***

"Why not let me help you?" the young girl offered, smiling at Tifa, who was just about to get all the food onto the table.

She just smiled in return, nodding thankfully as she went back to take her place at the table. She surely did not like to be treated like she desperately needed help and could not do things on her own, yet in that very moment she was far too excited to even think about that.

She was excited about the way her friends would react to the news she and Cloud would present to them now. Sure, her friends would most likely take the news pretty good, but Tifa could not wait for the expressions on their faces when they would tell them.

Smiling, almost grinning, she sat down next to Cloud and leaned in to kiss him lovingly on the lips, not taking her eyes off her love. Neither did he.

Barret commented his friend's behavior with a frown on his dark forehead.

"What's up with ya two? Ya seem pretty strange today. And, by the way", he added questioningly, "What did the doc say?"

"Yeah", Cid added, hardly being able to resist the wonderfully smelling food Yuffie put onto the table. "You seem a lot better since that appointment."

The young couple looked at each other, Tifa nodding at her love, a slight blush on her face, gesturing for him to tell the news.

The bunch followed Tifa's gaze and stared at Cloud, expectantly.

He carefully cleared his throat, even though he already had everyone's attention and straightened.

"Well", he began slowly, taking his love's hand, "Tifa and I got something to tell ya…"

Yuffie suddenly started giggling furiously, and thus attracted everybody's attention. Cid shot her a menacing look, obviously as much dying to know what was going on as Yuffie was dying to tell anyone about it. The young girl just shrugged and looked over at Cloud, giving him the chance to go on.

"Well… Teef and I, we're… we're gonna have a baby…" he voiced, pride showing on his face, lighting up his features as he glanced over at Tifa and kissed her softly on the lips.

If it hadn't been for Yuffie laughing and clapping crazily, there would have been a profound silence.

It took everybody some time to understand what was going on, to cope with the news.

Suddenly, they all started talking at once, congratulating the couple, patting Cloud on the back, hugging Tifa.

"I knew this was going to happen sooner or later. We all knew." Yuffie said, a grin widening all over her face, simply stopping because of her ears.

The others nodded approvingly, they all had known, for sure, since the first day the two of them had met.

"Hey! 's that wedding bells I hear ringing?" Cid grinned, loving to tease people, another fact everybody was aware of.

Tifa giggled in return, sticking out her tongue at her friend.

"Heh, how about you talking to Shera then? I think there's lots of stuff you two gotta sort out!" she retorted.

Cid simply grimaced. Sure, he did like to tease people, but he absolutely hated to be the one being teased.

Yet obviously, it was just what everybody else was thinking, so they all joined in Tifa's laughter, until even Cid could not take it anymore and cracked up.

This was most definitely a great day. For all of them.

Chapter 2: Final insights

"Hey buddy", Cloud greeted his smoking friend, leaning himself onto the frame of the front porch. The late night was chilly and brought slight goosebumps to his bare arms.

Cid just nodded in reply, watching the smoke of his cigarette rise up to the starlit sky.

Slowly, he sighed and placed the cigarette in the corner of his mouth.

"You know, I've kinda… been thinkin about what Tif said…" he said with his rough voice. "y'know, what she said bout Shera…"

Cloud frowned and immediately shot Cid a surprised look.

Could the grumpy old pilot have noticed what was going on around him?

Could he, for once, have put his dreams and thoughts about planes and rockets aside and realize that there were still human beings on earth?

Cid gave a small laugh at Cloud's expression, understandingly.

"Sounds quite strange, comin from me, huh?"

The younger man joined in the laughter.

"Oh ya, definitely!"

Cid took another look at his cigarette, obviously trying to focus his thoughts to express just what he was feeling.

"I guess there's really lots of things me and Shera gotta sort out. I… I know I have never shown it but I definitely owe her one…" he made a small pause and blew out a cloud of gray smoke into the pure, chilly air of the night.

"I think I really… need her. I don't know why I didn't realize it before… maybe I just ignored it…"

Cloud's eyebrows shot up, incredulously.

It surprised him that Cid had finally obtained the insight to realize what was going on between him and his assistant, that he did not try to disguise his feelings any longer.

"Ya, I guess I pretty much understand you…" Cloud replied.

It had been similar with Cloud's own feelings for Tifa. It had taken him a long time to realize that he could easily have what he had longed for all through his childhood and youth, and, with a great amount of courage, he had finally taken the step that had changed his whole life in the most positive way ever possible.

Now he did not even want to think about what might have happened if he had not dared making the deciding action.

Looking over at his friend, he could see that his mind was still disturbed, undecided about what to make out of the revelation he got.

"You should just do it. Don't think about it too much, just do it." Cloud encouraged his older friend. "Don't hesitate, or you won't be able to do it."

