Disclaimer:

Do I even have to tell you anymore? Please refer to chapters 1-11 disclaimers.

Author's Note:

Wow, guys, thanks a bunch for all the encouragement and wonderful reviews! They really encouraged me and I totally changed my original story line to make it a little more sinister...hold on...is that even the right word? Don't worry though, it's not bad. Please let me know what you think after you finish reading. I wanna know if I done good with this chapter!

Oh, and one more thing! This is going to be the story that I put most of my effort into untilit's done. I know there's ongoing stories that I haven't updated in a while but all of you are going to have to wait until this story is over and done with before I update anymore of my stories, k? Just wanted you guys to know that. On with the story...


I trudged in my door and threw my bags on my bed then sunk down into the cushions of my couch. I sighed contentedly and closed my eyes, wishing I didn't have to go work. I felt Logan snuggle up in my lap and lay his head down on my chest. I opened my eyes and looked down at him.

"How are you?" I asked, wrapping my arms around him.

"Fine." He was silent for a few seconds before he looked up at me. "Can I come with you to work tonight?"

"Of course you can," I said, placing one of my hands on his face. "I don't have to go to work for another four hours. Why don't you go lay down and take a nap?"

He nodded and crawled off of my lap before scampering off to his room. I sighed and got up from the couch and slowly walked into my room, kicked my shoes off, threw the suitcases off the bed and collapsed under the covers. I reached over and set my alarm to wake me up one hour before I had to leave then plopped my head down on the pillow, falling asleep almost immediately.

I jolted awake to the sound of my alarm, almost falling off of my bed in the process. I slammed my hand down on top of the alarm clock, abruptly silencing it. I rolled out from under the covers and onto the floor, stumbling over to my closet and digging out my cocktail outfit.

I hastily got dressed, did my hair and make-up and got Logan ready to go before locking up and going to work.

"You sure look tired there, Teef," Tony said as I gathered all my things for that night's work.

"I just got back from vacation," I said, slipping a pen behind my ear. "It was relaxing yet very tiring all at the same time."

He chuckled, slinging his dishtowel over one of his shoulders. "That's happened to me before."

"I think it's happened to all of us," I said, picking up my tray and walking off.

Work that night went as it always did. Me walk around ask random people if they wanted something to drink then deliver their drinks to them. The time seemed to creep by and by the time I had been working only two hours of my six-hour shift I found myself watching the clock.

I finally punched out at exactly midnight, glad that I could go home and get some well-deserved rest.

After picking Logan up from the day care center, I trudged my way with my son in my arms to my truck and drove home. When I was once again within the confines of my own home, I put Logan straight to bed. He had exhausted all of his energy playing with a group of children there at the center and he had fallen asleep soon after I put him to bed.

As for me, I was like the walking dead. I didn't bother taking my hair out of the tight bun it was in, knowing that I could just take a shower in the morning. I was working the late shift again tomorrow night, which I was eternally grateful for.

I pulled back the covers and slowly climbed into bed, reveling in the sensation of being in my own bed once again. I turned off the lamp that sat on a stand next to my bedside and snuggled up into the cool sheets, sighing contentedly as I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning when I woke up I felt more rested than ever before. I turned onto my side and looked at the clock. The red letters flashed 11:48. A large smile appeared on my face as I rolled over onto my back and stretched. The last time I slept till noon was the day after Meteor and Sephiroth. Since then I haven't been able to get much of a good night's sleep.

I pulled my blankets tighter over my body, bound and determined to stay in bed until I absolutely had to get up. I was going to milk this for all it was worth.

I dozed off again for a while until a slight tugging on the bed sheets awakened me. I looked over to see who it was and smiled when I saw Logan trying to climb in bed next to me. When he saw I was awake he smiled back at me and kissed me on the cheek. "Morning, Mommy."

I turned over and wrapped my son up with me in the blankets. "Good morning to you, little man," I said, kissing the top of his head. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good," he said, squirming out and jumping on the floor. "I'm hungry," he said, turning back and looking at me.

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and looked over at the clock again. This time it was 12:21. I leaned back and stretched one final time, figuring I had been in bed long enough. I threw back the covers and walked into the bathroom so I could attend to my morning rituals before I got my son and myself something to eat.

Once I left the bathroom and made my way into the kitchen Logan was already seated at the dinning room table. I kneeled in front of the stove and began to pull a few pans out of the drawer in the bottom. "So, what do you want for breakfast?" I asked, placing a skillet on the burner.

