Summary: Denzel continues to grow, learning the trade of his father and improving his skills. But with maturity comes responsibilities, and not all of them are easy to accept. When his family is thrown into turmoil, will he be help or hindrance?

Lessons Learned

Chapter Two of the 'Denzel Chronicles'

By Ivy Tanté

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A fast skid, quick turn. Dust boiling in the air. The abrupt screech of tires on stone, and the odd popcorn-popping sound of gunfire. Bullets ricocheting against sword with sharp metallic twangs. Heat, confusion, tension fills the air. Another pass, another feint. Gunfire peppers the ground on the right as the massive black motorcycle roars past, shining silver flashing in a whistling arc.

Ducking under the blade of the Fusion Sword, Denzel whirled Kaumafon around but wasn't quick enough to catch Fenrir on the roundabout. Laughing, he fired off a few shots that pinged harmlessly off Cloud's sword again, and gamely went for another pass. A gloved hand raised and he slid to a stop, grinning as he yanked off the driving goggles.

Panting, Denzel called out, "How's my aim?"

The reply was at first a grunt as Cloud Strife bent to inspect the dust skirt that shrouded his left side from hip to ankle. Finding a bullet hole near the knee, he couldn't help but grin at his son. "Improving!" he answered, activating the hidden 'wing' compartments of Fenrir to store his sword for the trip home.

Seeing his father put the Fusion Sword away, Denzel dropped his shotgun back into the holster mounted on his bike. He hoped to one day wield a sword; right now the shotgun would allow him to protect himself while continued lessons with Cloud would someday make that hope become a reality. Patting the steel-gray bodywork of his bike, named in honor of the Kalm Fangs that infested the area, he straightened then winced.

"That should teach you to watch where you're going," Cloud said with little pity, and the twinkle in his eyes was visible even through the goggles he still wore. He'd managed to whack Denzel's left arm about halfway through the sparring match.

Pulling alongside Fenrir, Denzel teased, "Still didn't make me spin out."

Inwardly, Cloud was quite pleased. Denzel had not lost control of the bike after that hardy slap with the flat of his blade, and he'd whirled around just fast enough to take a shot at the flying dust skirt in retaliation. "No, it didn't. You're doing well, Denzel, just don't get too over-confident. After all, I'm not out to kill you."

The teen couldn't quite keep the comment of "Could have fooled me" to himself. The next second his face lit up as his phone rang with the piercing sound of a wolf-whistle. Yanking his cell out of a thigh-pocket in his dusty jeans, he answered, "Hey, Kera!"

Knowing Denzel would be oblivious to his presence as long as his girlfriend -and wasn't that just the kicker?- was talking to him, Cloud lowered the kickstand and vaulted off Fenrir. Opening a rear compartment, he fished out a bottle of water and the fruit slices Tifa had packed for him that morning. Unscrewing the cap, he took a deep gulp, eyes scanning the sea of waving grasses surrounding them. Though the Kalm Fangs weren't nearly as numerous as before, they could still be a threat to the unwary, although the survivors of those once faced with the Fusion Sword tended to give Fenrir a wide berth. Cloud hoped it would soon be the case with Kaumafon as well.

Unzipping the package, he fished out an apple slice and took a bite, closing his eyes as the sweet, tart taste exploded on his tongue. It brought back memories of his childhood in quaint little Nibelheim, and the orchards he would run through on his way home. Musing, he reckoned his current existence to be about the furthest thing from his dreams back then. All except Tifa. She had always been the one dream he could never forget. The dream that never faded.

The dream that was now threatened by his past, by the things done to him against his will.

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The return home was quick. Cloud didn't believe in driving slow if he could go fast, and Denzel was as much a speed demon as his father. Besides, the teen had a bit of homework to do and wanted to get that out of the way. Then he could go running with Kera.

That was how Tifa termed their tendency to race around Edge, leaping and dodging obstacles in their never-ending race to beat one another. It helped Denzel with his coordination, and let him spend time with his best friend. Very wisely, neither parent dwelt on the fact she was also his girlfriend. There were simply some things that took awhile to sink in.

So Denzel sprinted to his room right after he greeted Tifa with a hug. The bar had just opened for business and was already half full; it was shaping up to be a hopping night. She had called in both recently-hired bartenders to help with the steady flow of customers. After laughing at the fly-by hug of the teen, Tifa gave Cloud a gentle smile and tilted her head to the side, motioning for him to follow her into the downstairs kitchen.

Cloud dreaded what she would say. All through his workout with Denzel his mind hadn't been on what he was doing. Which was why he had a bullet hole in his dust skirt. Had he been paying strict attention, his son wouldn't have had time to get off that single shot at the end of his turn.

They stood facing each other, and Cloud braced himself. With a small nod Tifa confirmed what he had suspected for nearly a month now. Closing his eyes in anguish, he held out his arms and felt her snuggle against his chest, her arms sliding around his waist as she pressed her face into his shoulder. "Tifa…" he whispered, wrapping her tightly in his embrace. "Oh, Tifa…" Gently he stood caressing her hair, absorbing her warmth, inhaling her scent.

