Disclaimer:
Yeah, I think I've made my point clear...
Author's Note:
Wow, you guys are freakin' awesome! 18 reviews for Chapter 12! Eighteen! That's the most I've ever had for any chapter I've ever written on any story! You guys are simply amazing and I wanted to make sure that I got this chapter finished so you could read it. I revised this chapter a few times so I hope you guys like it. I do most of my major writing at school now so hopefully you guys like it!
Anyways, enough of me! Please read! Review when you're done! Review lots!
That night at work I couldn't concentrate. I got three people's drink orders wrong and delivered two of them to people who didn't even buy a drink. I hadn't been working for more than three hours when Tony pulled me aside.
"Hey, Teef," Tony said, grabbing my arm and leading me to an empty section of the bar. "What's going on? You seem out of it tonight."
I sat down on one of the barstools and rubbed my temples. I didn't want to burden Tony with my problems but, with the way it was looking, Tony wouldn't let me get up until he had the entire story out of me. So I decided to play the game anyways, hoping Tony wouldn't see right through me. "Nothing's wrong," I said, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine."
"Bullshit you're fine," Tony said, sitting down next to me and leaning in close to me. "You've never done this bad before. Something is obviously bothering you and you better tell me right now."
I sighed and closed my eyes, looking away from Tony's face. How was I supposed to tell him something like this without him flying off the handle? Tony's like the older brother I always wanted but never had. Ever since I started working at this casino, Tony watched over me like a mother hen. He even told me on one occasion that he thought of me as his little sister. If he finds out about what Cloud is planning to do… I don't even want to think about what Tony would do.
"It's that Reno guy, isn't it?" He asked, accusation apparent in his voice.
I shook my head violently. "No, never Reno." I took a deep breath and paused for a moment before looking at Tony. "I've told you about who Logan's father is right?"
"Well, of course," he said, placing his elbow on the bar surface and resting his head in his hand. "You told me about that when I saw you and Logan in the grocery store one time." I nodded, remembering that day all too vividly. "What about him?"
"Well, Cloud is going to fight me for sole custody of Logan." I looked right into his eyes when I said the last few words, wanting to see his full reaction.
Tony's brow furrowed and his cinnamon brown eyes darkened. "He's planning to do what?" He questioned, almost as if he needed me to repeat it so he could make sure that's exactly what he heard.
"Cloud's trying to take Logan away from me," I said, almost managing to remain calm and collected.
"That asshole," Tony said, turning his head and looking off to the side. He brought his gaze back to me and cracked his knuckles. "You want me to talk to him?"
"No, Tony," I said, placing one of my hands on top of his. "I can take care of it. But I'll let you know if I need any help all right?"
"That's fine," he said, relaxing somewhat. "Hey, you should go talk to Raoul. Your head's not into it tonight. You should go home and get some rest."
I nodded. "You think Raoul will let me leave?" I asked, skeptical.
"You know what?" He said, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "I'll go talk to him for you. You just get your stuff and head on home. Go get your boy if he's in the daycare center and spend some time with him."
I nodded again and wrapped my arms around Tony's neck. "Thank you so much. I owe you one."
"Hey, don't worry about it, sis," he said, hugging me back. "You just take care of yourself."
I got up from the barstool. "I will. Thanks again."
"Don't worry about it," he said, taking off towards Raoul's office.
I watched him walk away then collected my purse and punched out. I didn't have to pick Logan up; Trish was watching him tonight.
"Thanks again, Trish. Are you sure you don't want me to pay you?" I asked, seeing her to the door.
"Oh, yeah, I'm sure. I wasn't watching him for very long anyways. I'm usually here with him all evening. You don't have to worry about paying me for this one. I'm getting my paycheck from the inn tomorrow anyways."
"Okay," I said, opening the door and watching her walk out. "Thanks again. I'll call you when I need you to watch Logan again."
"Alright, see you then Tifa."
I waved then closed the door. Logan was stationed in front of the television watching one of his cartoon shows. I walked into my room and put on some soft flannel pajama bottoms and spaghetti strap shirt before collapsing on my bed. An idea popped into my head and I reached down into my purse for my cell phone. Reno had just recently given me his cell phone number so I decided to call him. I hadn't talked to him since we got back from our little outing to Cosmo Canyon, which was almost a week ago, so I realized now would be the time to call him.
I just hoped he wasn't working.
I dialed his number and I breathed in a sigh of relief when he picked up on the second ring. "Yeah?" He answered, his voice sounding quite tired.
I smiled. "Hey, Reno!"
"Oh," he said, his voice immediately brightening. "Hey, Teef How's it goin'?"
I bit my lip. "Not so well actually."
"Oh, well, you wanna talk about it?"
