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Ashen Skies	By : Cynthia Category: Final Fantasy VII > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 1380 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all characters are the property of Square Enix. I do not profit from this fanfiction, it’s for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter List
- 39
- 40
"Ashen Skies"
Chapter 40: Epilogue
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Author's note: This chapter takes place seven years after the events of chapter 39. I could have made this an extra-long ending and gone further into details, but I thought some things were best left open. Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing. Writing this fanfiction has been a blast.
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*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.
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            Seven years have passed since the battle of the Northern Crater. The human population has grown and spread out, returning to old settlements to rebuild. Vincent and I live in Kalm town together, both of us desiring the peace and quiet of small village life. Chaos has gone dormant again, offering me only a brief farewell before choosing to sleep for a while. I'm sure I'll see him again before I die. We've been working with ShinRa to repair the damage done to our world, little by little. It's been very therapeutic for us here. Each year we have a reunion of friends, to share what's been going on in our lives and enjoy good company.

Lazard lives in Junon with Shalua, Denzel and Shelke. They've rebuilt the headquarters there, using bio-friendly materials and green energy. The Turks also operate out of Junon, though Tseng has retired his position of Director and passed it down to Reno, so that he can live with Yuffie and their daughter Opal in Wutai. Cloud, Sephiroth and Tifa returned to Nibelheim and they've been living there ever since. Angeal and Genesis built a home for themselves in Banora, where a small village has been rebuilt over the remains of the old one. They have an orchard of dumbapples, grown from the single fruit Aerith somehow managed to give to him. Barret and his adopted daughter Marline returned to his hometown of Corel and Captain Highwind's widow Shera lives with them. Nanaki returned to Cosmo Canyon.

            As for Aerith, she and Zack are living in the mountains between Junon and the grasslands. They have a cabin up there where they've been raising their family. That's where our reunion is taking place this year; at their cabin. I can't wait to see how their little rugrats have grown since I last saw them.

-Reeve Tuesti

~************************************~

            Tifa checked her bag to be sure she had everything packed that she needed. When she was satisfied that she hadn't forgotten anything, she sealed up the little suitcase and joined Cloud and Sephiroth in the living room of the rebuilt home she grew up in. She smiled at her childhood friend as he looked up from the book he was reading and nodded at her.
            "All set," Tifa said, plopping her bag next to Cloud and Sephiroth's. She checked the clock. "Our ride should be here any minute."
            "I wouldn't count on it," Sephiroth answered. "Your lover will be late for his own funeral."
            Tifa smirked at the General, far more comfortable around him now than she was years ago, before moving back to her hometown with he and Cloud. "Rude is traveling with him this time and so is Elena. He'll be on time."
            "Hope so," Cloud said. He gave Tifa one of his quiet smiles. "Thanks again for the piano, Tif."
            She shrugged, pleased that he appreciated the gift. "It was just gathering dust in my house and my parents would have wanted someone to play it, now and then. I know you'll take good care of it."
            She heard the sound of rotors in the distance and she perked up immediately, her heart pounding with excitement at the thought of seeing Reno again. He took time off whenever he could to come and visit her and she in turn stayed in Junon now and then to be with him, but they sometimes went for a month or longer without physical contact.
            "You're like a teenager," Cloud observed softly, noting the sudden bounce in her step as she went to the front door to look outside.
            Tifa flushed a little as she shot a smile over her shoulder at him. "I don't get to see my boyfriend every day, unlike some people."
            Cloud exchanged a look with Sephiroth and shrugged. "Guess that's fair."
~*************************************~

            Reno stepped out of the chopper and he grinned as his girlfriend ran out the village gates and across the field to him. He forgot about the cigarette he'd been ready to light and he tucked it behind his ear as the small, buxom brunette closed in on him. He lifted her off her feet as he hugged her and he kissed her deeply, hardly noticing her two companions or his partner watching.
            "Missed you, baby," Reno assured her between kisses, loving the feel of her body pressing against his.
            "See, I told you he'd be on time," Tifa said over her shoulder to Cloud when Reno set her back down on her feet.
            "Only 'cause we made him," Rude said with a glance at Elena, still in the cockpit. He gave Cloud and Sephiroth a respectful nod. "We can go at any moment."
            Reno didn't really want to let Tifa go, but they had a long trip ahead of them and the sooner they left, the better. He gave his girlfriend a familiar pat on the rump, grinning at her when she swatted at him indignantly. "Let's motor, folks."
~**************************************~

