Two-chapter update today! Second one gets a dedication for Elena Chat-Noir, Cloti artist and Etsy producer, for the Tselena scene. Elena, I need to be a new Cloti-cup. Mine has been too well-loved.

Chapter 79. εуλ0012

"Why are we going to Seventh Heaven?" worried Elena. "Isn't that Tifa's bar? Will we be welcome?"

"Reno and Rude go here all the time," Tseng shrugged. It was his way of deflecting the question. His new involvement with Elena was a tricky navigation, opening his heart the way she wanted when he was used to keeping secrets. Not that Elena didn't know that – she was a Turk herself – but she seemed to be able to balance the two in a way he still couldn't manage.

He was hiding things from her. He shouldn't be doing that. As they reached the door of Seventh Heaven, he realized that was no way to handle this. He turned to face the young woman who was digging her way into his heart.

"It's a question of redemption," he told Elena. It wasn't much of an answer, but it seemed to be enough. Elena smiled brightly, and he took her hand as they entered the bar together.

They stood at the bar, patiently waiting for Tifa to turn around. She reacted with surprise, but quickly, recovered. "Tseng," was all she said.

"We're not on duty," he hastily assured her; nevermind that Tseng was more or less always on duty, to some degree. But they were dressed down – in Tseng's case, only slightly, dress shirt and casual jacket; in Elena's case, more so, a flirty green dress he rather liked on her. "Just here as customers. Hoping to have dinner."

"Oh, of course," said a slightly flustered Tifa. "Have a seat. I'll send Kyrie right over."

Kyrie had been Tifa's somewhat reluctant first hire; she'd been on the fence about getting help, the day Kyrie had come in, asked for a job, assured her she was going the honest route. Well. She and Evan did have Vits to look after; Tifa couldn't help but sympathize. So far, it was working out; Kyrie seemed, if anything, a little scared of Tifa. If that kept her on good behavior… so be it.

Tseng and Elena sat, overtones of first-date nervousness still present even though it was anything but. They'd gone out together for a while, made love several times now – exactly seven, thought Tseng, unless you also counted… in which case the number was…

He shook his head. There were better things to think about when she was around. Like what he planned to do to her the next time, for one.

Elena sipped her glass of the house wine; it wasn't bad. Better than most of what was available right now, unless Rufus broke out a bottle or two from his private stash. Which he seemed to do only for the Turks nearest to him. She suspected they were the closest thing he had to friends.

In any case, people were right about the establishment. The quality was there, given the limits of available supplies; the atmosphere was welcoming. Elena noticed with interest the portraits of the family that had begun filling the walls, crowding out the city and nature scenes that had previously dominated, the kids. Tifa with the kids. Cloud with the kids.

Cloud and Tifa, together.

Speaking of… just as their meals arrived, Cloud walked in the room, tired and dusty from whatever he had been doing today. He greeted Tifa, though Elena noted he didn't kiss her; not with them and the handful of other customers on the bar. Too personal, she inferred.

Not unlike another man she was getting to know.

Tifa whispered something to Cloud, and he looked over; when he saw, who was there, his expression was… strange. Elena wondered. Were they welcome here after all?

Cloud was surprised to see the Turks in his home; Reno and Rude had become regulars, acquaintances of a sort, even though friendship was still probably too strong a word. But these other two… he'd never seen them come in. Then he noticed how Elena was dressed. A date. Must have been her idea to come here, then.

Tseng and Cloud had danced warily around each other, even after the episode of the Remnants. It had been so since Cloud had regained his memories, including the day he met Zack and Tseng both. The man was still with Shinra; Cloud harbored some resentment. He had known who Cloud really was, after all… why hadn't the man ever told him the truth? Or was he actually helping Cloud by not telling him what he wouldn't have been ready to hear?

Maybe it was time to let bygones be bygones.

He strode over; Tseng rose. The men stood there, eye-to-eye, until Cloud grudgingly offered his hand.

Tseng took it.

"Modeoheim," was the one word Cloud said.

"Yes," was Tseng's only reply.

It was enough. Something passed between the two, and they shook, a silent agreement.

As their hands dropped, Cloud considered. Maybe one day he should ask Tseng about the Nibelheim incident. Then again, maybe not. Did he really need to know anything he didn't already? Did he want to understand if Tseng was involved in his captivity? Sephiroth was gone, and in his soul he knew – forever this time. As long as he didn't let hate overtake him, Sephiroth could never find a hold.

It made things easier to forgive. And forgiveness made it easier to heal. He wanted to heal, to live the life he had now, not dwell in the past. He'd already wasted too much time as is.

Cloud turned to go, but then paused. "You should stay and try Tifa's new dessert," he said over his shoulder. "She was able to get cherries this week. Marlene helped decorate. It won't last long."

As Cloud departed upstairs with no further words, Elena and Tseng looked at each other. They both knew. That was Cloud's way of making them welcome.

Elena leaned in. "We definitely should try that dessert," she half-purred, "and if there's any whole cherries, I can show you a trick I can do with the stem…"

Tseng felt her hand on his knee, and decided there were more important things to think about now. Cloud Strife, Nibelheim… worries for another day. Right now, he found himself delighted to simply focus on the woman before him.

