Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of it's characters.

A/N: Chapter three (finally, huh?). It might not be as long as expected, I'm getting kind of tired. And dizzy. Weird. Anyway... hope you enjoy.

Inspiration (or what I was listening to while writing this... over and over...): Snow Patrol- It's Beginning to Get to Me (I don't own Snow Patrol or any of their songs, either.)

Friday came all too fast for the family of four. Tifa combed her hair in the bathroom mirror while Marlene and Denzel sat on the edge of the bath tub, watching her, trying to think of excuses for her to stay home with them instead of going out with Quentin. Marlene already feigned illness but she couldn't keep a straight face, not one to tell a lie, and it resulted in Denzel hissing that she sucked at acting. Tifa smiled at the mirror, keeping an eye on them as they wore mournful looks on their faces.

"I won't be gone forever." She laughed.

"But you'll be gone long enough." Denzel glared.

"Stay home with us, Tifa." Marlene pleaded. "We can all go for a walk."

"Aren't you looking forward to spending quality time with Cloud?"

"Cloud wants you to stay too! Just ask him." Denzel argued. Tifa said nothing, just double checked her hair and walked out of the bathroom, little feet in tow.

"But I've got a lot of homework I want you to help me with!" Marlene whined.

"We have all weekend... and Cloud can help you." Tifa smiled pleasantly. She made the bed, which she should have done hours ago, and closed the windows. "He'll probably let you stay up late, even."

"Cloud's no good at homework." Denzel stated.

"Denzel." Tifa scolded him with a look. He turned his head.

"Well, it's kind of true." Marlene whispered. Tifa laughed and waited by the door for them to leave the room so she could turn off the light and close the door behind her. Neither budged, just stared at her with big eyes. She sighed and walked down the stairs without them. Cloud was sitting on a couch in a den they had made away from the bar. A part time bartender was running the bar, filling up glasses and making as little as conversation with customers as possible. Tifa didn't approve of his bartending- but it seemed no one had the skill or motivation to be a bartender anymore so she had to take any help she could.

"I'm leaving." She told Cloud. He didn't respond. "Make them eat some vegetables, at least. They can stay up late tonight, if you want them to..."

"Tifa, I know." Cloud snapped. He hadn't meant to do it. He was simply annoyed at everything- mostly at the fact Tifa was going out with another man. Tifa looked behind her where Marlene and Denzel were watching, shocked looks on both of their faces, and she smiled in reassurance.

"Good night, you two." Tifa hugged both of them. Only Marlene hugged back. Tifa had to bite her lip when Denzel only let her wrap her arms around him and didn't move. She let go, looked at him for a moment, took a final glance at Cloud (and his attention was elsewhere) and left.

"Marlene, don't cry." Denzel told her, a little more aggressively than he knew he should have. Tears were shining over her eyes after Tifa left.

"I don't want her to marry Quentin." Marlene quickly dried her eyes with her hands and Denzel snorted.

"She isn't going to marry Quentin. Right, Cloud?" Cloud said nothing, but stood up and led the kids to the kitchen.

"Tifa put dinner in the fridge." Marlene said, already recovered and smiling. It made Cloud smile, too. He warmed the dinner and set it out on the small table they fit in the kitchen. The kitchen wasn't big. In fact, it hardly fit the four of them at the same time. But they made it work. They used to joke together about the closeness of them- crowded around the table. Cloud sat down and looked at Tifa's chair. Denzel and Marlene were kicking each other under the table.

He couldn't imagine this family without her.

"You look lovely, Tifa." Quentin smiled at her from across the table.

"I look the same as always." She returned the smile. She was still upset with him for getting angry at Denzel. She had trouble letting that go.

"Something troubling you?"

"No." It was an outright lie, but she knew he couldn't read her. He hadn't known her long enough to read her... and she had become an expert at hiding her feelings. She took a sip of wine.

When the waiter came he ordered for her.

He had ordered for her before...

It really annoyed her, now. She bit her lip to keep from saying anything. Another sip of wine.

"I hope the order was to your liking." He smiled again. That charming smile.

"It's fine." Tifa looked at the clock. "I can't be out too late..." Something flashed in Quentin's eyes. Annoyance, she thought. "Marlene and Denzel won't sleep a wink until I get home."

"Even you need a break sometime, Tifa." Quentin told her, as if lecturing her. She frowned.

