Far From The Tree - Family Ties

by screwygirl

Things are looking bright for our heroes, but when a figure returns from the past it sets a new wave of events in motion. Unanswered questions find their resolve and a new threat awaits on the horizon. And SOLDIER is getting revived. Wait WHAT?

8. 07 - Preparations

CHAPTER 07 – PREPARATIONS

It was a few days later as three motorcycles pulled up to the front gates of the WRO compound. The assembled biker gang, consisting of Fenrir, Daredevil and... Zack's unnamed bike… rumbled outside as Cloud nodded a greeting to the guards on duty.

"Mr. Strife," the first officer greeted and then turned to wave at the control post. The gate lowered, and Cloud waited to move forward. Genesis hovered overhead. He didn't own a motor bike, did not want to, but he didn't mind flying around them.

As they made their way into the compound, after parking their bikes, Cloud guided them through the halls, knowing from the past where to go.

"Hey, Cloud!" Reeve greeted, grasping his hand and shaking it firmly, "I gotta tell you, I was pretty shocked when I heard you were coming."

He shook Zack's hand next, "Mr. Zack Fair. It's nice to see you again!"

He looked at Genesis, remembering from various reports that the ex-SOLDIER wasn't the friendliest of people. Then he decided to forgo all that and grasped his hand, shaking it. "Commander Genesis Rhapsodos... it's an honor to meet you, sir."

Turning to Corliss, he took her hand, "And I'm sorry. I don't know who you are."

"Corliss Garridan," she introduced, "It's a real pleasure."

Reeve ushered them into a nearby conference room where there were, of course, refreshments waiting for them. He motioned for everyone to sit down before taking a seat himself.

"So, to what do I owe this rare treat?" he asked, grabbing a cup and filling it with coffee.

Cloud waited for the greetings to be over before shaking his head at his friend, but Zack beat him to the punch with actually voicing what they both wanted to say. "Wow Reeve, it's like we're meeting for the first time. Drop the formalities, man!"

"That's just how he is, Zack. I've learned to roll with it," the blond told him.

"Well, if he keeps calling me Mr. Fair, we're gonna have to have a chat. I am simply Zack. I refuse to go by anything else."

Genesis rolled his eyes before he leaned back in his chair. "By all means, Mr. Tuesti, don't hesitate to use the squirt bottle if he starts yapping too much."

"Hey!" Zack called out, his pride injured.

Taking a sip of his coffee, the blond almost spit it out when Genesis made the squirt bottle joke. Somehow, he managed to swallow the coffee, setting down the drink.

Cloud decided to cut in before they ended up bickering... again. "It's about the crime rate in Edge, and the lack of a proper law enforcement. We have an idea of how to solve that."

"Oh, really?" Reeve responded, raising his eyebrows. "I'm open to suggestions. We're severely understaffed, so we really haven't been able to organize anything."

Zack smirked at this as he exchanged looks among the four of them. "Well, you're looking at the hopeful leaders of the new SOLDIER program, maybe even more, if we can get Angeal and Sephiroth on board."

He took it down a notch and became serious. "I realize we both know how badly SOLDIER crashed and burned with Shinra, but that's because it was run by idiots and monkeys."

"We both know that's true," Cloud added in, remembering the meeting he spied on through the vents... seeing Reeve for the first time and remembering how disgusted, tired and annoyed Reeve looked with the rest of the board members.

Zack continued, "I want to show the people of Edge that they don't have to fear people who still carry mako. We aren't super powerful ogres, bumbling around wasting our lives because our strength is useless. Sure, they know Cloud is a bad-ass, but over a week ago, there was a guy I remember was a Third-Class back in the day. He saved a kid's grandfather when he was trapped in a burning building and a support column pinned him down. There are plenty of people like that, and they want to use their abilities for good; but they feel unwanted or unneeded. If we bring SOLDIER back and run it right, then we'll give them purpose and protect the people from the rising crime rate."

Genesis regarded Zack with admiration in a rare moment. The pup really had grown into a fine warrior.

Reeve leaned back in his chair, folding his hands over his stomach.

"Who would run it?" he asked.