Even though Cloud had never been the cheering type, at least not during their search for Sephiroth, this was one of the very few occasions that he felt he needed to take on that character trait.

"Ya, thanks, pal. Shera's done a whole lot for me, and she really deserves a good life. I mean, hell! She's been able to cope with all my thickheadedness an constant swearing!"

That sentence earned a chuckle from Cloud who was still sort of surprised by Cid's final insights. Maybe a little talk with his friends was all it had ever needed.

"Okay!" Cid half-shouted and pushed himself off the frame, putting his cigarette back into the corner of his mouth, skillfully talking meanwhile nevertheless. "Then I'm gonna do it! Right now! I'm gonna take that &$§%)( plane and get there as fast as lightning!"

Thus, he grinned, spun around on his heel and, determinedly, marched back into the house to most likely get a few things packed up.

Cloud commented the scene with a small laugh and followed Cid inside.

Now this was most definitely a day he would have to mark in his calendar.

The grump, stubborn pilot had finally accepted the fact that even he himself had feelings and that it would be better to just let them out.

No matter what.

***

Tifa stood in front of the full length mirror in her and Cloud's bedroom and closely studied her reflection on the shiny surface.

Slowly, carefully even, she ran her hands over her flat stomach and delicately traced the area that would soon swell to spend room for her unborn baby.

Even though she was not far along enough to show yet, she could feel that there was something inside of her, growing every day, every second even, making her feel happier and more complete than ever before in her entire life.

With a sigh, she rested both her hands on her stomach and smiled at her reflection. Soon, her appearance would change, even though not very gravely, yet in a way she would not want to miss.

With a dreamy look in her eyes, her imagination took over.

"Incredibly beautiful", she heard a voice from behind her, immediately recognizing it as the one that allowed her love to voice his thoughts.

Smiling, she turned her head towards him, remembering the first time he had said those words, the first time he had said that he loved her.

Cloud approached her slowly and put his arms around her waist, softly resting his hands on her stomach, right beside hers.

"Dreaming, huh?" he asked, gazing at their reflection in the mirror, tracing her stomach area carefully with his fingertips.

Tifa nodded in reply and sighed.

"Ya", her gaze focused on her reflection. "In a few weeks from now, you know, it'll be starting to show."

Cloud frowned, not knowing what she was about to tell him, as he saw no apparent problem in that fact. It was just normal.

After a short, quiet pause, she sighed, yet smiled at the same time.

"I bet the news will be reporting about it immediately. Surely there won't be a single news show without us on it."

With a chuckle on his lips, Cloud kissed her softly on the forehead. She was definitely right about that. Even though none of them had wanted to be regarded as a hero and thus arouse public attention, they had been on the news quite often after they had defeated Sephiroth. Even when they had moved into their house in Kalm, the news had made a short notice about that. Yet, luckily, they left them be most of the time, respecting their privacy as far as possible.

"Well, it's a happy occasion, most happy indeed, so I guess there's nothing bad about that."

"Yeah, you're right", Tifa replied and turned her head to kiss him back, then redirected her gaze at the mirror.

If she was happy, why not show everybody?

Now, finally, she had almost everything she had ever longed for, and was happier than she had ever been before, she wanted to show it to the whole wide world.

Wanted to share her happiness with every single person on the entire planet.

As soon as she would be read to do so.

***

Having one of his many occasional fights with the coffeemaker, Cloud was busy trying to prepare breakfast that morning. Ever since he had learned about Tifa's pregnancy, he had been doing most of the work she had done usually, yet not because she had asked him to, but simply because he wanted to.

While she was having a – more or less yet – hard time having their child, he considered it to be at least a small relief he could give her.

Anything to help her, he thought.

Cloud smiled quietly and once again savored the silence which lay on their home. Now that Cid was in Rocket Town with Shera, the last month had been really quiet, without much fights and even just a small amount of swearing. Even Barret had reduced his now that Marlene was back from a summer camp that had been organized for all the children after the Meteor incident, just to give the kids the feelings that everything was now okay. Although it had been hard for the caring father to give away his daughter, even if it was just for a few weeks, he had finally given in to Tifa's talk that it was best for Marlene to be with some other kids and have some carefree time.

Finally, the world seemed to be in order, just the way it was supposed to be.

"Oh no, not these, too!" Cloud heard from upstairs.

Well, at least almost that way.

Cloud half grinned as he put down the coffeemaker and made his way upstairs to his and Tifa's bedroom.

And there she was, just like he had expected, in front of the full length mirror, tugging at her jeans, trying to make them fit over her swollen belly.

She looked desperate, almost like a small child that would start crying any minute because it had lost its favorite toy.

Cloud smiled and walked up to her, softly caressing her face.

"What is it, Teef? Don't fit?"