            "Shera, you seen my razor?"
            The rocket scientist peeked around the doorframe of the bathroom and she smiled at Barret, her brown eyes soft behind the round lenses of her glasses. "I packed it up already. Don't worry, I've taken care of all the toiletries and essentials. All you need to worry about is picking out the clothes you want to bring."
            "Cool," answered the big man thankfully. "Where's Marlene?"
            "She's outside playing her handheld," answered Shera. She approached him and put her arms around his neck, kissing him softly on the lips. "She's ready to go when we are."
            Barret nodded and kissed her back. The guilt he'd felt in the beginning of their relationship had finally faded over the past two years. Cid probably would have said that if Shera had to be with another man, he'd rather it be Barret than anyone else. What started out as Barret watching over her as promised became a loving relationship. He and Shera healed each other's heart and she made an excellent mother figure to Marlene. Cid Highwind would never be forgotten, however. His ID tags hung by a photo of him in the living room, silent homage to the man who'd given his life for the peace everyone now enjoyed.
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            Zack told Kirsten to keep an eye on her two younger siblings as he ducked into the cabin to check on Aerith's progress. She was preparing a feast for when their friends arrived and though she had assured him she could handle it alone as long as he kept the kids out of her way, he felt obliged to come in and check up on her every half-hour. He smiled at her as he entered the kitchen and crept up behind her. She had her long, honey-colored hair bound in a tight braid down her back, with a pink ribbon tying it off at the end. She wore a long, pale pink dress and a pair of brown boots. She was early into her fourth pregnancy and her condition was just beginning to show. He didn't want her on her feet for too long, but she was a stubborn woman and she insisted that he worried too much.
            She gasped in surprise as he came up behind her and embraced her. "Sorry," he apologized, kissing her temple as he spoke into her ear. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you, honey."
            "All that SOLDIER training of yours," she sighed, but she turned a little to smile up at him. "I'm going to start making you wear a bell."
            He chuckled and slid his hands over the slight protrusion of her belly. "I'll wear whatever you want me too, if you promise to take a sit-down every half hour."
            "Zack, I'm not going to pass out if I’m on my feet for an hour," she protested.
            "But your ankles will swell and your lower back will get sore," he reminded, kissing her on the neck. "Just humor me, Aerith. If I was the pregnant one, you'd do the same thing."
            She snorted. "If you were the one that got pregnant, Kirsten would be an only child."
            He grinned at her. "You think so?" He kissed her on the mouth and ran his hands over her hips appreciatively. "I'll bet you'd talk me into having more, with this body and these lips." He slid his tongue into her mouth briefly, teasing her with a sensual caress before withdrawing. Aerith pressed back against him and she covered his hands with hers, obviously intrigued by his actions.
            "You're supposed to be watching the kids," she said a little breathlessly, "and I've got to put the roast into the oven."
            "Kirsten's keeping an eye on her brother and sister," he assured with one last, lingering kiss. "But you're right…she's too young to do it for more than a couple of minutes. I'd better get back out there and make sure none of them wandered off."
            "Hurry," Aerith demanded, a frown of worry creasing her brow.
            Knowing how much trouble little ones could get into the moment a back was turned on them, Zack didn't linger and he hoped he hadn't made an error in trusting their oldest to keep an eye on her siblings for a few minutes. "Sit down and have some lemonade or something," he insisted over his shoulder as he headed out of the stone kitchen to exit the large home they'd built together.
            Zack smiled when he found his eight-year-old daughter waiting on the front porch, with her five-year-old sister. Kirsten looked up at him through a tangle of honey curls, her violet eyes inquisitive. She was a pretty child and he imagined Aerith must have looked very much like her at that age. Zack squatted before the girls and he combed the eldest one's wind-blown spirals away from her face with his fingers.
            "Maybe we should pull this back into a ponytail, huh?"
            "Mine's in one," announced Minerva importantly. She shook her raven ponytail at her older sister meaningfully and Kirsten stuck her tongue out at her.
            Zack chuckled and he looked around. "Hey Cody, you're supposed to be the peace-keeper, kid. Your sisters are at it again."
            He frowned when he got no answer and he couldn't see his three-year-old son anywhere. He looked at the girls with alarm. "Where's your brother?"
~**********************************~