Genesis smirked as he braced the side of his head against his fist. "I think you just got a pretty noble speech from our new General. Zackary makes an excellent leader. He was well respected in the original SOLDIER, and he was always fair to the grunts, while not being afraid to hang around the higher-ups, and the pedestals we were set on didn't exist with him. He's not afraid to toss his pride out the window to help a comrade, yet he's also not afraid to dish out the truth when it's needed. He's perfect for the role."

Zack looked over at Genesis, and no one could miss the choked-up expression on his face. "Gen..."

"He's modest and humble too," Cloud added. "Never letting fame get to his head."

"And he's genuine, loyal, encouraging... and inspires others, from what I've seen, so far." Corliss added. "His friends tease him, but they really respect him... so do I."

Reeve nodded, listening to everyone's point of view. "What would you need from the WRO?"

Zack was a little too emotional to reply, so Cloud took up the reigns for him. "Support would be great. We're going to hold a public conference, like a town meeting and announce the new SOLDIER program."

Genesis took it from there. "We know the people might not be so willing to forgive SOLDIER, or some of the members that will be part of this new one, like myself, even with Strife there as a member as well."

"Ah, so if you have the planet's hero plus the WRO backing you up, you're thinking they will be more accepting of the idea." Reeve summarized. "It's a good idea, and you all seem to have worked out the details. The WRO will fully support it."

Genesis nodded. "Considering Sephiroth nearly ended the world, and I rained terror, I would assume it won't be an easy road to forgiveness."

"But we will find a way to make it work," Cloud added, "We appreciate your help, Reeve. Your support will be invaluable."

"Well, now that we have that settled, on to other matters," Corliss announced. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a bullet tip, displaying it for Reeve and also the others to remind them to ask about it. Reeve looked at the bullet tip, waiting for an explanation.

Zack suddenly felt his battle senses on high alert as he sensed danger near, but then he relaxed when he realized it was Cloud and Genesis giving the bullet a death glare. He decided to speak up. "We have a new threat: people targeting those with mako. They aim to wipe them all out no matter what they've done in the past. This is one of their weapons."

He waited for Reeve to examine it. "It's harmless for you and Colriss to touch because you don't have mako. When Gen and Spiky were hit with those bullets they were brought down, convulsing and screaming in pain."

This stung Cloud's pride, but he had to come out and convey the level of danger this presented. "You know the levels of pain I can endure Reeve, but that bullet... it felt like plunging headfirst into a volcano. I couldn't fight back. I couldn't stand. I could barely even think."

Corliss gently rolled the bullet towards Reeve, who caught it and picked it up, looking at it.

"I'll have it analyzed," he said, giving the piece of lead a closer examination, concern clouding his features.

Zack nodded. "Just don't let anyone with mako get near it. Even simply touching it causes a burn."

Genesis sighed. "Well, now that phase two is complete, should we attempt phase three? Convincing my two friends to join our cause? It may help it go smoother if we set up a proper conference call here, showing that we're serious, not that I doubt them, but if we're already here and they see it, it'll convince them we want to make this happen."

Reeve pressed his intercom button. "Mirna, can you bring in a sample container? And could you call Sephiroth and patch it to the intercom video system, please?"

Seconds later, a short, slightly overweight woman entered the room. In her hands, she held a small, plastic container and a tablet. After handing the container to Reeve, she tapped the screen of the tablet a few times, and suddenly, everyone could hear a number being dialed and a phone ringing over the speakers. A video screen descended from the ceiling against the wall.

Reeve placed the bullet in the container and handed it to the woman. "Bring that down to the research department... thanks Mirna."

The group turned to the screen as it lit up and revealed the desk area. Angeal was standing to the side, looking under the desk, clad in a light blue cotton shirt, not a single trace of his old uniform anywhere, he looked up at the screen then and his eyes widened.

"It's working Seph." There was a thunk from under the table and the camera shifted a bit as Sephiroth sat up, a slight wince on his features after bumping his head, as he blinked in surprise at the audience they had. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

Zack blinked at the two and let out an impressed whistle. "I've never really seen you out of your uniform, Seph; the retired style looks good on you."