Tifa shook her head in reply, and her expression even sunk.

"No, they won't. And they're actually the biggest pair I've got!"

She sighed and, in a most ill-humored way, dropped the jeans to the ground and put her hands to her hips, shooting the mirror a striking look.

Cloud tried to suppress a chuckle as he embraced his love from behind.

Once more, like quite often lately, they were standing in front of the mirror together, observing how their child grew day by day.

Softly, Cloud caressed her swollen stomach comfortingly, trying to cheer Tifa up.

"I'm somewhat big for three months, don't you think? The doc said it would start to show around the third month, but that much?" she asked, a bit of worry swaying in her voice.

Cloud smiled at her in the mirror and rested his cheek on her shoulder.

"I think it's okay, really. Anyway, if it really worries you, then just ask the Doc about it this afternoon at the appointment."

Now Tifa smiled, even though she was not persuaded by his words, she really appreciated his consolation and felt at least a little better.

Turning around, she kissed him softly on the lips and broke their embrace. Taking a short glance at the cupboard, she pulled out a knee-long black skirt and pulled it up her long pale legs.

She shot a more or less content look at the mirror and then turned around to Cloud.

"Okay, I guess this'll have to do."

***

"Am I right that this is your first ultrasound, Ms Lockheart?"

Tifa nodded in reply at the doctor as she lay down and pulled up her shirt to expose her swollen belly.

While the doctor was adjusting some instruments, Cloud took his place at Tifa's side and softly grasped her hand reassuringly. She was a little nervous and excited, probably even a bit embarrassed because of the position she was in.

The doctor turned around to face his patient, holding a tube filled with gel in his hands which were protected by thin gloves. Slowly, he unscrewed the tube and held it over Tifa's exposed belly.

"This is going to be a bit cold."

Thus, he carefully poured gel out of the tube as long as it covered the whole area of her belly which was to be examined.

Tifa winced and increased her pressure on Cloud's hand.

"A bit cold?" she asked with an almost pained expression on her face.

In that very moment once again, Cloud was very glad that he was not in Tifa's position. He even felt pity for her. Yet once again, admired her for her strength and stamina.

The doctor smiled at her fatherly. Many times had he done this already, still it were almost always the same feelings and reactions, yet he enjoyed it every time, trying to give the young parents, especially the mothers, as much reassurance as they needed to cope with the totally new and unfamiliar situation and its consequences.

Then, he grabbed for rather large metallic object and gently ran it across Tifa's belly, applying a slight pressure.

Tifa turned her gaze from her belly to the black and white screen and excitedly watched as almost unrecognizable pictures appeared, apparently showing the inside of Tifa's stomach area now.

Still searching for the best view, the doctor ran the object across the area while staring intently at the screen.

Cloud's gaze jumped from his love to the monitor, back and forth, extremely excited and nervous.

Suddenly, a smile appeared on the doctor's face. Apparently, he had found what he had been looking for.

"See, there, in the upper left corner, you can see its feet, then", he traced a faint white line on the monitor with his index finger "when you follow the spine, you see the small head right here", he pointed to a bigger, gray area in the lower right corner.

Tifa let out a gasp as a few tears of joy formed in her eyes. Smiling, she looked over at Cloud, who was even more amazed at what was happening in that very moment.

"Oh", they heard the doctor and immediately turned back towards him, anxious of what he might reveal. "And here, partially hidden behind this head, is a second one."

In a most excited way, he changed the angle of his view and took a closer look.

Immediately, worry shot through Cloud's veins, not to mention that Tifa extremely intensified her pressure on Cloud's hand.

"W… What do you mean?" he pressed out. "Is anything wrong?"

He looked down at Tifa who had fresh tears glistening in her eyes, fright showing on her face.

The doctor chuckled softly before he replied.

"Oh no, please, don't worry. Nothing is wrong, except for the fact that you", he glanced at Tifa reassuringly "are not having one child, but two."

Cloud looked stunned, as did Tifa. She slowly brought her free hand up to her chest.

"Do you mean that… ?"

Smiling, the doctor nodded in reply.

"Yes. Ms Lockheart, Mr. Strife, you're having twins."

Tifa gasped once more, and, overjoyed, shot a glance at Cloud, who still seemed to be stunned, totally taken aback by all the news.

Laughing, she carefully pulled him down and kissed him lovingly on the lips, being anxious not to change her position, which would destroy the image.

Obviously, Cloud was finally beginning to understand what was going on, as his face lit up and his features softened as the information sunk in.

The doctor watched the scenery with a kind smile.

"Do you want a printed copy of it?"

Tifa simply nodded, smiling brightly.

This was it finally.

This was the moment that Tifa became fully aware of what was happening.

That she became fully aware that it was not just a realistic wonderful dream, but wonderful reality.

***