. She dearly wanted to tell
somebody, and it actually helped her a lot to confess to her young friend.
Tifa sighed as she rose her gaze
to the ceiling.
"I think I might be… that was my
first guess, too."
Yuffie stepped closer to her
friend and sat down next to her on the bed.
"You might be? So you didn't do a
test yet, huh?"
Tifa shook her head in denial.
"No, not yet. It's just that…
well, Cloud tells me to stay home to get rest, so I can't go into town."
Yuffie smiled at her friend,
dearly wanting to help her, even though it might seem odd to her.
"Well, if you want to, I can get
you a test when coming back from my date. You won't have to leave the house and
nobody will notice until you want them to."
Tifa smiled back at Yuffie,
pulling her into a friendly hug.
"Oh, thanks. That would be
great."
"Hey, no problem", Yuffie
retorted, grinning "That's what friends are for, right?"
Waving goodbye at her friend, she
left the room to get ready for her date and left Tifa sitting on the bed alone.
The young woman smiled in the
direction her friend had just left. A great deal of the tension that had made
her uneasy all the time had been taken from her.
Yet there were still questions
that needed to be answered, even though she feared what their answers might be.
***
Cloud quietly closed the bedroom
door behind him and walked out into the corridor. With a concerned frown, he
made his way down the stairs into the living room.
Hearing his friend come, Barret
turned his large head around and suspiciously eyed him.
"How's she doin?" he asked, his
voice as rough as always.
Cloud fell down in an armchair
close to the fireplace – the place that had become his favorite over the time –
and rested his head on his right arm.
"She says she'll be fine. She's
in bed now, I told her to take a rest."
Barret nodded thoughtfully,
noticing the concern that wavered in the young man's voice.
"I just don't know what's wrong
with her."
"Yeah, I know what you're talking
'bout. Well, I'd suggest that if she isn't feeling any better by the end of the
week, you should just take her to the doc. That's the safest way." Barret
suggested, sounding experienced, probably because of his little daughter
Marlene whom he had to deal with when Tifa wasn't around.
Cloud sighed once more, staring
at the flames. His mind was in a daze, his heart torn with worry and concern
about his love. He would do everything if it helped her recover, if it made her
feel better in any way.
Yet nothing he did seemed to
help. No matter how much he tried, her state did not improve.
All he could do right now was
hope that she wouldn't get worse.
"Hey, Cloud, you should get some
rest yourself. You look pretty worn out, too."
Cloud's lips curved a half-smile
as he ran his fingers through his spiky hair.
"I'm gonna get some rest soon
enough. Till then, I guess coffee should do it", he sighed and rose from the
armchair, stretching his aching muscles.
"It's up to you, man, but just
don't overestimate your strength." Barret retorted, in the same second grinning
about his own comment; telling the probably strongest man on earth, the one who
had saved the planet, not to overestimate his strength…
Ironic… Barret thought to himself.
Yet Cloud in return only gave him
a slight grin, while making his way to the kitchen.
There, he grabbed a cup and,
discovering that the coffeepot was empty, started to fumble with the
coffeemaker.
"You know he's right, Cloud."
Came a soft, purring voice from the other end of the kitchen, near the window.
Red XIII, or Nanaki – which he
preferred – rested with his head on his front paws, watching the scenery, and
obviously overhearing the small conversation between Cloud and Barret.
Cloud gave up his small fight
with the coffeemaker and sighed.
"Yeah, I know. It's just that,
well… she's been there for me all the time, no matter how she felt, no matter
how worn out she was. And this time she needs me, and I'm not gonna leave her
or anything just because I'm tired. I'll help her recover this
time."
Cloud's voice sounded decided.
Yet he did not only consider it his moral duty to do so; he loved her with all
his heart, and did not want to lose her anyhow.
"I totally understand you,
believe me. I just advise you to take care of yourself as well. Don't take it
too lightly."
Once again, Cloud sighed and
closed his eyes.
If he only knew what was wrong with her…
If only she got better…
***
Yuffie slipped through the door
opening quickly and sneaked over to the stairs as quietly as she could.
"Ah, the brat's back!"