            Genesis and Angeal touched down on a hill within view of the Fair home, retracting their wings and walking the rest of the way.
            "We're early," Angeal observed, checking his watch. "I don't think anyone else has arrived, yet."
            "Good," Genesis said lightly. He shifted his backpack into a more comfortable position. "That means we get first pick of sleeping spaces. I refuse to be stuck in the barn again like last year."
            Angeal smirked sidelong at him, remembering the things they got up to in the hayloft when everyone else was asleep. "It wasn't that bad. We had some fun, didn't we?"
            Genesis snorted. "We had messy sex and I was still picking hay out of my hair after my shower, the next day. I suppose it could have been worse."
            Angeal started to respond to that, feeling a bit smug with the memory of how he'd had to muffle Gen's cries with his hand. He saw motion at the redhead's feet, however, and he looked down to see a bright-eyed little toddler boy grasping Gen's pant-leg to hoist himself up on wobbly legs. The child had dark brown hair and familiar, blue-violet eyes. He smiled happily up at Genesis when the redhead noticed his presence and looked down at him.
            "Oh look," sighed Genesis in an ironic tone of voice, "a stray puppy. Zack and Aerith aren't very diligent, are they?"
            Angeal smiled down at the child, who had a blue pacifier in his mouth and was dressed in a striped blue and white shirt and a pair of toddler suspenders. "Parenting isn't as easy as you think, Genesis. Be nice."
            Genesis bent over and grasped the straps of Cody's suspenders. Angeal gaped at him as he casually lifted the toddler by them; like a puppy by the scruff of its neck. The child didn't protest—in fact, he giggled—but Angeal found it inappropriate all the same.
            "Genesis, don't lift him like that."
            "Why not?" inquired Genesis as he held the boy before him and studied him with interest. "I don't think he minds. He seems to like it, in fact."
            "You don't pick up toddlers by their clothes," lectured Angeal as he scooped the boy into his arms protectively. Cody tried to reach out for Genesis, his chubby fingers making grasping motions and his pacifier wiggled with the motions of his mouth. "You could have dropped him!"
            Genesis rolled his eyes. "Please, as if I would really drop a helpless child. You know better."
            "Cody, where are you?" The desperate call came from the direction of the house and the two men looked at each other, recognizing it.
            "I would almost be inclined to let him suffer for a while," Genesis said with a little smirk, "just to teach him a lesson."
            "We aren't going to torture Zack that way," Angeal said firmly. "You know as well as I do that he didn't deliberately let this little man wander off. Let's go."
            Genesis sighed. "You really are an assassin of joy, at times."
~**************************************~