A scent that had changed without notice nearly four weeks ago. He hadn't understood what it meant then, hadn't realized the implications. It had worried him, nagged his conscience. A possibility had hit him with all the force of a lightning bolt a few days ago, and that realization had sent him raced to her with a breathless question. Her answer had rocked them both. Now they knew, and they hadn't a clue what to do.

Pressing a tender kiss to her forehead, Cloud released her and reached for his phone.

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Denzel knew something was wrong the moment he walked in the door that evening. A bit shamefaced because he was later than normal, he nervously yanked off his gloves then stopped before saying a word. Cloud was in the kitchen, seated at the table. The intense blue eyes were wide and blank, a look of subtle horror on his face.

Shock had Denzel standing frozen, fear slamming into his heart. In a voice little more than a croak, he demanded, "Tifa, Marlene?" He knew Kera was safe; he'd just returned from walking her home. Tifa hadn't been behind the bar when he entered, and he hadn't thought to search her out before heading into the back.

Coming out of his daze, Cloud turned to him in an almost wooden manner and said dully, "Sit down, Denzel. I know you just got back from Kera's, but there's something I have to tell you."

So Denzel sat, gingerly reaching out to touch one of the hands that kept balling into a fist. It made him feel better when those fingers uncurled and grew still. "What is it, dad? What's happened?"

"You know that I was never really in Soldier; that Hojo experimented on me and Zack Fair after the incident in the Nibelheim Reactor," Cloud started, his voice still lifeless. "I know you'll consider this too much information that you don't really want to hear, but when Tifa and I married we stopped using contraceptives."

What can I do but nod to that? Denzel thought as he blushed. He knew only dire circumstances would cause Cloud to speak so bluntly. I mean, this is embarrassing to me. How is it for him?

Cloud continued in his quiet way, voice low and intense, "Though we had you and Marlene, we wanted… Well, I wanted a child by Tifa. A daughter to spoil rotten and lock in a tower until she was thirty something." A slight smile tugged at his lips when Denzel laughed. "When Tifa didn't get pregnant, we assumed that after all Hojo did to me, I was sterile."

And the truth dealt Denzel a sucker punch to the solar plexus. "Tifa is pregnant."

"Yes. And for the first time, I'm wondering just how all that experimentation could affect the baby. We'll be leaving this weekend for the clinic in Mideel. Two of the physicians there have worked with Soldiers, and they will examine Tifa, run some tests the pediatrician here wouldn't know to do." Cloud took a deep breath and continued, "Most of those in Soldier don't marry, so this isn't a normal situation. And with both Jenova and S-cells inside me, as well as Mako, there could be serious problems." He suddenly gripped Denzel's hand tightly as he admitted, "I'm so scared, Denzel. Tifa doesn't want to end this pregnancy if there is any way to avoid it."

Swallowing, he struggled for the words to say, "And you don't want Tifa to risk herself."

Cloud's chin dropped to his chest and he shook his head fiercely, still gripping Denzel's hand like a lifeline.

Never had he felt so helpless. Cloud needed assurances and words to help him hold on. Denzel knew he didn't have them; he was too young to truly understand just what his father was going through right now. But he took a deep breath and asked as quietly as he could, "Have you told anyone else yet?"

"Yes. When Tifa told me the results were positive, I called Reeve. He immediately got in touch with the clinic and had us added to the schedule as soon as possible."

"Dad…" and Denzel waited patiently until Cloud looked up at him. "I love you." It wasn't easy for him to say it so bluntly, but he felt he had to. That Cloud needed to hear it, see it in his eyes.

Reaching out with his other hand, Cloud gently clasped his shoulder and gave a tired smile. "I know you do, Denzel, but it's good to hear that right now." Rising, he paced for a brief moment before leaning on the counter. "Tifa and I talked about it and decided it would be best if you and Marlene remain here, since Barret will be in town this weekend and available if either of you need anything. Vincent will take Fenrir and run the route for Friday." Smiling at the teen's sudden ire, he grinned and raised a hand, "It involves an overnight trip to Junon, and I need you here with Marlene. We've rearranged your schedule so you have the weekend off." Rubbing at his face, he admitted, "I hate to lean on you so heavily right now, but I've little choice. Cid will pick us up in the High Shera Friday morning."

Thinking quickly, Denzel suggested, "Then can Kera stay the weekend with Marlene?" He couldn't help but grin at Cloud's rather suspicious look. "Dad, I may not be the most observant person in the world -hey, I'm a guy- but even I noticed how distracted you've been. I mean, come on, how else could I put a bullet hole in your clothing?" A slight smirk crossed his face when Cloud laughed. "Right. Now Marlene… she might not say anything, but she knows that something is wrong. Haven't either of you realized she's been watching both of you like a hawk these past few days?"

A hand rose to rub nervously at the back of his neck. The motion, so familiar to all that knew him, calmed Denzel. "Yes, I can barely turn around without bumping into the scamp," Cloud answered.