The former general was sporting a light gray shirt with a palm tree print. "Angeal suggested I expand my wardrobe. And Costa Del Sol is a bit too hot to wear armor all the time."

"And as you can see, I let him pick it out... all by himself." Angeal added, smirking.

Reeve stifled a chuckle.

The ex-Harkon studied their demeanor and took into account all who were there. "Reeve, if you have those three together, something serious must be happening."

"No, we were just playing a friendly game of poker. Care to make a wager?" asked Genesis sarcastically, curious to know his silver-haired friend would actually get the joke or not, but that was half the fun.

Reeve spoke up, "Well, they came to me with an idea... but I'll let Zack fill you in on the specifics."

Sephiroth focused on Genesis before smirking. "Strife would win. You let your temper get the better of you, and Zackary has a horrible poker face."

Zack squawked in response as his jaw dropped open. "I do not! I can fake any expression!"

"And my temper has tamed quite a bit," Genesis added with a glare.

Sephiroth smirked, his point having been proven. Cloud didn't show it, but he was mentally chuckling.

Zack pouted before he directed his gaze over towards their fourth member. "First of all, this is Corliss Garridan; she's an awesome fighter and a new hero in Edge."

"Taking on a pupil, are you?" Sephiroth asked the blond.

"No, but we are reforming SOLDIER," Cloud replied.

"With the full support of the WRO." Reeve added. "With the crime rates so high in Edge, the city is in need of some protectors."

Corliss grabbed one of the donuts and started eating it.

Sephiroth exchanged a look with Angeal, "Do you think reactivating SOLDIER is wise? The last time-"

"The last time it was run by... what was the term you used, Zack?" Genesis asked. "Monkeys? This time we shall call the shots, Sephiroth. We've already nominated Zack as our new General in command. The different branches are in the process of being planned based on experience, previous rank and power. Any with Mako will fall under Cloud's command, as he will lead the enhanced task force."

"I still don't know why I'm in charge of them and not the rookies," Cloud wondered.

Zack smirked at this. "Easy Spike. You were the underdog, back in the day, so you know how to keep these mako-muscled guys in check, to make sure they don't abuse their power, and you're the planet's champion. They'll respect you."

He then added. "If I command any rank, I want to inspire the new recruits. To let them know they don't have to feel intimidated and that we're nothing like the old Shinra-brand of SOLDIER."

"So what are you asking of us?" Sephiroth questioned.

"They are asking us to join them," Angeal informed his friend.

"Yes, that is basically it." Reeve confirmed. "Your skill-set would be invaluable to this endeavor."

Sephiroth had been afraid of that. "Do you honestly think the world will accept me back in a place of power, especially in terms of military? Have you forgotten that I am still the Demon of Wutai? The one who nearly destroyed the world? I doubt it will work if I help you."

Corliss shifted slightly in her chair as she ate the rest of her donut.

Cloud scoffed at Sephiroth. "I could always kick your ass again, if that would make you feel better."

Genesis leaned forward, giving his friend an honest look. "Sephiroth, guilt is not a good look on you. I had the same concerns you did, and I agreed at first. But you've said it yourself: you wish to atone for your sins. What better way than by proving to the world that they were wrong about you? Devote your life to protecting the planet and all who dwell within. Of course, there will be naysayers, but would it not be more rewarding to make them look foolish and give them the middle finger in the process?"

"Please, Seph," Zack asked. "We could really use your help. You and 'Geal."

Sephiroth regarded each one of them, before a silent message from the blond was received with just a simple nod. Cloud was asking for his help.

Sephiroth decided then and nodded. "Alright, count me in."

"Of course... you can count me in, as well," Angeal conceded.

"Excellent," Reeve smiled, turning to Zack. "So, what role do you want the WRO to play in this. I know you said you needed support, but tell me what that entails."

Zack scratched the back of his head. "Wow, um, to be honest, I'm surprised we made it this far; I haven't really thought about it..."

"A supportive, symbiotic relationship between SOLDIER and the WRO," Cloud offered, looking over at Reeve. "We supply you with staff and connections, which I can help provide, and in return, we'd request aid with funding concerning proper equipment, and supplies. We don't wanna take from the WRO's main force, but we might need to lean on your support heavily for the first few months until we can gain some traction. In return you have our support for any missions in the meantime."