Logan sat in thought for a few minuets before answering. "French toast."

I smiled. "French toast it is then." I turned and got to the task of gathering everything I needed.

Once breakfast was finished and served, Logan and I ate in silence. When Logan was done, he left the table and ran off to his room to get out the clothes he wanted to wear that day. After I had eaten all of my French toast I gathered all the dirty dishes and pans and quickly got to the task of washing them. Dirty dishes seemed to accumulate awfully fast in my house, keeping in mind the fact that only two people live here.

With the dishes washed and put away, I got Logan dressed and then decided to take a shower, which I seriously needed. As I stood under the warm spray of water, gently washing my hair, an odd thought occurred to me.

I hadn't bothered to contact Reno since we got back from Cosmo Canyon. I felt sort of strange for not calling him but, then again, I knew that if he wanted to see me or speak to me he'd do it when he felt like it.

I turned the water off and hopped out of the shower, drying myself with a towel. I wrapped the towel around my body and left the bathroom, slowly walking over to my dresser. I pulled out a pair of gray sweat pants and a black tank top along with clean undergarments.

I wasn't planning on going anywhere until I had to leave for work so I wasn't dressing to impress. I left my room and settled down onto the couch with a book. The book that I had chosen was one that I had read over a million times but it still hooked my interest.

I was close to my favorite part when Logan ran into the room. "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"

I placed my finger over the word I was on and looked up at him. "What's up?" I laughed as Logan hastily climbed onto my lap.

"I wanna get the pictures," he said, holding up the disposable camera that he had used.

"Okay, we can do that," I said, placing a small slip of paper between the pages and setting the book down on the table. "Wanna go now?" I asked, taking the camera, picking him up and rising from the couch.

He nodded fervently. "Uh-huh."

"Okay." I set Logan down and walked into my room and was getting ready to step into my sandals when I realized what I was wearing. I looked down at my outfit and considered changing. "Eh, who cares," I said, putting my sandals on and grabbing my purse.

I grabbed Logan and his camera and left my house. There was a small drug store down the street from where we lived that had a one-hour photo. I could drop the pictures off to be developed and maybe do a little shopping as well.

I carried Logan in my arms until we reached the doors of the drug store. He squirmed out of my arms and snatched the camera out of my hands. "Come on, Mommy!" He exclaimed, pulling me along behind him.

"Alright, alright!" I said, laughing. "Just hold on!"

We walked through the store until we found the one-hour photo shop. I dropped the camera off then proceeded to walk around until about an hour later I heard the lady that was working the one-hour photo call my name over the loudspeaker. I paid for the pictures and left; I didn't find anything that I wanted or needed to get so I just paid fifteen gil for the pictures. Yes, it's expensive but it's one-hour photo, they expect you to want to pay more.

"Come on, Mommy! Let me see the pictures!" Logan whined as we walked home.

"Hold on, sweetheart," I said, lifting him up into my arms. "Both you and me can look at them when we get home."

"Fine," he said crossing his arms across his chest and sticking his bottom lip out in a pout.

"Oh, come on," I said, stopping and kneeling down in front of him. He refused to look at me. One corner of my mouth curled up as I grabbed his bottom lip and tugged on it lightly. "Don't start with the lip thing."

He giggled and threw his arms around my neck. I lifted him up into my arms once again and continued on my way home.

I tossed my keys and purse down onto the dining room table then collapsed onto the couch with my son in my lap. As I produced the pictures, Logan clapped his hands and laughed. "Yay!" He would proclaim over and over again.

I pulled the small pile of pictures out of the package and smiled as Logan illustrated the first one, which was of the ocean.

"I thought the waves were pretty," he said, pointing to a large rolling wave that was in the background.

The next picture was of a milky white crab with red eyes that was scurrying across the sand. In the next one Logan had drawn 'I luv my momy' in the sand with a stick. I looked at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek and he hugged me, happy I liked the picture. The next one Logan had turned the camera around and taken a picture of his face. I looked at him and ruffled his hair. "You goofball."

I slid that picture behind all of the others and a frown crawled onto my face as I gazed at the next picture. Logan had taken a picture of Reno and I when we were sitting next to our rented chocobo, Firecracker. I was propped up on my elbows with my legs stretched out in front of me. I was looking at Reno with a small smile on my face. Reno was sitting with his legs crossed and his arms resting lazily in his lap. He was also smiling.