"Then you know she's worried. And if the two of you suddenly go on a trip without us she's going to suspect something is drastically wrong. Which means she'll worry more. She loves hanging with Kera, and Kera is the one person that can truly wear her out."

Cloud nodded, "True. I just don't like putting the two of you into a tempting situation, Denzel."

Shrewdly, Denzel asked, "And what's to stop me from inviting her over here the moment Cid lifts off?" He tried his best to keep the smug smile off his face when Cloud narrowed those intensely blue eyes at him. "But if you go ahead and agree, you can put all kinds of restrictions on us to ease your mind."

A new voice entered the conversation from behind them, "Denzel, you've spent too much time with Reeve and Nanaki. That was a maneuver worthy of them." Tifa entered the kitchen with a sunny smile, tousling his hair as she went by. She stopped to press a soft kiss to Cloud's cheek before opening the fridge. Pulling out the defrosted chicken for dinner, she headed for the sink as she said airily over her shoulder, "Go take your father somewhere, Denzel. Talk him into letting Kera stay so I don't have to."

Growling, Cloud commented in a gruff tone, "Like it will do any good to protest now. He'll browbeat me into agreeing because you've given your approval." He yanked off his gloves, tossing them onto the table before getting a glass out of the cabinet. Denzel watched as Cloud filled the glass with ice and water and headed for the garage. Over his shoulder he told them, "Fenrir needs a quick check to be sure it's ready for Vincent to use." His hand was on the doorknob when he admitted, "I do trust the two of you alone, Denzel. But I remember how hard it was to fight temptation. You're a lot younger than I was then." The sound of the door shutting in his wake was deceptively quiet.

Denzel sighed quietly. He knew Cloud was right, but he was on guard at all times with Kera. Some days it felt like he was being pulling in a dozen different directions at once where she was concerned. But he realized she was too important to risk their relationship on something neither of them were ready for.

"Are you all right, Denzel?" Tifa asked, turning from her task to look at him with worried eyes as the silence in the kitchen lingered.

Hastily he yanked himself out of thoughts best left alone. The last thing Tifa needed to deal with was his unpredictable and often conflicting desires for the girl he considered his best friend. "I guess I should be asking you that question, mom. I mean, this must have been the last thing you ever expected to happen."

Tifa smiled and continued preparing the chicken. "It was a surprise, I'll admit. But I'm not as concerned as Cloud. According to the pediatrician, I'm about six weeks along and showing no signs of trouble. Everything is fine - my blood pressure is great and all the labs came back normal. Cloud is just over-protective of me."

"But there could be complications."

Drying her hands on the dishcloth, Tifa admitted, "There is always the chance of that, Denzel. It's a fact of life. But I've waited years for this child, and I'm not willing to give up so easily. I know Cloud is worried, and with all Hojo did to him there are reasons to be concerned. But I'm not going to look at this negatively. To me it is a miracle." Her smile was soft as she laid a hand on her abdomen. "I want a little boy with my hair and his eyes."

Denzel snorted and rolled his eyes, "With looks like that he'll be a heart breaker before he can even talk." Then he did a double-take and glared at Tifa, "Wait just a minute here..."

Tifa just chuckled; despite having no biological relationship to Cloud whatsoever, Denzel did indeed look like his father and had much the same coloring she'd just mentioned. Slitting open a package of vegetables, Tifa reminded the teen, "Cloud wants a daughter."

"So he said earlier. One he can spoil rotten and lock away in a tower to keep her safe and sheltered."

Laughter erupted as Tifa stared at him, "He did not say that!"

Hand over his heart, Denzel swore, "He did, Tifa. And I can see her now." His eyes went out of focus as he pictured his hopefully-soon-to-be sister, "She'll have Cloud's unruly blonde hair and whimsical, wacky sense of humor. But she'll have your cinnamon eyes and sweet disposition." With a sigh he continued, "And I'll stay in constant trouble beating up any boy that so much as looks at her funny."

Tifa swooped down on Denzel and smothered him in a hug, "Oh, to hear you say that! Can you imagine how brave a boy would have to be to ask out the daughter of Cloud Strife?"

"They had better be brave, because they'll have to go through me first before they even get to Cloud. And Marlene! A little sister would be the most precious thing ever to her. You'll have a time keeping her at bay." He paused to look up at her, then asked, "What would you name her? Cloud wants to call her Raine." That came from a half-remembered conversation during The Talk from over two years ago.

"I've got my heart set on a boy, Denzel," Tifa admitted. "Although now that I think of it, Storm wouldn't be all that bad of a name for him, would it?"

Denzel snorted again to keep from laughing out loud. "Have you listened to the names we're coming up with, mom? Raine, Storm, Cloud. I think we need to have our heads examined." Ignoring Tifa's frown, he grabbed a bag of his favorite chips and a soda. "Sorry to do this, but I'm skipping a real dinner tonight. Between school and work I've got a big day tomorrow, and I really need to finish this paper before I go to bed." Leaning over, he kissed her cheek and told her sternly, "Don't let dad keep you up all night, beautiful."

And he left the kitchen and headed upstairs, the sound of her laughter echoing ahead of him.