Zack blinked, surprised at his friend. "Okay, you're totally my second in command."

Sephiroth had to agree. "Strife, once I return to Edge, please inform me of the ones responsible for denying you entry into the original SOLDIER so that I may have a word with them. I'd like some clarification for their poor lack of judgment."

"They never let him in SOLDIER?" Corliss exclaimed, shocked, "Wow! Talk about blunders!"

"I'm sure if they are still around, they are kicking themselves pretty hard," Reeve agreed, then turning to Cloud, he added, "All right then. We'll start working on this."

"Next stop, community city meeting?" Corliss asked.

"Sounds good," Zack replied, smiling at Corliss.

Sephiroth reached over towards the monitor. "Alright, Angeal and I will head for Edge, but as we do have a few things to pack, we'll take the normal route, that way we might also draw attention and gain more witnesses to help spread the word faster for the announcement."

"Good thinking," Genesis replied. "We'll try to have the foundation set for this new development by the time you both arrive."

*FFTT-FT*

Denzel moaned as he made his way home from school. It was early release day, so he was thankful he didn't have to wait for Tifa to pick him up. Marlene was headed over to another friend's house for her class project, but Denzel just wanted to go home and lay down before he tackled homework. His day had been fine, until P.E. class.

They had been playing indoor volleyball when someone on his team spiked the ball at him twice in the shoulder. The first time had been declared an accident. Okay, fine. Denzel understood it could happen. A second time? That was on purpose. The teacher did see it and called the student into a time-out and forced him to watch the rest of the class. Denzel felt the kid's eyes burning a hole into his back, however, and he just knew the kid wasn't done with him yet. He'd probably have to deal with him tomorrow.

A rough shove into a trash can proved him wrong, and he looked up to see the same kid with three others standing there. His afternoon just got a lot worse, and he couldn't help but offer a tired sigh.

"Come on, isn't this cliché overdone?" It was a smart-ass comment, and it only made it worse.

"Yeah, but it still works," the kid said as he took the trash can lid and tried to strike Denzel over the head with it. Denzel had blocked it, but it still left a small gash on his arm as the sharp, rusted handle of the lid pierced him.

"Go ahead," the kid said, "Call for your hero, and we'll do this again every single day until you learn your place or stand on your own."

Denzel glared. "I don't need Cloud's help to kick your ass."

He rushed forward, not taking this crap anymore. One of the other kids grabbed his shirt and pulled him back as another hit him hard in the side of his ribs before the first kid launched his fist into Denzel's nose.

The one that grabbed Denzel's shirt latched his arms around Denzel's to prevent him from fighting back while the first one continued landing punches into Denzel's face and stomach.

"Nice, Cris... hit him again!" the second child egged him on.

Suddenly, the trash can lid made contact with the back of Cris' head, sending him straight to the ground. Holding the make-shift weapon was a girl with long, brown hair and angry green eyes.

"Seriously? You can't fight him without someone holding him down for you?" she yelled, "That's pathetic!"

The one holding Denzel back released him, probably out of surprise. Cris rubbed the back of his head, glaring up at her.

"Beat it... or you're next." he threatened, though it sounded a little empty.

"Pfft. Come and try!" she challenged, brandishing the lid, "If you can't fight someone one on one, you're not much of a threat."

Cris' friends helped stand him up, though he seemed a bit wobbly.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Cris threatened.

"Ooh! I'm really scared," she mocked.

All of them glared daggers at her and then at Denzel.

"Watch your back, Strife!"

And they hobbled away. The girl tossed the lid down and smiled at Denzel.

"You okay?" she asked.

Denzel sniffled as he wiped his nose with his arm. He saw the smeared blood and wasn't sure if it was from his nose or from the gash. Then he froze. Tifa and Cloud were gonna raise hell when he got home like this. The last thing he needed was to make this worse than what it already was.

He looked over at the girl then and tried to offer a smirk, but he couldn't even force one.

"Y-yeah," he finally replied. "I don't know what their problem was; I never provoked anybody."

He made to stand but grunted in pain as he held the side of his ribs and winced, taking a painful deep breath. That really, really hurt, and he realized he couldn't stand on his own right now. Not good.