"I understand that, Quentin." She took another sip of wine. "But my breaks aren't completely breaks without them. They make most of me."

"Hmm." Quentin swirled the wine around in his glass, focusing his eyes on it as it sloshed around. "What if I wanted to make part of you, too?"

Tifa set her glass down. She raised her brow in question. "What do you mean?"

"What if I proposed we all live together?"

"Is this about Cloud, Quentin?"

"No. No..." Quentin smiled. "I just want to be as important to you as you are to me."

"It's too soon." Tifa smiled politely. "And I can't leave the bar. I work there."

"Give it to Cloud, then." Quentin urged. Tifa thought about Cloud, trying to bartend. The idea almost made her laugh. He wasn't social enough to run a bar.

"No, Cloud isn't the type..."

"He could hire someone. Didn't you just hire someone to take over now and then?"

"Yes, but..."

"We could make it work." Tifa wanted to believe him.

"I'll think about it. When I have time." Tifa told him. She was abrupt and meant to be that way. She didn't enjoy the pressure.

"Alright." Quentin smiled. Tifa was relieved when their food arrived. It meant she was that much closer to going home.

Sure enough, Marlene and Denzel were up and waiting for her. Their eyes fixed tiredly on the door as soon as they heard keys jingle against it. Quentin followed her inside, smiled and said hello.

"Hello." Marlene smiled back. She was only being polite because it was expected of her, Tifa knew. Tifa also knew that Denzel escaped from the room as soon as Quentin entered, probably to get Cloud.

Again she was right and Denzel was leading Cloud into the room, a smug smile on his face.

"Good evening, Cloud." Quentin tried to be charming. Tifa knew it wouldn't work. Especially not with Cloud.

"Past evening, now." Cloud muttered and looked down at Marlene and Denzel. "Go get ready for bed."

"Awww..." Marlene whined. Denzel just stared at Quentin as if he could make Quentin disappear by staring at him. "Do we have to?"

"Well, it is far past your bedtime." Tifa smiled. It was past midnight. She was tired herself and a little bitter that Quentin kept her at the restaurant for so long.

"Alright..."

"I'll come tuck you in soon." Tifa told them. Marlene ran up the stairs but Denzel stood by Cloud. "Denzel..."

"I'll take him." Cloud looked at Quentin once, picked Denzel up and carried the boy upstairs. Denzel looked very small over Cloud's shoulder. Tifa smiled.

"Do they still sleep in your room?" Quentin asked.

"For now."

"Aren't they a little old?"

"While Cloud's gone they get lonely... and scared that I'll leave too."

"Hm..."

"Quentin, I'm awfully tired."

"Alright." Quentin kissed her cheek. "Good night, darling." He closed the door behind him and Tifa locked it. She went to the kitchen. Dirty dishes piled in the sink from their dinner. She sighed, tiredly, and filled the sink with water.

"I'll do those." Cloud's voice made her jump.

"Now?" Tifa began scrubbing a plate with a sponge. "It just gets harder when you let them set."

"Now." He tried to take the sponge out of her hands. She didn't let him at first but gave up when he covered her hands.

"Were they ok?"

"They were upset for a while." Cloud told her, honestly. "They don't like him."

"They're just so used to you." Tifa looked at Cloud for a second. "But they need something stable..."

"I came back, didn't I?" Cloud stopped scrubbing the dishes.

"After how long, Cloud?" Tifa looked at him. "Do you know how hurt they were?"

"They're fine now." Frustrated, he broke the dish. Tifa looked at the sink, the dish in pieces, some pieces still in his hand. "We're fine now."

"Look what happened." Tifa reached for the broken pieces but Cloud wouldn't let her near.

"I've got it."

"Don't be stubborn, Cloud."

"I've got it!"

"Tifa?" Marlene stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Tifa jumped and both adults turned to look at her. The girl seemed about ready to cry. "Is Cloud ok?"

"Yes." Tifa said and smiled. She looked at Cloud, who nodded and turned his attention back to the dishes. "Let's go to bed." She took Marlene's hand and led her to bedroom.

"Is everything ok now?" Marlene asked as Tifa tucked her in. Denzel had his back turned to them.

"I hope so." Tifa answered honestly and smiled. She kissed Marlene's forehead. "Don't worry about it, Marlene... it will all work out."

A/N: Honestly, I didn't think it'd be this long. So... I hope you liked it and please leave reviews!!!