Disclaimer:
No, I still don't own it...oh wait wait...nope still don't...
Author's Note:
Yay! Another chapter! Hope I didn't keep you guys waiting too long. Well, I don't have anything to say except please review once you are finished whether it be a flame, constructive critiscism or a good review. If everyone that read my story reviewed I'd have over 16,000 reviews so please please please review! They make me happy...
It had almost been a month since we had heard anything from Vincent and, on top of it all, I had started to feel a bit strange. I didn't say anything to Reno. I wanted to make sure if I was right or not before I said anything to him. Besides, he wasn't even in Cosmo Canyon. He had gone to Junon to talk with Rude and Elena. He was getting fed up with sitting around waiting so he decided to see if Rude and Elena would be willing to help.
Which was good for me.
I made my way into town and ducked into a small general store. After searching the aisles for a few minutes I finally came upon the item I was looking for.
Pregnancy tests.
I paid for them then went back to the Observatory. I peeked my head inside the door and found Red sitting on the floor looking at the evening paper. He looked up at me when I walked inside and I immediately hid the box behind my back. He cocked his head and a funny look graced his animal features.
"Tifa, what's wrong?" He asked, getting up and padding towards me.
"Oh, uh, nothing," I said, trying to slide by him. "Nothing's wrong."
"Then what are you hiding behind your back?" He asked as he cocked his eyebrow.
I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders then began to back up towards the ladder. "Uh, some…new…clothes?" I said, my excuse sounding extremely lame.
Red looked at me cynically. "Tifa, what is it?" He asked again, his voice taking on a fatherly tone.
I bit my bottom lip as I produced the box of pregnancy tests.
Red smiled at me with a knowing glance. "Oh," he said, his yellow eye sparkling somewhat. "Do you think you and Reno are expecting?"
"Well," I began, staring down at the box. "Maybe. It's been a month since the first time we had sex but I didn't want to say anything to him because I'm not sure myself."
Red grinned at me as he sat beside me. "Nairi and I were wondering what you two were doing when you came back from picking out your ceremonial clothes, which reminds me. The ceremony is going to be next weekend."
"What's the date?" I asked, pulling a test out of the box.
"The twelfth of February. The cub's birthday is actually on the fifteenth. We're going to be having a birthday party for them. I've invited everyone in Avalanche to come. When's Logan's birthday?"
"The twenty-fifth," I said, staring down at the strip of plastic in my hand. "I'll be right back."
"I'll be here." Red went back to his paper as I climbed up the ladder.
I tested myself in the upstairs bathroom then set the test on the sink without looking at it. I backed up and began pacing. If the test told me I was pregnant, I'll wait a few more weeks and test myself again before telling Reno. These store bought tests were never really very accurate. Or I could go to a doctor here in town and ask if they could test me there.
I nodded. "Yeah, that's what I'll do. I'll see if it's positive or not then in a few more weeks I'll go to a doctor and see if it's right."
With that in mind, I stepped forward and picked up the strip of white plastic. I smiled when I saw that the test did indeed read positive, but the smile was wiped away when I remembered how happy I had been when I found out I was pregnant with Logan just to have that same happiness washed away when the man that supposedly 'loved' me walked out.
I suddenly became scared. What would Reno do if he found out I was pregnant? Would he leave me just like Cloud did? Or would he stay?
I tossed the used test into the garbage then stuffed the box into the cupboard. I went back downstairs and collapsed on the couch with a heavy sigh. Red jumped up onto the couch next to me and laid his head in my lap. I didn't say anything, which caused Red to speak up. "Well?"
"I'm pregnant," I said in a small voice. Red frowned and a strange look graced his animal features. "I'm scared, Red."
The confusion on his face grew worse for he was befuddled on how I could act this way. "Tifa, what do you mean? Shouldn't you be happy?"
"I am." I paused. "It's just that I don't want what happened between me and Cloud to happen with Reno and I."
"Tifa, you don't think he'll leave you, do you?"
"I don't know," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "That's what scares me."
Red sat up and placed a large paw on my hand. "Don't worry."
I smiled. "I'll try."
He nudged my cheek with his nose. "Well, you should cheer up a little. I don't think you'll be able to hide much from Reno with that look on your face."
I laughed slightly. "Yeah, you're right."
I got up and went back upstairs. I sat down on the bed and started talking to myself. "Okay, screw going to the doctor and making sure. It's been a month. There's not a snowball's chance in hell that test could be wrong. I'll tell him tonight. I'll just put the thought in my head that he'll stay and not run out like Cloud did."
With that I went back downstairs. "Hey, Red, is it okay if I use your phone?"
"Of course," he said, looking up from his paper to smile at me briefly. "Do you want me to explain how to use it?"
"Oh, no, it's okay. I think I can figure it out."
He nodded then got back to his paper.
I dialed Reno's cell phone number then waited while it rang. He picked up on the third ring. "Yeah?"
"Hey, baby," I said, a smile in my voice.
"Oh, hey," he said, his voice brightening a bit after discovering it was me. "How's it goin', babe?"