He was starting to wonder – was he falling in love with her? It was so unfamiliar. But she spun his head around in ways he liked, and as dessert arrived and she sweetly offered him little bites, he thought it might be worth finding out more.

"He did WHAT?" Tifa asked, confused.

Reeve sighed despite himself. It wasn't every day he had to call a mother to tell her how her ten-year-old child had decided to join the army. The requirements until now had been lenient, same as Shinra's had been – party because of a need for firepower, they'd gone down to fourteen, thirteen if the adolescents filled the physical requirements… but ten. That was still a kid.

A kid with an adult's worth of experiences, yes, but still a kid. His story had nearly moved Reeve to tears, even without knowing Denzel had been the last person with his mother. When the boy got older, he'd have to thank him more thoroughly than he had today; but he thought he knew how he could repay the favor.

"I told him no, naturally," Reeve replied. "But you have to understand. Cloud is, for all intents and purposes, his father now. And a hero. A boy is going to want to follow in his footsteps." Truthfully, he was a bit jealous of Cloud. He wasn't getting younger, and though the WRO gave him purpose, something was still missing. He wanted what Cloud had – a home, a family. A life, going home to more than some books and a cat.

And to have a woman like Tifa – Well. That was a bad line of thought to go down, but it DID make him think maybe he could one day find someone for himself.

"But I have a better idea," Reeve continued. "Listen – " and as he spelled out his plan, Tifa mm-hmmed agreement, and by the time they hung up, Denzel had a new future waiting for him.

Tifa plopped on the kitchen table, considering. Savoring a half-cold cup of coffee, just something to hold in her hands as the minutes dragged on and she waited for Cloud. He'd just been out doing small errands today; she expected him back before the kids returned from their friends' houses. They needed to talk.

Cloud caught her mood as soon as he entered. "Sit down," Tifa half-offered, half-ordered; catching her mood, he did. And he soon understood why as she told him the story…

Denzel came running in, flushed and out of breath. He'd had a great time with Mina that afternoon – they'd been to the old park Cloud had once shown them, played on the slide and the swings, hide-and-seek with the other kids. And Mina didn't seem to mind at all, laughing along even with kids much younger than her.

Eventually, they'd all left except for the two of them. Exhausted, they'd plopped on the blue bench beside the playground. They're magic benches, they help you feel better, Tifa had told him, and Denzel knew that was silly but every time he sat on one, hey, he kinda did.

Mina sat kicking her legs, twirling her pigtails. Her hair was getting longer. Why did he notice? "Denzel," she started awkwardly, can I ask you something?

"Sure thing," he said.

She looked at him then, and not like a kid. "Are you my best friend?"

Denzel was surprised. "Sure," he told her. "If you want me to be."

She'd thrown her arms around him in a big hug, leaving Denzel feeling warm and fuzzy as he made his way back home.

But his mood dropped as soon as he saw Cloud and Tifa's faces. "Uh-oh," he began.

"We've talked to Reeve," Tifa began. "He called today."

"Uh-oh," Denzel said. "Are you guys angry?"

Cloud sighed. "No, Denzel, we're not angry. But you have to understand. Tifa and I had to fight. We did it so YOU don't have to." He wondered about Denzel's father yet again, the man whose place he now took. How would Abel have handled it? Then again, if Abel was alive, this would never have been an issue, so… it was his to deal with.

"We've been waiting to talk to you," Tifa took over, "because Reeve had some better ideas for you. When you're older – he's prepared to give you an education at the WRO. Full scholarship, room, board, etc."

Denzel was troubled, but excited. "So… like studying?" he replied. "But… Cloud…"

Cloud didn't need to be told. But I wanted to be a hero. He had been that boy once too.

"It's a different kind of hero," Cloud told him. "One the world probably needs more now."

"You don't have to make a decision now," Tifa soothed. "Just know that you have options. We're thinking of your future." Her voice softened. "Now that we know you have one."

"But we're still grounding you for a week for not discussing this with us first," Cloud added. "So you've got some time to think."

"Grounded?!" asked Denzel. I can't see Mina. My best friend. "Not even photography?"

Cloud and Tifa exchanged a glance. "Photography is okay," Tifa decided for them both. "Because that's one of the things you could do for a living later. But other than that, you're stuck in the house, starting after dinner."

Denzel sat down, trying to be grumpy as he ate, but really he knew he got off easy. Better than, even. Still, a week…

Eh. He'd survive.

Marlene was asleep. Denzel was awake.

He decided to go down for a midnight snack. They hadn't said that was against the rules, right? Just that he had to stay in the house.

He heard a rustle coming from the new family room they'd added on; curious, he snuck a peek.

Cloud and Tifa stood together, looking dreamily into each other's eyes. As Denzel watched, he cupped her face in his hands and leaned in to give her gentle kisses, on her eyelids, her face, her lips.

Denzel thought about what Johnny had told him at the café. Now it's about guys that can look after others, take away their pain. That's what a hero is now.

It made Denzel think.