"Not over the phone." I knew that if I confessed all of this to Reno I kinda wanted him with me when I did. Telling people information such as this over the phone doesn't make much sense. "Can we meet somewhere?"
"Sure, how about that Wutain restaurant over near the harbor?" He suggested.
"Okay. Oh, and I'm going to bring Logan, is that okay?" I asked, hoping that Reno wouldn't mind.
"Of course it is. Bring the little squirt along."
I laughed slightly. "Alright, want us to meet you there now?"
"Yeah, I'm hungry. Just got off work a half an hour ago."
"Oh, how was it?" I asked, rolling onto my side and hugging my pillow to my chest.
"Eh, it went as well as could be expected. But as long as it pays good I'll keep showin' up every morning."
"How much do you get paid an hour?" I asked, really enjoying this conversation I was having with Reno.
"Like ten gil an hour, which is pretty damn good considering what kind of job it is."
"Why do you say that?" I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling.
"It's a thankless job. All kinds of characters work there. Ex-cons, teens on probation. Shit like that." He paused. "Hey, Teef, I'm walkin' to the restaurant right now. I'll get a table for us."
"Alright, I'll be along in a few minutes. I have to get Logan ready."
"Okay, see you then."
I ended the call and placed my phone back in my purse then hopped off the bed. I ran into the living room and swooped by, picking Logan up off of the floor abruptly. He squealed and giggled as I twirled him around. I stopped and placed him back on the floor and laughed a little myself as Logan tried his hardest to regain his balance. "Hey, big man!" I said, grabbing him again and hugging him. "You wanna go and eat with Unca Reno?"
His eyes lit up like a couple of one hundred watt bulbs. "Yeah, I wanna see Unca Reno!"
"Okay, go get the stuff you want to bring!" I said as he rushed past me and into his bedroom.
I got up and returned to my room, changing into a pair of denim jeans and a long sleeved, dark green shirt. I grabbed my purse then went into Logan's room. He had collected his blanket and his stuffed chocobo and was standing in the middle of the room looking around like he was lost.
"What is it, baby?" I asked, walking up behind him.
"I don't know what else to take," he said, looking at me with his big eyes.
"Your blankie and chocobo is fine. Let's go," I said, picking him up and walking out of the house.
We made the short trek to the Wutain restaurant that Reno talked about. I walked inside the front door and looked around, trying to find where he was sitting.
"Tifa! Over here!"
Reno was standing by a circle booth that was stationed in the back. I sighed, grateful that he hadn't gotten a table right in the middle of the room. I let Logan crawl into the booth before I slid in myself. Reno sat down next to me and handed me a menu. "So," Reno said, opening his own menu and looking at its contents. "What's on your mind, Teef?"
I looked over at Logan who was intently coloring the coloring sheet that the waitress had laid out for him. I knew that he wouldn't understand any of what I would be telling Reno, but I was still worried he may understand it on some level. I looked back at Reno and took a deep breath. I reached into my purse and produced the letter from the judge. I had kept it and taped it back together only so I could show it to Reno. Reno frowned as he looked from the crinkled paper to me. He carefully unfolded it and slowly read the contents. I bit my lip as he read it.
Reno's eyebrows pinched together and he exhaled sharply, wading the paper up. "That fucking asshole," he hissed, crushing the paper in his right hand. He looked over at me, anger flaring in his eyes. "How could that bastard do this to you?"
I shrugged my shoulders meekly as my eyes began to tear up. My breath caught in my throat as I covered my mouth and looked to the side. Reno laid a reassuring hand on my shoulder as I looked back at him. I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came. After many moments I finally was able to find my voice. "Reno, I don't know what I'm going to do."
A helpless look appeared on his face as he scooted closer to me and wrapped his arms around me. I slid one of my arms around his waist while the other stayed stationery on his chest. "Hey, it's alright." He paused and ran his hand up and down my back. "I'm here for ya. You know that."
I nodded. "Yeah, I know." I sniffed and wiped my eyes for a few tears had managed to escape. I leaned back and smiled at him. "Thanks, Reno."
He shrugged. "Hey, no problem" He paused once again and stared at his menu. "Hey, Teef," he said, looking back at me. "If you need a witness when you go to court I'll back ya up."
"Oh, would you, Reno? I'd really appreciate that."
"No problem. What day is the twenty-fifth?"
"It's next Thursday. I have exactly a week before my son's future is decided." I hung my head as I felt more unwanted tears rushing to my eyes.
"Hey," Reno whispered, placing his hand on my back. "Don't worry about it. Once they find out Cloud never took part in raising Logan I doubt they'll hand sole custody over to him. You got nothin' to worry about, Teef."
I smiled at Reno with still moist eyes before leaning forward and hugging him once again. I didn't need to say thank you anymore. He already knew I was thankful for what he was doing for me.