The young girl jerked up
uncontrollably, her heart nearly missing a beat.
"Back from your date already?"
Cid snickered.
Yuffie inwardly exhaled.
Why did she feel like she had been caught in the
act?
"Umm… yeah."
Without giving any more details,
she quickly walked over to the stairs, completely ignoring Cid, her heart
racing inside her chest.
The pilot only grunted and shook
his head.
"That kid's something… else…"
***
Tifa slightly tensed up as she
heard the footsteps approaching her room. The steps' volume increased, and,
soon, the door opened and the young ninja entered, obviously as nervous and
excited as she herself.
Tifa raised her eyebrows and shot
her friend a questioning look.
Understanding the unspoken
question, Yuffie started to fumble in her small bag, finally pulled out a
small, rectangular box and held it at arms length, offering it to her friend.
Even though her hands were
shaking, Tifa took the small box and eyed it nervously, anxiously even.
"You know… I'm not quite sure
about this…" Tifa said, her voice quivery.
Yuffie walked over to her,
looking her friend directly in the eyes, yet only after eyeing the test for an
instance.
"Believe me, I'm as nervous about
this as you. But you wanna be sure about this, don't you? No more guessing,
right?"
Tifa was surprised how grown up
the girl sounded. Seemingly, she could be serious and dependable, if the
situation recommended it. Which obviously wasn't the fact very often.
Exhaling deeply, Tifa took one
last look at the box and walked over to the bathroom, which could only be
reached through the bedroom.
Yet she stopped once more,
glancing back at her friend.
Yuffie gave her a reassuring
smile and gestured her to go on.
Thus, Tifa disappeared into the
bathroom, locking the door behind her.
A couple of minutes later, the
dark haired young woman exited the bathroom, the small tube kept in a strong
grip, the arm just hanging limp at her side.
Her face was even paler than
usual, expressionless.
"So…?" Yuffie started, without
continuing the question at all, knowing Tifa could read her thoughts right in
that moment.
Her facial expression did not
change, the arm remained limp at her side, simply her head moved slowly up and
down.
"Really??" Yuffie half-screamed.
Realizing the volume she had
applied, she quickly put her hand over her mouth and snickered.
"Really?", she repeated, a lot
quieter that time, nearly whispering. "That's great, Tif! You and Cloud are
gonna have a baby! Awwww… Congratulations!!"
The girl could not condemn her
joy anymore and ran over to her friend, hugging her tight, yet being careful
enough not to hurt her.
A single tear running down her
cheek, Tifa seemed to be melting finally.
The news – even though she had
partially expected them – had shocked her. Deeply.
It took her some time to realize
what was happening, what was happening to her.
Slowly but steadily, the tears
were running down her cheeks now, yet it were not tears of pure joy.
Yuffie finally let go of her
friend and eyed her curiously.
"What is it, Tif? Are you ok?"
Tifa forced herself to smile,
even though she was not in the mood to do so.
"Ya… I am. I guess I'm just…
somewhat… overwhelmed…"
Obviously accepting the
explanation, Yuffie gave Tifa another short hug and walked back to give her
some time for herself.
"Well… I guess you wanna be alone
now", the teenage girl said, smiling brightly and rushed over to the door.
Yet before finally exiting, she
looked back at Tifa once more, grinning happily.
"I'm just soooo glad for the two
of you! Having a baby… awwww… I bet Cloud's gonna be proud like hell when you
tell him!"
Thus, she left and shut the door
behind her.
Tifa simply let herself fall down
onto the big bed she and Cloud shared and let out a sigh, trying to prevent the
tears from breaking all barriers. Nevertheless, it seemed to be impossible;
just a few minutes later, the pillow was soaked wet, covered with the salty
embodiments of Tifa's emotions.
How dearly did she wish she could
just be happy like Yuffie and look forward to having her child. Her's and
Cloud's. To have her deepest wish fulfilled.
Yet she was afraid, afraid of the
consequences.
There were just too many
uncertainties. Too many to just be happy.
Finally, Tifa gave up all
resistance and started sobbing soundly, not minding if anybody heard her.
For once in her life, she did not
care if the others might consider her weak.