"Great. How are you?"
"I'd feel better if I was with you."
I smiled. "When are you going to be back?"
"In a couple hours actually. We stopped in Nibelheim to grab something to eat."
I frowned. "We?"
"Oh, yeah, Rude and Laney are taggin' along. They wanna talk to Nanaki and see if there's anything they can help with."
"That's great." I sat down on the bed.
"Yeah, Laney's excited about getting to spend some time with you. She doesn't have very many female friends these days."
"Oh," I said, frowning a little. Elena and I didn't know each other on a personal level, heck, we didn't know each other at all. We used to scream obscenities at each other while we were fighting, but times have changed and, to tell the truth, I was a little excited about getting to know her better. "Well, it'll be nice getting to know her."
"Yeah, I'm sure you two'll get along just fine. Well, gotta run. I'll see you in a few hours, babe. I love you."
"I love you too."
I pressed the 'off' button on Red's very high tech phone then leaned against the counter. Red folded up his paper as best as an animal with no opposable thumbs is able then turned to me. "So, Rude and Elena want to talk to me?"
"I guess. Do you think they'll be able to help?"
"I'm not sure. Depending on what they have in mind I may or may not be able to come up with something."
I occupied myself with meager things such as helping Red clean. For animals, they kept their home about as clean as I did my own. They just needed help with those hard to reach spots. "Red, how do you keep this place so clean?"
"Nairi and I actually have a lady come clean every now and then. It's convenient because we can't really clean ourselves."
"Oh," I said, dusting off a bookshelf that had managed to collect an absurd amount of dust.
I jumped when the door opened and quickly rushed over when I saw Reno stick his head through and smile. He wrapped his arms tightly around me and twirled me around then placed me back on the floor and planted a large kiss on my lips. "I missed you, babe," he said, kissing me again.
"I know. I missed you too."
"Come on, Reno!" An aggravated female voice said from the other side of the door. "Get out of the way!"
"Oh, sorry guys," he said, sheepishly stepping aside so Rude and Elena could enter.
Elena smiled at me and stopped in front of me. She stretched her hand out. I shook it, making her smile a little bigger. "I'm sorry," she said, still holding fast to my hand. "For everything."
"It's okay. I've forgiven Reno. I can forgive you and Rude too."
She smiled as Reno came up beside me. "Hey, babe, Rude and I wanna go to the bar and catch up. You and Laney gonna be alright?"
"Yeah, go spend some time with Rude. Just come back at a reasonable hour."
"Fair enough," he said, leaning forward and planting a quick kiss on my lips. "See you ladies later."
"Bye, Reno," Elena said, watching them as they left. Once they were out of sight Elena turned to me. "Wow, what did you do to Reno?"
I frowned, a little baffled by her question. "What do you mean?"
"What did you do? The whole time we were in Junon all he talked about was you and seeing you again. When we stopped in Nibelheim to get something to eat he just about threw a fit at me and Rude. I'm surprised that he even wants to go out and hang out with Rude."
"It's actually a good thing he isn't here right now."
A confused look appeared on Elena's face. "Huh?"
I bit my bottom lip then grabbed her arm. "Let's go upstairs." She followed me up the ladder and sat down next to me on the couch in the upstairs bedroom. I was silent for a few minutes before I looked her in the eye. "You know Reno and I are dating right?"
Elena laughed. "Well, yeah! It's only so obvious!"
"Well, uh…I'm pregnant…with Reno's child."
Elena looked at me dumbfounded until the realization of what I told her sank in. "Are you serious!" She screeched.
I shrank back at the ferocity of her voice. "I'm about a month along," I said, my voice low.
"Oh my God, Tifa, Reno is going to be stoked!" The look on my face must have been pretty funny because Elena started laughing. "I'm serious! Reno is definitely serious about this relationship. When him and Rude come back you seriously need to tell him! Take it from me, he would not leave you over something like this."
I smiled, grateful for Elena's council. She made me feel that much better about telling him later. "Thanks, Elena."
For the next couple hours, Elena and I sat in the upstairs bedroom and just talked, sharing information with each other. I enjoyed it. I got to see a side of Elena that I never thought I'd see. She really is a very caring girl and how she ending up being a Turk was beyond me. When I heard the door open down stairs and Reno's voice call my name my heart started to beat faster.
Elena gave me a knowing look. "Stay here. I'll get Reno for you."
Elena descended the ladder and moments later Reno appeared and plopped down on the sofa next to me. He leaned over and planted a long, passionate kiss on my lips before backing away. "I missed you."
I smiled and leaned into him. "I missed you too."
"Hey, uh, Laney said you had something important to tell me," he said, rubbing my back.
I nodded as I inhaled his cologne-laden shirt. "Yeah, something really important."
Reno's brow furrowed slightly. He pulled me towards him and made me sit in his lap. "What is it, babe?"
I took a deep breath. "Reno, I'm pregnant."
Author's Note:
Ahhhhhh! Cliffy! Sorry guys I just had to...hope you liked the chapter and please review...that button is very lonely...
