Reno's groans woke Tifa up the next morning, just before there was a knock on the door. "Just a moment!" she called out as she threw a bathrobe, and Reno's groans turned to curses at the sudden loud sound. Opening the door, she was handed a package by one of the stewards. "Thank you." she told them, quickly closing the door to prevent more of Reno's vulgar language from being overheard. Remembering that Cloud had promised to send something over to help, she wasted no time opening the box. Tifa stared blankly at the baby doll…that sure wasn't what she was expecting. Finding a note from Cloud enclosed in the package, a smile broke out on her face as she read it…this was perfect!
"Somebody kill me!" Reno moaned, and Tifa focused her attention back to him.
"No one is going to kill you." she assured him quietly in a gentle tone. "You go back to sleep for a little bit and I'll make some coffee." Leaning over him, she rubbed his tummy again while humming the Three Little Pigs. "So easy to please, aren't you?" Tifa smirked as he instantly fell back asleep, then started the pot of coffee brewing. She let him sleep another half hour before waking him back up. "Here's your coffee." she said as she handed him the mug. "Sugar and creamer are on your nightstand, since I don't know how you like your coffee."
"It's top secret." Reno muttered, trying to focus on his coffee instead of the pounding in his head. "Why are you being nice to me? You think I'm scum, don't you?"
"No!" Tifa's loud denial aggravated his hangover and he groaned again. "Sorry." she apologized quietly. "I don't think you're scum, I honestly don't know you well enough to rightfully think anything about you. I'm doubly sorry if I said or did anything to make you think that. My only real concern is protecting our child, and I'm perfectly willing to raise them myself if I have to."
"Yeah, you don't want nothing to do with me." Reno pouted as he drank his coffee.
"So prove me wrong." Tifa offered. "I have a deal for you."
"What kind of deal?" Reno looked up from his coffee and narrowed his eyes as he looked cautiously at her.
Tifa took the baby doll out of the box. "This is a robotic baby, the kind adoption agencies use to test prospective parents. I want you to take care of it for the rest of the cruise."
"What?!" Reno spat out his coffee. "Why would I want to do that? What's in it for me?"
"It grades its caretakers. If you prove yourself able and willing to be a responsible parent, I'll tear up that paper and toss it into the ocean." Tifa explained.
"That's kind of you, but that's a crap deal…I want a better offer." Reno told her.
"Like what?" Tifa asked warily.
"If I pass this test, you'll marry me." Reno countered.
"What?" Tifa shrieked, then frowned as Reno winced. "Sorry." Wondering what his fixation on marrying her was about, but if he was able and interested in being a good father, then she really had nothing to lose by marrying him. Marlene and Denzel were becoming fond of him, and he could be quite the gentleman on occasion. And it's not like they had to stay married if things soured. "Okay, it's a deal."
"You want me to start now?" he asked her when she handed him the doll. "I've got the world's best hangover here."
"Parenting isn't done at your convenience, Daddy." Tifa smiled sweetly at him.