"We deceive ourselves when we fancy that only weakness needs support. Strength needs it far more."

Madame Swetchine

Everyone stared at Cloud and Tifa as they bursted into the conference room. No one was slumped over in their chairs; everyone was sitting up straight and listening to the war advisor. The meeting had already started. Someone made a cluck of annoyance with their tongue.

"You two are late..." the war advisor chided.

Still smiling, they gave quiet apologies and chose seats next to one another at the far end of the table. Later then...Tifa thought cheerfully as the war advisor began talking. She exchanged secret smiles with Cloud before focusing her attention on the war advisor. They were still planing the attack. Tifa heard Reeve clear his throat inquiringly.

"When are we planning to execute this attack?" he asked quizzically.

Everyone began talking at once in low voices; they too had been wondering.

"It's not up to me." the war advisor said quietly.

The war advisor sat down and allowed them to talk amongst themselves.

"It should be soon..." Barret said gruffly. "Before they can git us."

There were a few affirmative mumbles around the table, but Elena shook her blonde head slightly.

"Why the hell not Elena?" Reno asked.

She shot him a sharp look, but then turned to the group.

"If we go too soon," she stated. "We might not be ready enough...and we really only have one shot at this don't we?"

Everyone took this in solemnly. Clasping Tifa's hand tightly between his own, Cloud spoke up.

"Elena's right." he said seriously. "We need to take as long as we can planning this, to make sure we've thought of everything. If we succeed, we'll end the war. But if we fail..."

There was a collective gulp. Under the table, Tifa's hand squeezed Cloud's tightly.

"We die." Rude finished for him.

"Do you have to be so blunt?" Yuffie mumbled under her breath.

They fell into silence, the seriousness of the matter weighing heavily on them.

"When are we going then?" Reeve asked, looking from solemn face to solemn face.

Reno yawned and leaned back in his chair.

"It's been three months..." he said matter-of-factly. "If we wait three more, it'll be half a year since the last battle."

Cloud turned towards the war advisor.

"Is three months long enough?" he asked.

When he received a nod in reply, Cloud turned towards the others.

"Is that okay with everybody?" Cloud questioned, looking from face to face.

Nobody protested, and it was settled. In three months time, they would enter Junon and assasinate Kale and the other SOLDIERS. Now that it was official, everyone began feeling a little nervous. There was still a lot of planning to do before then, but when you thought about it, three months wasn't really that long of a time. And there was always a chance they'd fail.

"Three months then..." the war advisor agreed softly. "Then I supposed, before we can taking our planning further, we need to know who is going?"

There was another silence. Cloud looked at Tifa. She squeezed his hand tightly, looking sad for the first time since they found out about the baby. She knew that she was going to be left behind.

"Cloud's obviously going..." Yuffie yawned, just to break the silence.

Everyone nodded.

"An' me..." Barret added.

The Turks looked at one another.

"We're going." Rude said in his quiet voice. "We know Junon fort best."

"I'm not getting left behind!" Yuffie squeaked, her peppy voice contrasted greatly from Rudes.

Reeve, sitting next to Yuffie just shook his head.

"I'm not good at combat anyways." he said slowly. "I'll be much more useful staying here...Someone needs to look after Cosmo Canyon anyways."

Everyone accepted this easily, and their gazes turned to Tifa. Tifa bit her lip and turned to Cloud. He wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. She doesn't want to be left behind...he thought, heart aching for her. The group continued to watch Tifa, faces expectant. Tifa just shook her head.

"Tifa's not going..." Cloud said softly.

They made loud sounds of disbelief.

"Tifa? Not going?" Yuffie asked incredulously. "Tifa always goes!"

"I'm not going." Tifa confirmed softly.

Reno scratched his head.

"You serious?" he asked. "We usually can't get rid of you..."

Elena slapped him on the head, but everyone's attention was on Barret.

"Why aren't you goin' Tifa?" he was asking curiously.

Tifa looked at Cloud and he gave her an encouraging nod, a smile appearing on his face. Tifa turned towards the group, her hand tightly entwined with Cloud's. Everyone was watching them curiously.

"I'm not going..." Tifa said, smiling softly. "Because I'm pregnant."

There was a long silence as everyone absorbed this surprising information. Finally it was Reno that spoke up.

"Pregnant?" he asked, eye-balling Tifa's stomach. "That means you're gunna have a baby, right?"

Everyone burst out into laughter, and rushed forward to congradulate Tifa and Cloud. Yuffie hugged them both tightly, smiley widely and secretly thinking of all the ways she could corrupt their unborn child into taking Cloud's materia for her. Barret hugged them too, patting Tifa heavily on the shoulder.

"Seems like jus' yesterday when this dunderhead came waltzing in the Seventh Heaven..." Barret said, jerking his head in Cloud's direction. "Now you two're havin' a baby...Time sure goes by fast..."

Barret looked like he was going to say more, but he stopped when Reno dryly offered him a hanky. He backed off, and the others came forward, smiling widely, hugging Tifa, and shaking Cloud's hand. Finally the war advisor sighed.

"Today's not a day for planning an attack..." he said. "Go celebrate!"

Everyone's faces lit up, and they headed out, talking loudly and cheerfully, thoughts of the assination out of their minds.

The remainder of the day had been spent in an impromptu party at the inn. Every talked and ate with gusto, glad for a reason to celebrate. Barret had dropped by Elmyra's house to pick up Marlene, and both Marlene and Elmyra were at their little party. Everyone laughed when Marlene demanded that Tifa's baby come now. Tifa just laughed and shook her head.