"Here," she offered, gently placing his arm over her shoulders, "Let me help. Where do you live?"

He offered her a sheepish, but thankful grin, even if it was small. "S-Seventh Heaven. I live above the bar with my guardians... I mean... my parents."

Denzel couldn't stop the surge of joy he felt whenever he thought of Cloud as his father, and secretly he never wanted it to stop. He was so proud to carry the Strife name. Another pulse of pain from his injury though, made him wince again.

He glanced over at her, "Thanks..."

"I think I know where that is," she nodded, starting to walk slowly in the correct direction. "They just did a bunch of construction over there."

She bore his weight admirably, pacing perfectly with him.

"Gaia, I hate people like that..." she ranted, "Who do they think they are? Beating up on people! Does it make them feel better? I just don't get it!"

She looked at him, blushing slightly. "Sorry... it just makes me so mad."

It took them a while, but she managed to help him back to the bar and right up to the house entrance. She waited for him to open the door.

Denzel offered her a kind smirk, and it was then that he really got a good look at her. She was really pretty, with her wavy brown hair and warm green eyes that were strikingly clear. He started to blush and then tried to hide it by thinking about the kids who cornered him.

"It's okay... I can't stand them either. I just... wish I knew how to make it stop. My dad says to ignore it, but... it's hard to ignore a fist to your face. I want to tell him, but that might just make it worse."

He opened the door and looked at the clock as she helped him inside. It was almost four, not quite time for the bar to open. He led her past the booth and through the door that led to the main house.

She walked him gently forward, letting him partially direct her to where he wanted to sit.

"You won't be able to hide this," she told him, "You're pretty beat up. There's always going to be people who want to do stuff like this. You can't just ignore it, especially when they get physical."

She helped him sit down on the couch just as a happy, humming Tifa walked in from the kitchen. Once she caught sight of Denzel, she gasped, rushing to him. The girl backed away, not wanting to get in the way of a worried mom.

"Denzel!" Tifa exclaimed, crouching down in front of him, "Shiva! What happened?"

He wracked his brain, trying to find a way to avoid further pain by ratting.

"It's nothing..." he mumbled. "I... I fell trying some parkour tricks. I didn't see how deep the drop off was."

It was a weak lie, but he hoped it'd work.

Tifa just stared at him, waiting for him to tell her what really happened.

"There's a group of kids who think it's fun to push people around and gang up on others," the girl spoke up, looking apologetically at Denzel. "He just doesn't want to worry you."

"Mmhmm," Tifa nodded in a knowing way, turning to the girl, "And what's your name?"

"I'm Erily," she introduced herself.

"Well, Erily," Tifa said, standing up, "I'm going to go get the first aid kit. Can you stay with him while I do?"

"Sure." She waited for Tifa to leave and then leaned into him, her hair tickling the side of his face.

"I'm sorry, Denzel..." she whispered, "These kids need to be stopped. You're not the only one they gang up on. Remember Quinn? He's in the hospital because of them. They broke his collar bone."

She paused, biting on her bottom lip.

"And... I really don't like lying..." she added.

Tifa returned from getting the first aid kit just as Erily pulled back. Crouching down next to Denzel, Tifa started gently wiping up the blood and examining him for wounds.

Denzel looked down, his bangs covering his eyes as he tried and failed to hide his shame.

"I'm sorry..." he told Tifa once she returned, "...for lying... but... it doesn't matter what you do. They'll never stop. Not before and not now. Why can't they just leave me alone..."

He looked up at Tifa. "Please, don't make a big deal out of this. It'll just get worse. And I can't keep relying on you and Cloud all the time. I'll never stand on my own that way."

"It's true," Erily confirmed Denzel's assessment. "If anyone goes to the authorities, they'll just wait and attack later."

Tifa continued working on his injuries. "I understand, Denzel... but look at what they did to you. This isn't just a fat lip or a black eye. You have broken bones. How many other kids are going to get hurt because of them?"

She sighed. "We'll do our best to not interfere, but... at the same time, we are supposed to protect you. We're... we're your parents. What if this had been Marlene? How would you feel then?"