"Logan," I said, turning to my son. "Why did you take this?"

He smiled at me. "Because I think you and Unca Reno look pretty together."

My cheeks reddened slightly at Logan's comment. I brought my eyes back to the picture and stared blankly at it. The thought of Reno and I looking 'pretty together' had never once crossed my mind before.

I flipped to the next picture and laughed. Logan had taken a side shot of Reno and I falling into the water together. The only part of my body that was still above water were my feet and half of Reno's body was submerged.

"That's when you and Unca Reno fell in the water," Logan said, pointing at the picture.

I ran my fingers through his hair. "Yes, it is," I said, still laughing somewhat.

The last four pictures were of Reno and I chasing each other down the beach. Once we were done looking at them, I placed the pictures back in the package and set it on the coffee table.

Logan hopped off my lap and turned to look at me. "Mommy, can I have a juice box?"

"Sure."

I followed him into the kitchen and grabbed an apple juice box from the fridge. I put the straw through the hole in the top and handed it to him then watched him frolic down the hall into his room, happily sipping his juice.

I returned to the couch and decided to continue reading my book. I hadn't been reading for more than ten minutes when someone knocked on the door. I rolled my eyes and placed the book down on the table. Between Logan, cleaning the house and working I barely get anytime to myself. When I do, people won't leave me alone.

I opened the door and just about had a heart attack.

"Hi, Teef."

My eyebrows pinched together. "What are you doing here, Cloud?" I asked, crossing my arms and leaning on the door jam.

"To give you this." He pulled a white unmarked envelope out of his back pocket and handed it to me.

I frowned and reluctantly took it. I looked from the envelope to Cloud and back again, a bad feeling of foreboding coming over me. "Cloud, what is this?"

He bit his bottom lip and diverted his eyes away from mine whilst stuffing his hands into his pockets. Not a good sign.

I opened the envelope and pulled out the slip of paper that was inside, slowly reading the words.

Dear Ms. Tifa Marie Lockheart,

You have been called to come to the Costa del Sol Courthouse on the 25th day of August at 11:30 A.M. to determine whether yourself or the father of your son, Cloud Jacob Strife, obtains sole custody of Logan James Lockheart. You must understand that whatever the jury decides will be with Logan's best interest in mind. Whoever is more fit to parent young Logan will obtain sole custody. We will see you then.

Sincerely,

Judge David McCoy

My hands began to shake as I looked up at Cloud. "You're trying to take Logan away from me," I stated. I didn't have to ask. I already knew.

Cloud looked at me briefly before looking back down. "Our son," he mumbled.

I clenched my fists, causing the paper in my hands to rip. "Cloud, he was never your son! The second I got pregnant you didn't want anything to do with him! You don't know the first thing about taking care of a child! Especially a two-year-old toddler! What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to replace the lost years, Tifa! Do you want Logan to grow up without a father?"

"No, but I sure as hell hope you're not that father! Logan needs a father who loves him unconditionally and wants to be with him! Not someone that abandoned him!" I yelled, starting to get angry.

"Tifa, as much as you don't want to admit it, Logan is my son too!" Cloud started to raise his voice as well and began to worry that someone might hear Cloud and I yelling.

I grabbed his arm. "Come inside before someone calls the police on us." I shut the door and turned to stare hard at Cloud. We remained silent for many moments, challenging each other with our eyes. Finally, I broke the silence moments later. "Are you sure you're even mature enough to raise Logan like I have?"

"Mature enough? Tifa, I'm almost twenty-five. What do you think?" He asked, advancing a few steps toward me.

"You want to know what I think?" Cloud nodded. "I think that someone who runs away when he finds out he's going to be a father shouldn't be one in the first place because he's still growing up himself. Who cares if you're twenty-five. Age doesn't show maturity. I highly doubt the court will put a child in the care of another."

A dark scowl fell over Cloud's face as he turned away from me. "I'll see you in court," he mumbled as he turned and walked out the door.

I took a deep breath and turned around, walking back to the couch. As I sank into the soft cushions I was surprised that Logan hadn't come out of his room to see why his Mommy was yelling. I covered my face with my hands as the full realization of what had just transpired hit me.

I could very well lose my son forever.

He was the only thing I had left. If Logan was taken away from me, life would cease to be real. Cloud wasn't the one who carried that little boy for nine months then raised him alone for another two years. If the judge rewards Cloud with custody, I don't know what I'd do.