Summary: Cloud Strife is protective - of Tifa, of his family, of his friends. He'll do anything to save them, and has on more than one occasion. (Anyone remember the dress? ) So when Denzel is faced with something he can't handle, Cloud comes running to the rescue. But he's not the only one in the family that can kick butt…

Jealousy, Take 9

By Ivy Elise Tanté

Denzel had nearly reached 7th Heaven when the… thing… crawled out of a busted pipe and snarled. It was a nauseating shade of green, with too many double-jointed limbs and glaring red eyes. A mouth way too big to be believed was filled with jagged, saw-like teeth, and it seemed to take great pleasure in showing them all in a feral smile. Ducking and weaving, it tried to fill as much of the ally as it could to block the boy from running.

Bracing himself, Denzel carefully fell into the attack stance taught to him by Tifa and raised his fists to defend. If he could just get around the creature, the bar was only three blocks away. If there was one thing he could do well, it was run. The only person in his family faster was Cloud - and he was enhanced to SOLDIER levels, or even beyond.

That he could nearly match his father in any aspect made him determined to face this menace head on. So as the creature leaped, Denzel planted his foot firmly into the side of the monster and had the satisfaction of feeling something snap inside it as he dodge one of the abnormally long limbs. Careening against the wall, he attempted to sidle pass but was prevented when it hissed and spat what looked to be poison. A rolling cloud of green mist sparkled in the watery sunlight as Denzel dived, rolling just beneath the noxious fumes.

He came up covered in the dust from the alleyway. For just a moment be believed himself fine, but then a burn seemed to erupt across his right shoulder blade. Grunting, Denzel didn't take the time to look before he launched another attack, a two-pronged fist and foot barrage that gained him a few feet of breathing room. Stepping back, he glanced at his shoulder and nearly passed out.

A thin sliver of metal was sticking out of him, and blood was starting to drip from his hand.

Ignore it, a voice in his head demanded, and Denzel followed its advice as he approached at an angle and snatched up a discarded metal pipe. Carefully guarding his right side, he made a feint with the bar. As the monster tried to retaliate, he lashed out with another kick and was rewarded with a hissing yowl as two of the many legged shattered.

The way was clear, and Denzel took it without a single hesitation.

But one of those double-jointed legged whipped out and tripped him, causing him to tumble and slide several feet on the concrete. Pain slammed into him as the shard was driven deeper into his flesh, and he felt the hideous grinding sensation as metal met bone in his shoulder. His cry echoed in the alley even as he heard the creature begin to drag itself towards him. Poised to scramble back to his feet, Denzel briefly heard thudding footsteps from two different directions.

Without warning a black blur passed right over him.

The monster roared as something pounded into it mercilessly. Fists slammed into the hard skin, breaking bones and teeth in quick secession. A particularly hard kick knocked it back to the alley entrance, and all sounds of combat ceased with a loud metallic -thwack- as a huge sword sliced the critter into pieces.

Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart had arrived.

It was with a crooked smile on his face that Denzel watched his parents nearly run right into each other in their haste to reach him. Seeing Cloud jerk himself out of Tifa's way so his heavier weight wouldn't knock her into a wall, only to hit one himself on the rebound, was entertaining. Dust and grit flew as the swordsman skidded to a halt and whipped around, dropping his sword as he rushed back.

"Denzel," Tifa breathed softly, tears in her eyes as she carefully lifted him into her lap. "Cloud, you've a Restore Materia, right?" Just being held made him feel better, and Denzel buried his head in her shoulder, inhaling the scent that always meant comfort and love to him.

"We have to remove the shard first," Cloud cautioned, kneeling beside his wife and son. "Denzel, this is going to hurt, and I'm so sorry." He wasn't crying like Tifa, but his eyes were certainly wet and remorseful.

Shrugging, Denzel then gasped with pain as the motion jarred his injury. "I know," he managed to get out as he felt Cloud carefully take hold of the sliver of metal. The first gentle tug had white-hot agony shooting through him.

"What is it?" Tifa asked anxiously as Cloud hesitated.

Cloud gave his head a firm shake, making his pale blonde spikes flutter. He didn't want to voice what was wrong, but Tifa's stern stare gave him no choice. "It's deep in the bone, Tifa. I can get it out, but it's really going to hurt him." Checking out the Materia in his bangle, he looked questioningly at Denzel. "I can cast sleepel so you don't feel it."

If Cloud said it would hurt, then it would really hurt, Denzel knew. His father wasn't one for over-statement. "Yes, please," he whispered, trusting his parents to see to his welfare. Green light washed over him, and everything, most of all the pain, faded to black.

"Here, let me have him. The hospital is only a few blocks away," Cloud told Tifa, holding out his arms. "I might cause more harm than good if I yank that thing out." Concern darkening his eyes, Cloud accepted the limp form of his son as Tifa sprang to her feet.

Cloud had heard sounds of a shuffle in the alley, and both had rushed out to see what was going on. The shock of discovering it was Denzel locked in combat with a Head Hunter had sent both of them charging forward to reduce the insolent critter to mush. "I'll go back and close the bar, then meet you at the hospital." Reaching out, she laid a hand on the side of his face, wiping at his tears with the other. "He'll be okay, Cloud. He's not that badly hurt."

"He's bleeding, Tifa. He's my son, and he's bleeding and in pain," Cloud gritted out, carefully -oh so very carefully- shifting his hold on Denzel to be sure he had him securely.

And Tifa simply couldn't help but press a kiss on Cloud's lips as she murmured, "He'll be fine. Now take him to the ER so they can care for him. I'll be right behind you. And be sure you tell him how well he did, okay? Those were some very nice moves he used against it."

"They're yours," Cloud informed her with a smile as he turned and headed up the alley.

"Yes, I know," she agreed. But even as she returned to the bar, Tifa acknowledged that the rolling dive Denzel had used to escape the poison was one of Cloud's signature moves.

So both of them had helped him to escape the monster, and the thought was comforting as she called ahead to let the nursing staff know what had happened. Leaving another message for Barret, so Marlene wouldn't hear about this after the fact, Tifa dashed out the door…