She placed a finger under his chin, lifting his face so she could look him in the eye. "I'll talk to Cloud. We will give you the chance to handle this... but if this gets any worse, we will have to step in."

He was afraid of that. There was no way he could get out of this without a lecture now. It wasn't that he was afraid of Cloud... hell, no! He just didn't want to disappoint him, and this would. He knew it would. Cloud deserved a perfect son, not someone who was scared and weak. He had enough people to protect, without worrying about another burden.

He was surprised to find out his bones were broken, they were sore, but it... did explain the odd crack he heard a few times. Looking over at Erily he realized something else.

"I'm sorry, now you're on their radar because of me. What if they do this to you next? I don't want that to happen."

He sniffled and wiped his arm against his nose. This time it was harder to hide the fact that he was trying not to cry. "If you have to ignore me in school or even be mean to keep yourself from getting hurt, I understand."

She smiled a lovely smile at him. "Pfft. I'm not afraid of those guys. And I don't ignore friends, Denzel."

He smiled shyly at her, yet it was also a grateful one. Getting beaten up like this was worth it, if he got to meet her. "Th-thanks... Erily."

Tifa smirked at the exchange between them. "From now on, though, don't try to hide things like this, Denzel."

He nodded towards Tifa, knowing it'd be hard to come clean with the truth, but it wasn't right to lie, especially to the ones he looked up to most. "I'm sorry, Tifa."

The rumble of Fenrir's engine echoed through the neighborhood as Cloud pulled it into the garage and shut it down. Sighing from a long yet successful day, he couldn't wait to get inside and wrap his arms around his wonderful fiancé and forget about everything else. He came into the kitchen from the garage door and looked around to see if he could spot her.

And there she was, throwing her arms about his neck and kissing him like he had been gone for years.

The embrace was so sudden, he had no defense for it, and his face flooded red before he just stopped thinking and took her in his arms, letting himself get lost in the moment of just being with her. This was without a doubt the best welcome he had ever received, and he was enjoying it to the fullest.

Finally, after a few minutes, she pulled back to smirk.

"I won," she whispered, stroking his face and chuckling. The girl was practically glowing with happiness.

He couldn't help but smile back at her. "I know. I stopped caring about two seconds in."

He didn't know what it was, but there was something different about her. Somehow, she seemed more perfect and more powerful than ever before. And also more beautiful.

"You seem like you had a good day," he finally spoke again, after letting himself get lost in her ruby eyes.

Her smile faltered a little.

"I did... until Denzel came home," she told him, "Now, he's all right, but some kids beat him up on his way home. Cloud, I'm really worried. They didn't just bruise him up; they broke a couple ribs. But Denzel is adamant that we don't step in."

She sighed. "I don't know what to do."

Cloud shook his head, feeling his good mood fade away. He knew what he had to do. "I'll go talk to him. Where is he?"

Tifa stopped him. "He's with a girl... try to keep that in mind."

He arched an eyebrow in return but didn't offer anything else as he made his way to look for his stubborn son, finding him in the living room. Sure enough, he was there, talking to a girl, or rather she was talking to him. He just leaned against the door frame then, letting them carry on for a bit, before quietly clearing his throat, trying not to startle them.

Denzel stared at Erily as she spoke, never realizing how pretty girls could be. Once he heard Cloud clear his throat, it startled him and he went to jump up... but the pain overwhelmed him, and he winced, putting a hand on his side. Broken bones were painful. He thought back to the Stigma, and he didn't remember ever having felt this kind of pain.

"Is that your dad?" Erily asked, glancing at Cloud.

Denzel smiled in spite of his pain. His dad! "Yeah."

A flash of regret crossed the blond's features as he pushed off from the door frame. He hadn't meant to scare the kid, but it also let him know what kind of pain he was in. He looked down at the two, unsure how to deal with Denzel right away, so he turned to the proper thing and nodded towards the girl. "I'm Cloud,"

He wasn't sure if she had seen him before or not. There were times when it seemed everyone knew who he was, but not everyone knew the face to the name of the hero who saved world, and he was perfectly fine with that. Especially when it was going to be changing soon anyway. "Thanks for helping my son; sometimes he tends to bite off more than he can chew."