For once in her life, she did
care about her own feelings in the first place.
***
Cloud reentered the house,
returning from one of his and Tifa's favorite places around, intending to check
on her once again.
With dinner time drawing closer,
a smell was expanding in the whole house, and loud noises could be made out
from the kitchen. Yuffie was seemingly in a pretty good mood and consequently
having another fight with Cid. Yet whether it was about her date or just the
usual stuff Cloud could not find out.
And he did not really care about
it either.
Hurriedly, he made his way up the
stairs.
Upon taking the last step, he
suddenly heard faint sobs coming from the direction of his and Tifa's bedroom.
Alarmed, Cloud dashed along the
corridor and literally slammed into the room.
Tifa, still lying on the bed,
looked up at him. Realizing who it was, she tried to hide her face from him,
tried to hide her eyes glowing red from crying.
Cloud rushed to her side and
immediately embraced his love protectively, decided to keep her safe from any
harm that might be done to her.
Gently, he brought his hand up to
her cheek and caressed it with his fingertips.
"What is it, Tifa? You know,
whatever it is, you can tell me…" Cloud's voice sounded deeply concerned,
probably as much as his facial expression.
"I… I'm…", Tifa tried, however,
the tears were strong and another sob escaped her throat.
Cloud soothingly rubbed her back,
trying to make her feel as comfortable as possible.
"Just take your time. We have no
need to hurry."
Crying hard, she leaned onto his
shoulder, searching for the strength she desperately needed.
After a few minutes, the sobbing
had quieted down enough for Tifa to attempt another try.
Breathing heavily, she took his
hand into hers and squeezed it, probably stronger than intended.
Finally, she found the courage to
mouth those words she urgently needed to say.
"Cloud… I… I'm… I'm pregnant!"
Not even waiting for his
reaction, Tifa was overwhelmed by her emotions again and pressed her face into
his chest, frantically searching for comfort.
Cloud was most obviously taken
aback by the news. Sure, he had imagined a lot of things she could tell him,
but them… having a baby, it was … great!
"But… Tifa… That's great news!
There's no need to cry!" he tried soothingly, sure that what he said was the
truth.
"No… Cloud… There… there is…" she
managed to press out in between the sobs, breaking the hug to look him in the
eyes.
Cloud eyed her curiously,
unbelieving, not understanding what she was talking about.
"But… What is there to cry about?
We love each other… both of us want the baby! We talked about that before!"
Tifa simply shook her head, her
eyes stinging with the pain of tears constantly breaking free.
"Ya, but that's not it! Have you
never thought of it before?"
Yet it was only another riddle
Cloud was not able to solve, consequently he waited for her to go on.
While speaking, she wildly
gestured with her arms, emphasizing her exclamations.
"You know, back then in Mideel,
in the Lifestream… You had been suffering from that Mako-poisoning before… even
before both of us fell into the Lifestream that had broken through the surface.
Later, we recovered, both of us, feeling ok, yet the doctors said that there
were still an extremely high amount of Mako inside of both of us. They said
that it would be ok, that it didn't seem to affect our systems… but…", Tifa
took a short pause to wipe away some of the flowing tears.
"But… well… when I asked them if
it could… you know…", she lowered her gaze, oddly being embarrassed because of
admitting she had asked that question "well… if I could still have children…
and whether they would be affected… they… they said they didn't know… but… you
know.… they… they said they couldn't exclude the possibility…"
Those last words, finally telling
someone, cost her all of her strength, and she totally broke down in the arms
of a startled Cloud.
Realization finally struck him.
But, why hadn't she told him
before, when they were talking about having kids? Probably she just hadn't
wanted to upset him, protect him from any worries or concern, like it was her
nature.
Thinking about what Tifa had just
told him, the idea frightened him to the bone. He couldn't bear the thought
that they might lose the child they had always wished for, the one to eternally
seal their love.
Suppressing his own emotions from
overtaking him, he shut his eyes close and hugged his love tighter.
"Don't worry about it, Teef.
Tomorrow, I'll take you to the doctor and he'll tell us that everything will be
alright, ok?" he asked, still Tifa only answered with a slight nod.
"I'm sure about that. I won't let
anything happen to you or our baby ever."