            Zack had faced terrible creatures, certain death and the loss of his eye…but none of it compared to the terror he felt now. He called his son's name again, beyond caring now whether Aerith heard his shouts or not. If she figured out he'd lost track of their youngest child, he'd deal with the backlash. Right now, he just wanted to find his little boy.
            "Cody, answer me! If you can hear Daddy, say something!"
            "Da!"
            Zack turned at the welcome sound of his son's high-pitched, welcomed greeting. Cody was being held in the protective arms of a familiar, old friend. Zack hardly noticed Genesis' tongue-clucking as he took his son from Angeal and held him tight, shutting his eye in relief.
            "You had me so scared, kiddo," Zack lectured the boy as he hugged him to his chest. He couldn't hide his relief as he looked up at Angeal. "Thanks, man. I just went inside for a minute and he snuck off on me."
            Genesis smirked. "Maybe you should slow down and stop knocking your wife up, if you can't handle the three you've already got."
            "Too late," Zack said with a wink. "She's already expecting number four. Come on, let's get you guys settled in." He turned and walked toward the cabin with his son, leaving the other two men to follow behind him.
            "Goddess," Genesis muttered, "Has he no self control?"
            Zack started to turn around and retaliate to that comment, but Angeal defended him as always. "I'm sure if Aerith had any objections, she would say so. It does take two, Genesis."
            Zack knew the real reason behind Gen's remarks, but he couldn't resist teasing him a little. "I think someone's a little jealous. Watch him, Angeal…he might go straight on you."
            "Hardly," scoffed the redhead. "I just don't want my pie maker dying from multiple childbirths."
            Zack resisted a laugh. Getting Gen to admit he was worried about Aerith just because he liked her was like pulling teeth. "Relax. Our doctor lives right at the foot of the mountains and Aerith's in great shape. If I thought I was putting her in danger, I'd get my junk snipped and that would be the end of it."
            Genesis visibly shuddered at the mention of junk getting "snipped". "Better you than me, Zackary."
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            Aerith gave Genesis and Angeal a delighted smile as they entered her kitchen. She took the wooden spoon out of the pot she was stirring and she went to them for hugs. "What have we here? I wasn't expecting you until this evening!"
            Angeal returned her hug and stepped back to allow Genesis the same privilege. The redhead's fond smile gave him away as he embraced the woman that had endeared herself to him without even trying. "Zack tells me you're having yet another puppy. You're truly going for a litter, aren't you?"
            Aerith chuckled and patted her tummy as she stepped back. "I want to have them while I'm still young enough to keep up with them. I don't want to be doing this in my forties, that's for sure."
            Genesis looked down at the faintly rounding belly and he shrugged. "Probably a wise decision. I have something for you." He hefted his backpack off and put it on the floor to open one of the compartments. Within it was a sack of dumbapples from the orchard. He handed it over to her with an expectant look and Aerith smiled as she opened it and saw the fruit inside.
            "I suppose you want me to bake you a pie while you're here, right?"
            Genesis shrugged, pretending impartiality. "If you like."
            Aerith rolled her eyes at Angeal, signifying that she was onto Gen's little ruse. "I think I can manage that. Why don't you go outside and help my husband keep the children rounded up in one place? He has trouble with that, sometimes."
            "So you heard him carrying on before we came in," guessed Angeal. "You weren't worried?"
            Aerith shook her head and placed the sack of apples in the corner, by the refrigerator. "Mama told me you were coming and she'd guide Cody to you. Otherwise, I would have panicked."
            Hearing that the ghost of a long-dead Cetra woman guided the kid to them would have disturbed both men years ago, but now they were used to Aerith's gifts and she may as well have given them a weather report.
            "Is Zack going to get in trouble?" Genesis asked with a smug grin.
            Aerith seemed to consider the question as she gave the contents of the pot another stir before covering it. "Something tells me you'd enjoy that."
            "Maybe just a bit," he admitted. "The fool could have gotten that child hurt, after all."
            She sighed. "And I'm sure the fear he felt when he realized Cody wasn't in sight was worse than any lecture I could give him. Thanks for your concern though, Gen. My baby boy is okay and I'm sure Zack isn't going to be taking his eyes off him again anytime soon."
            "Let's get out of her kitchen and leave her to it," suggested Angeal. "If there's anything we can do to help out, let us know, Aerith."
            She smiled gratefully at him. "I'll remember that, thanks."
~************************************~