The waitress came and took our orders then Reno and I talked about anything and everything except what was going on a week from now. The waitress brought our food and all three of us ate in silence. Logan finished his food first and, after listening to Reno and I talk, he decided to cuddle up with his blanket on the bench next to me. Reno and I continued to talk about small, minor things like how my job was going and how much he hated his. The conversation died and I turned to look at Logan. I gently wove my fingers through his hair and stared at his tranquil face as he slept.
I directed my attention back to Reno and found that his gaze was fixed on Logan. He never blinked and his ever-shining teal colored eyes were dark with thought. My eyebrows pinched together as I examined him. It was almost as if I could read the thoughts that were flying around in his mind. I tore my eyes away from his and looked at his left hand. His fingers were gripping the edge of the table and his fingers, from the fingernail to the knuckle, were pure white.
I reached out with my right hand and gently placed it over his. He immediately snapped out of his trance and looked at me with anger flaring in his eyes. Thinking that I had done something wrong, my hand instinctively slid quickly off of his. I bit my bottom lip and clasped my hands in my lap waiting for what Reno was about to say.
He leaned toward me and stared into my eyes for a lengthy amount of time before he reached out and clutched one of my hands in his. "Tifa, why is he doing it?"
I shook my head. "I wish I knew myself, Reno." I paused and looked down at where our hands joined. "I don't he even think that Cloud himself knows what he's doing."
Reno sighed and let go of my hand, leaning back into his seat. "I just can't believe what that jackass is doing," he said, looking off into space with a stone face.
I exhaled sharply and turned away from him, raising a hand to my forehead. "Reno, don't start." I swallowed the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. "I don't need to think about it right now. I just want to continue living and pretend that everything is okay."
Reno grabbed my shoulder and forced me to look at him. "Tifa, everything isn't okay. Cloud is trying to get sole custody of your only son, the one you've raised yourself for two years. He doesn't know what it's like to be a father and if he wins custody he could very well kill him."
At the end of Reno's sentence is when the tears finally came and when I realized the full extent of what Cloud would do to Logan. I didn't want that to happen. I didn't want my little boy being raised by someone that wasn't even there. I felt Reno tug me in his direction and I just fell on him. I buried my face into his shirt and cried and cried and cried. I never wanted to leave the protection of Reno's embrace. I just wanted to sit with him forever and never have to go back to the same old routine wearing a mask all the time, hiding my true feelings and emotions.
Reno let me cry for a little while before he pulled me away from him. He grabbed one of the napkins from the table and handed it to me. "Thanks," I said, taking the napkin and dabbing my eyes. Some of the make-up that I was wearing came off on the napkin but I didn't really care how I looked right now.
Reno grabbed the napkin from me and held my chin in his hand while he wiped the smeared mascara off from under my eyes. He tossed the napkin onto the table and grabbed the bill that the waitress had placed on the edge of the table. He placed the right amount of gil down, including a tip, then looked back at me. "Ready?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
I turned to collect Logan from his place on the bench but Reno placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked back at him with a puzzled look. "Can I carry him?"
I was taken aback by Reno's request but nodded. He scooted out of the bench and walked over to the other side and carefully picked Logan up. I watched as Logan rested his head on Reno's shoulder and snuggled into his chest. I smiled then reached down and grabbed my purse and the bill before I followed Reno to the front of the restaurant. I handed the gil to the hostess at the front then walked out.
Reno walked beside me on my way home and I observed the many glances that Reno received as we went. Young men and women alike stared or smiled at Reno when they saw the sleeping bundle in his arms. I glanced at Reno many times to see if he noticed the looks he was getting but his attention was mainly on Logan. If he wasn't looking at Logan he was looking straight ahead of him, careful not to bump into anybody.
I unlocked the door and let Reno walk in ahead of me so I could close it behind him. He stopped in the middle of the living room and looked back at me. "You want me to put Logan to bed?"
I nodded. "Yeah, you know where his room is. Go ahead."
I watched him walk into Logan's room before I walked into my own room and placed my purse down on my bed. I left my room and ventured into Logan's, seeing how Reno was holding up putting him in bed. I stopped in the doorway and found that Reno was standing in front of Logan's crib with him still in his arms. I walked forward and placed my hand on Reno's back. He looked at me idly before gazing back at Logan. "I won't let him do it, Teef," he said, rubbing Logan's back. "I won't let Cloud take him away from you."
Tears once again came to my eyes as he looked back at me. "Oh, Reno." I didn't want to cry in front of him anymore so I turned away from him.
I heard Reno shuffle around for a few minutes as he gently set Logan in his crib before he turned to me. He stood behind me for many moments before he slid his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him. I closed my eyes and breathed in slowly, savoring the moment. I relaxed and leaned into his embrace, gently placing my hands over his.
We stood like that in front of my son's crib listening to the soft sounds of his breathing.