This time, it was him who had to
be strong. He had to support her, help her in any way possible.
That night, holding his crying
love in his arms, Cloud made an oath to himself.
An oath that nothing would ever
tear them apart.
Him, his Tifa and… and their
child.
***
Tifa held her lover's hand tight,
while the two of them were waiting for being led to the doctor.
Her eyes were getting smaller
each minute, due to the lack of sleep the night before. Only after hours of
sobbing into his chest, she had finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep, just
to wake up again early in the morning.
Since then, she had been so
nervous, that Cloud feared she would collapse or have a nervous breakdown.
All he could do was tell her that
everything was going to be ok, and be at her side all the time.
The two of them had decided not
to tell anybody about Tifa's pregnancy until they were sure that the baby would
not be affected by the mako poisoning or anything else that could harm it. They
just didn't want to make false hopes, and neither of them would be able to bear
it.
"Miss Lockheart?" the young
assistance asked, smiling at Tifa. "The doctor would like to see you now."
Tifa shot Cloud a most nervous
glance, in return, he squeezed her hand reassuringly and they got up to follow
the woman.
The doctor was a sympathetic
looking man in the late forties who got up immediately to shake each Tifa's and
Cloud's hands, greeting them politely.
"Well, Miss Lockheart, first I'd
like to do a few tests on you whether you are pregnant and how much along you
are. Ensuing, I will do a couple of poison tests and analysis to check if
everything is going the way it should be." He explained, after having Tifa
express what she was worrying about.
After a couple of minutes, the
young woman left the examination room and sat down next to Cloud.
He soothingly placed an arm
around her, spending her consolation.
Tifa's mind was reeling with
nervousness, her knees shaking hard enough to make it difficult for her to
stand on her own feet. Even her fingers could only be kept quiet through being
entwined in those of her love. She would go crazy if took any longer to get the
results. The waiting was unbearable.
A few minutes later, the doctor
returned, a thin folder in his hands, smiling.
"Well, Miss Lockheart", he
started, still smiling at the young couple. "The test confirmed that you are
definitely pregnant, about two months along, I'd say."
Although the news should be
happy, Tifa even tensed up inside, squeezing Cloud's hand a little stronger.
"And… what about the Mako
poising? Will it affect the baby?"
The doctor shook his head and
smiled at Cloud, then directed his gaze to Tifa.
"Miss, I can assure you that
everything is right with you, and as well with your baby. I see no possible way
in which the Mako energy in both of you could affect your child."
Tifa's facial expression changed
within split-seconds: from overwhelming nervousness, to questioning to pure,
relieved joy.
Finally freed from all
uncertainties and worries, she let out a cry of relief and threw herself into
the arms of her love.
Cloud buried his face in Tifa's
head, sharing her joy and happiness.
The doctor carefully cleared his
throat, trying to arouse attention.
"Well, my congratulations. If you
wish, we could now set the date for your next appointment, when you could as
well have your first ultrasound."
Tifa nodded in agreement,
starting a small conversation with the doctor, about the do- and do-nots during
her pregnancy.
Even though there were lots of
rules she would have to follow, lots of things she would not be able to do
anymore, it was surely worth it.
Finally having hers and Cloud's
baby.
No more uncertainties.
***
"Oh hey, love-bees. Finally back,
huh?" Cid shouted in the direction of the door as he heard the voices of Cloud
and Tifa. Seems like it wasn't anything serious, since Tif's already feeling much
better obviously.
Yuffie, sitting on the couch,
playing with her shuriken, had a hard time suppressing the grin that was
growing on her face. For the curious and pretty talkative girl it was nearly
impossible to contain the news. However, now Cloud and Tifa obviously had
confirmation, she wouldn't have to wait much longer.
The grumpy pilot looked over at
Yuffie, her favorite opponent for any kinds of fights and shot her a
questioning look.
"So you know anything, kid, huh?
How come they told you? C'mon, talk!" he tried, demanding.
"Nope", Yuffie retorted,
grinning, shaking her head, seemingly savoring the chance to mock her older
'friend'. "I promised Tifa I wouldn't."
"………"