            Reeve and Vincent arrived next, later that afternoon. They came in a hover car fueled by clean burning, synthetic petroleum. Genesis had just finished taking Kirsten for a short flight after being barraged with requests for it and the girl quickly joined her sister for a hug when she saw "uncle" Reeve. Vincent hung back as his companion laughingly enjoyed the kids' attention. Even little Cody demanded some affection from him, though the child was too small to remember him from the last time they visited.
            "Your children are a delight, Zack," Reeve said after gently setting the smallest one back down. "If you want to go inside and help your wife, I'm sure the four of us can manage to watch over them for a while."
            Zack hesitated, still slightly traumatized by the experience of Cody going missing earlier that day. "You've got to keep a sharp eye on that one. He's the escape artist."
            "If he somehow gives us the slip, Vincent can let out Galian Beast and sniff him out."
            Vincent's crimson look of alarm made Zack blurt a laugh. "He's kidding, Vince…I think. I'm sure the kid will be fine with you guys for a little while. Speaking of 'beasts', do you two have any word on Nanaki?"
            "He sends his regrets," answered Vincent. "He can't make it this year. His mate just had their first litter and he has newborn cubs to care for."
            The news surprised everyone and Genesis was the first to speak up. "I thought he was the last of his kind?"
            "Apparently not," answered Vincent. "He found Sariva in the Ancient Forest outside Cosmo Canyon last year. She was in hiding there, the way Aerith had been hiding in the Forgotten City when we found her."
            "Wow," Zack said, eyebrows raised. "They sure didn't waste time. That's great news!"
            "Two species once thought to be extinct now have a chance of reintroduction to the world," mused Reeve. "That's a thing to celebrate, if you ask me. That reminds me…" He went to his car and opened the trunk. He procured a crate of champagne from it and he offered it to Zack. "It's best served chilled, so I'd recommend putting a few bottles in the fridge now."
            Zack grimaced, not a fan of the drink. "Yeah, okay."
            "Oh, wait." Reeve grinned at him and checked the trunk again. "There's also this beer."
            Zack grinned back in approval. "Now you're talking."
~************************************~

            By the time Barret and his family arrived, Zack was starting up the grill to cook the barbeque. Being a fan of grilling himself, Barret helped him out while Marlene—now a teenager—spoke with the others and got to know the Fair children. Reno's chopper arrived shortly after and Tifa immediately went into the house to help Aerith out, while the others socialized outside.
            "I was told Director Lazard and the others aren't going to make it this year," Tifa informed as she stirred some sauce simmering on the stove for her. "Yuffie and Tseng can't make it either…they have political business to worry about."
            "Well, there's nothing to be done for it," sighed Aerith. "It's got to be a hard thing, running a country. At least we have the photos they all sent this year."
            Tifa nodded and she looked out the window to see Zack giving Minerva a piggy-back ride while Barret minded the grill. She smiled, her heart warming at the scene of father and daughter having fun together. "Your children are so beautiful, Aerith."
            Aerith looked up from the pie she'd just taken out of the stone oven. She studied the brunette thoughtfully and she smiled at her. Shera was presently in the bathroom and the two of them were alone in the kitchen.
            "One day, you'll have some of your own."
            "One day," agreed Tifa softly, lowering her eyes.
            Aerith noticed the covert way Tifa's hand briefly rested on her abdomen. "How far along are you, Tifa?"
            The Nibel woman stared at her with amazement. "H-how did you—"
            "You have a glow," explained Aerith with a smile, "and not the cliché kind they say all pregnant women get. Your aura is brighter and your body language gave you away too."
            "That's amazing," Tifa said truthfully. She looked out the window again, this time at her boyfriend. Reno was sipping a beer and chatting with Rude and Angeal. "My birth control failed. The doctor says I'm a little more than eight weeks along."
            Aerith ventured another guess. "You haven't told him yet, have you?"
            Tifa shut her eyes and shook her head. "Nein. Cloud doesn't know either. I'm waiting for the right time to say something, so please, don't tell either of them."
            Aerith put the pie on a windowsill and closed the distance between them, laying her hands over Tifa's shoulders supportively. "I don't think you should wait too long to tell the father, Tifa. You have to start making plans."
            "I know," Tifa sighed. "I've thought of telling him while we're here and he isn't distracted with work. I just need to gather my courage."
            Aerith frowned. "Do you think he'll leave you?"
            "I don't know," answered Tifa honestly. "I'd like to think he'll be supportive and involved, but Reno isn't an easy man to predict. He once told me himself he wasn't even sure how he'd handle being a father."
            "You have to give him the chance to man up," decided Aerith, her posture straightening with determination. "You shouldn't have to raise this baby alone."
            "I know," Tifa sighed unenthusiastically. "I'll try to tell him tonight...hopefully without vomiting all over him."
            Aerith giggled softly, but she wasn't without sympathy for Tifa's plight. "I'll brew some mint tea to settle your tummy."
~***********************************~