"Nice to meet you," she said, returning the greeting, "I'm Erily. He didn't do anything to them. He was walking home, minding his own business. All three of them decided to beat up on him."

She smiled, looking at him, though the worry in her eyes was clear. "He took it like a real champ."

Denzel's face flushed at the compliment, but he still lowered his eyes.

"It wasn't a big deal..." he mumbled.

"They bully a lot of others, too," Erily told Cloud, "Yesterday, they put a friend of mine in the hospital."

She looked down, her expression reflecting guilt. "He was defending me... they called me a name. I told him it wasn't a big deal... but he didn't listen. They broke his collar bone."

Taking in everything she said, he turned his attention on Denzel. "That sounds like a very big deal. Broken bones aren't anything to turn a blind eye to."

He really didn't want to be stern with him, and the concern in his tone was clear. He knelt down to be eye level with the boy. "Denzel... you don't honestly expect me to do nothing about this, do you? You think I want to come home to this again? My son trying to cover up his injuries. You're not weak."

Then he thought over how he knew the boy saw him and tried a different approach. "I've been on your end of this before. I know there isn't much you can do against bullies. That helpless feeling? It eats away at you; no matter what you do they never let up. Always waiting for that moment when you're alone to hit you where it hurts, until all you can do it curl up and wait for them to get bored."

That wasn't a pleasant childhood memory, but if it could help Denzel see that Cloud wasn't some untouchable god then maybe it could prove useful.

Denzel was astonished, his eyes wide at the very thought. "You? You've been bullied?"

Cloud didn't know why he chuckled, but it was probably a combination of his son's shock and reflecting on his own pathetic past. "For most of my childhood. It was always the same gang of five punks. None of the adults stepped in. They refused to believe their honest, hard-working kid could do any wrong, especially when the victim was the village chocobo, which they shunned. It only stopped when I left for Midgar."

Well, that wasn't true. It picked up with more bullies, but they had different names, at least the second time he tried for SOLDIER. He remembered that... but he really didn't want to focus on that, right now.

It wasn't because he lacked strength. He was able to easily keep up with Zack when they first met. It wasn't his intelligence either. It was his lack of self-esteem that did him in altogether.

"Denzel... I'm not telling you to fight them or challenge them if they try this again, but don't think you're weak or worthless if you lose. I may not be your biological father, but I do see a lot of myself in you."

Denzel smiled, though he was still pretty embarrassed. Getting his butt kicked in front of a pretty girl did nothing for the self-esteem.

Erily simply stood to the side, not wanting to intrude on the family moment... a moment she found herself envying. Her own family was incapable of showing real affection if there was no audience. She actually preferred it that way.

"Thanks... Dad." Denzel replied.

At that moment, the door opened, and in walked Angel, her arms full of different kinds of flowers.

"Hi, Cloud... Denzel..." she stopped, gasping. "Denzel... what happened?"

"It's okay, Angel," he reassured her. "I'm all right."

Cloud smiled a greeting towards Angel before looking between the two kids.

"You know, one thing I didn't have was a good friend to watch my back. You're pretty lucky," he told Denzel before looking over at Erily. "Thanks for looking out for him. He'd probably still be laying on the ground where they left him if you hadn't been there."

Erily beamed. "Thanks!"

He wanted to hug Denzel but he refrained due to the kid's ribs and just ruffled his hair instead before addressing Angel next. "I see Aerith's garden is in full bloom."

Angel nodded enthusiastically. "I brought one of every kind and color... for the bouquet. So Tifa could pick out ones she wants."

She inhaled deeply. "They smell so beautiful."

Cloud stood up as the realization set it.

That's right, I'm getting married...

He couldn't help the grin that appeared. With everything that was happening, he didn't forget, but it knocked him for a loop again every time it came up. He couldn't wait to stand at the alter, staring into those ruby red eyes as he proclaimed his love for her with his solemn vow to always belong to her.

"Show her the sunflowers last," he told Angel. "Those are her favorite, so she'll likely ignore any others she sees after them."

Angel nodded with a grin, their connection allowing her to feel his anticipation... his joy. "Okay, Cloud."