"Soon Marlene." she promised, hugging the little girl. "Soon!"

The party lasted well through the day, and into the night. After they had eaten dinner, to everyone's surprise, Reno stood and proposed a toast.

"To Cloud and Tifa!" he said, giving them a wide smile. "And their baby!"

Their surprise faded, when five toasts later, the toasts showed no sign of stopping. Reno, Rude, Barret, Yuffie, and Elena all drank a shot to each one, laughing louder and louder as they drank more and more.

"To Tifa's hair!" Reno proposed cheerfully slurring. "May their baby inherit it instead of Cloud's."

Cloud and Tifa watched, laughing as the toasts grew more and more ridiculous and ridiculous, and their friends more and more drunk. As always, they had jumped on a chance to drink. Eventually, they forgot to make toasts and just drank their shots down one after another. The bartender, who had been keeping an apprehensive eye on them, hastily took away their alcohol. They were all to drunk to notice.

Yuffie, who obviously had the lowest alcohol tolerance out of all of them, stumbled over to Tifa and wrapped her arms around her middle. She then began speaking directly to Tifa's stomach.

"Hey, you in there!" she said, grinning tipsily. "We're gunna be pals. I'm gunna tell you exactly where Cloud keeps his materia, kay? Then you can steal it for me!"

Tifa delicately peeled Yuffie of her and she cheerfully pranced off to be drunk with the others. Cloud and Tifa exchanged half amused, half apprehensive looks.

"At least we know not to let Yuffie babysit..." Cloud said, shooting a narrow-eyed glance over to Yuffie, who was singing and dancing with all the others.

Tifa nodded, a small smile on her face. Cloud wrapped his arm around her back.

"You tired?" he asked softly.

She nodded, leaning her head into his shoulder.

"A little..." she replied. "But the nurse said the fatigue and sickness should be over soon..."

They sat in silence for a while, watching their friends drunkenly, yet happily, gavotte through the room. Cloud gently ran a hand through Tifa's hair.

"Wanna go to bed?" he asked her.

She nodded, eyes still on their friends.

"They'll get kicked out eventually," Cloud reassured her, with a little laugh. "I feel kind of bad for them...they'll be feeling this tomorrow."

Tifa smiled and they left the inn together, their friends voices audible nearly all the way home. It was late at night; everyone was inside, and it was beginning to get cold. They both sighed with relief as they entered their home, still warm from the hot sun shining into it all day. Cloud and Tifa got undressed and into their pajamas quickly. Tifa sat on the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest, and watching Cloud as he finished up.

Cloud turned his head to see Tifa's sad eyes following him and sat down next to her quickly.

"Tifa..." he whispered, stroking her cheek.

She squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms firmly around his neck. Cloud wrapped his arms around her tightly, as he felt moisture from her tears.

"Remind me Cloud..." she whispered, choking on her words. "Remind me why you have to go."

Cloud stroked her hair, and forced himself to answer, feeling torn in two.

"For our baby Tifa..." he replied, trying to keep his voice steady. "So we can end this war...and know that our baby will be safe."

"For our baby..." Tifa repeated, voice hushed.

They both laid down, pulling the covers over themselves, and huddling close. Cloud gently kissed her tear-stained cheeks and she burried her head into his chest.

"I know you have to go..." she whispered. "I just...don't want to get left behind...I don't want to be alone."

Cloud hide his face into Tifa's hair as a multitude of unwanted mental images came to him. Tifa, laying in their bed alone at night...Tifa crying and him not being there to hold her...Tifa alone...with a baby. I don't want to go either...Cloud thought, heart heavy. But then, he remembered how Tifa had cried out in pain, and slowly faded away as the poison took its affects on her...and how the screams of the dying penetrated the hospital walls as the battle raged on outside...and Cloud knew that he had to go. This war has to end...Cloud thought, clenching his jaw against the pain in his heart. I'll go...if it means Tifa will be safe...and our baby will grow up in a world without war.

"I'll come back Tifa..." he promised her. "We'll end this war...and I'll come back to you, okay?"

Tifa nodded, arms tight around his middle.

"I could never leave you alone for long..." he whispered.

She titled her head up to kiss him softly. He wiped away the remnants of the tears on her cheeks.

"I know Cloud..." she said, forehead pressed to Cloud's. "I know you'll come back."

He nodded, and Tifa took a shaky breath.

"It's just that...I'm so scared." she admitted quietly. "I want us to have the baby together...in a war-free word...I want that so much..."

Cloud kissed her, trying to smile convincingly.

"We will Tifa..." he whispered earnestly. "We will."

She cuddled back into his chest, breathing steadying out as she allowed her fears to be soothed. Cloud thought she had drifted off, but then she looked up at him, the sadness faded from her eyes.

"We're having a baby Cloud..." she whispered sleepily.

Cloud closed his eyes, and ran his fingers gently across the soft and still flat skin of Tifa's abdomen. It was still hard to believe.

"A baby..." he confirmed softly.

As they Tifa fell asleep, Cloud felt his emotions spilt in two. On one hand, he was holding the woman he loved in his arms, and they were going to have a baby...and the excitement and joy was almost too much to handle. But then...there were the fear and doubts. The possibility of failure now loomed over him, more threatening and terrifying than ever. Suddenly, Cloud came to realize, there was much more at stake.