Cloud was always so soft with Tifa. He continued to watch as he slid his arms down and pulled her in an embrace; she snuggled closer, smiling.

Cloud a hero, oh so strong… but he was always so soft with Tifa. He'd never even realized. Was Cloud that new kind of hero, then?

Denzel didn't know. It was all so overwhelming. But if a hero meant being nice to a girl and making her smile, well, then maybe that's what he had to learn.

Their family was small, but they weren't alone.

Elmyra had gladly returned to her thankfully untouched house in Kalm, now that the Deepground crisis was over. Cloud kept up his visits, always checking on her to make sure she needed anything; it was only ever the one thing. The annual bouquet. But it no longer hurt. Instead, he felt joy and pleasure at the journey, his chance to visit Aerith, the closest he could come to actually seeing her again. Now that he knew she heard.

So it surprised him when, on his latest trip, she met him at the door with a small packed bag. "I was wondering if I could stay with you for a night," she told him. "I'd really like to see Tifa and the kids."

"Well, of course, Elmyra, you're always welcome," Cloud assured her. "But how were you planning to get there?"

Elmyra only flickered her eyes to Fenrir in answer.

"Really?" Cloud asked. "Uh, aren't you scared? This thing goes really fast."

Elmyra's look was wilting. "Young man," she mock-scolded, "don't you think by my age, I'd have been on a motorcycle once or twice?"

Cloud shrugged. At least she was wearing pants today. He threw the bag in a compartment, right next to the valuable oranges and limes he'd found; Elmyra swung a leg over like a pro, and gripping Cloud just tightly enough, off they went.

She wasn't kidding. She did know how to ride on the back of a bike; more so than Tifa, if he was being honest. Tifa either had a death grip on him or pretended she wasn't scared at all, and though she was getting more accustomed to Fenrir, Elmyra was a natural. In fact, he barely noticed her at all as they pulled up to Seventh Heaven to greet responses as delighted as when he'd brought Fenrir home in the first place.

Turned out most of that bag was presents. New colored pencils for Marlene, some scented soapy thing for Tifa, a set of cooking utensils for Denzel (once Cloud had bothered to ask, he'd learned Denzel loved cooking nearly as much as Tifa; who knew?) "Nothing for me?" he asked, teasing.

Elmyra gave him a soft look, an understanding one. "The smiles of your family."

Tifa happily set an extra place setting at the table; dinner was a festive affair, Marlene and Denzel talking all over each other, trying to tell her anything and everything about their lives. Marlene oozed over Barret. "He's getting into something called biofuels!" she near-shouted. "It's, like, the best thing for the Planet! Like things go in cycles like the Lifestream!" Denzel, meanwhile, told Elmyra about his friends, especially Mina, and also how he was going to go to the WRO to study.

Elmyra took it all in with interest. "You should take a picture of this Mina," she encouraged Denzel.

Denzel pondered. "I'll ask her," he said. "She's kinda shy sometimes."

"It would be nice to meet her, too" Elmyra suggested.

The kids eventually tired out, but Elmyra ended up talking to Tifa until well into the night, long after Cloud had gone to bed. He patiently waited until, shortly after midnight, Tifa joined him as well, sighing as she settled into his arms.

"What were you talking about all that time?" Cloud wondered.

"Oh, you know," Tifa half-mumbled. "Girl stuff."

Cloud took her back the next day, same as they had arrived, but before he could drive away, Elmyra motioned him to stop.

She looked at him, sizing him up; it was much like she had looked at him the first time they met, but the wariness, the anger, was gone. "I owe you an apology," she began.

"You don't – "Cloud began, but she raised one hand to stop him. "Wait. Let me talk."

Cloud waited.

Elmyra took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I asked you to leave that first time," she said. "I was wrong about you."

Cloud grunted. "There were a lot of things to be confused about then."

"Yes… but I should have gotten to know you better. I know more now." She took a deep breath. "I'm really glad for you and Tifa. Aerith would have approved, you know."

Zack too, hoped Cloud.

"But I want to give you some advice," Elmyra continued. "Stop dwelling. Tifa knows that letting go and moving on is not the same as forgetting. Don't forget, she hurts too."

"I know that," Cloud told her. "All too well."

Elmyra took a step forward, fingering the red ribbon he still wore. "It's time to let this go," she said softly. She glanced to Cloud; he nodded. Elmyra leaned in, and with one small tug, the ribbon was free.

She handed it to Cloud. "Keep it," she told him. "But don't carry it with you any longer."

Cloud looked down at his now-bare bicep. It felt strange, after all this time. He'd have to explain this to Tifa; suggest she remove hers as well. But then he realized – she hadn't had it on this morning. How had he missed that?

Elmyra placed one hand on his left shoulder. The shoulder that had borne a pauldron of war; the arm that had worn a ribbon of remembrance. "Cloud," she told him, "I told you once you can't have it both ways. Trading a normal life for power. It's time to have a normal life."

"I'm not sure I know how," admitted Cloud.

"All a man can do is try his best," assured Elmyra. "But don't forget, Cloud. You have the chance. You're free."