            Fortunately, Tifa wasn't much of a drinker to begin with—partly because as a previous barmaid, she'd seen people at their worst while under the influence. She was able to decline alcohol without raising any eyebrows and she was careful to select light things to eat. The dining room was rather crowded by the time everyone filled their plates and sat down at the big oaken table, but Zack had designed the space with large gatherings in mind.
The children were all sleeping in one bedroom upstairs, leaving two spare rooms for guests. Genesis and Angeal claimed the first one and Aerith insisted that Tifa and Reno take the second. The others slept in the barn on cots provided by Zack and Aerith. Fortunately, they weren't keeping livestock in there. Their chickens were all free-range with a separate coop and the rest of their meat and dairy supplies came from the market in the little village by the foot of the mountains or from Zack hunting. When asked why they'd bothered building the barn, Zack shrugged and confessed that he thought they might raise chocobos some day and at the very least, barns were fun for kids to play in.
After a hearty meal, some evening conversation and a few nightcaps, most everyone retired for the night. Tifa and Reno lay in the twin bed of their guest room together, sleepy from the day's travel and the big meal.
"Man, I'm stuffed," Reno sighed. He spooned Tifa intimately and kissed the side of her neck. "Why'd ya let me eat so much, babe?"
"You're a big boy," she said, turning her head to smile at him. "You don't need me telling you how much to eat or drink."
In fact, she was proud of him. Tifa didn't consider herself the booze police, but knowing he used to have a problem, she worried every time he had something to drink. She never said anything, but she always feared he'd get carried away and fall back into bad habits. He'd conducted his drinking sensibly, indulging in two shots and three beers before cutting himself off and refusing more. Still, even with a high tolerance, he might not be aware enough for her to tell him what she needed to say.
"Are you sober enough to talk?" Tifa queried, entwining her fingers with his.
"Can't it wait 'till tomorrow?" he yawned, nuzzling her hair.
"It's...important."
He sighed, but he nodded and propped himself on an elbow to click on the bedside lamp. "Okay toots, lay it on me. What's up?"
Tifa hesitated, squinting against the soft light until her eyes adjusted. He was regarding her sleepily but his gaze didn't waver and his head didn't wobble—signifying that he was indeed sober enough to hear her news. She turned so that her body was facing his and she put an arm around his waist, staring into his crafty, sea-green eyes. Those eyes were one of the first things she'd noticed about him—other than the vivid hair. She'd always thought they were a beautiful color and shape; even though they were bloodshot when she first met him.
When faced with the choice, she decided it was best to rip the bandage off quick and get it over with. "I'm pregnant," she blurted.
            He stared at her blankly for a couple of heartbeats, and then his auburn brows hedged as he worked her statement over in his mind. "Is this like one of those things were you fish for a reaction and then go: 'psyche!' when I freak out?"
            She bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm not playing a game with you. I wouldn't do that...not about something like this. The doctor confirmed that I'm more than eight weeks along."
            Reno blinked and then without warning, he took the hem of her long t-shirt and yanked it up to expose her stomach.
            "You don't look preggers," Reno said in the toneless voice of someone experiencing mild shock. He slid his hand up to cup one of her naked breasts, ignoring her indignant complaint. "I guess your tits are a little fuller. They more sensitive?"
            "Ja, so stop squeezing them like fruit!" Tifa pushed his hand away irritably. "Pregnant women don't instantly get big bellies, Reno."
            "Sorry," he said, still fondling her breasts one at a time, even though he'd gentled his touch to a caress. "I'm new to this kind of thing."
            She sighed, trying to ignore the tingles caused by his touch. "Well, you're going to be a father...if you want to be."
            He frowned at her and he stopped fondling her breasts. "What do you mean; 'if I want to be'? It's a done deal, right? If you think I want you to get rid of it, you're wrong."
            She lowered her gaze and absently traced patterns over his bare shoulder. "I just meant if you want to be in its life. We discussed this years ago, but you were kind of...ambivalent about what you'd do if you got me pregnant."
            His eyes unfocused as he cast his mind back to the conversation. "I remember telling ya I don't know how I'd react. Here I am feeling you up, doll. Who could have predicted that?"
            "Me," she said dryly, looking down at the swell of her breasts, where his hand still moved beneath her t-shirt. "You aren't good at spontaneous romance."
            "All right," he said sarcastically, "next time ya tell me you're pregnant, I'll tear my shirt open and stand in the wind with my hair blowing everywhere while I shout my love for ya at the top of my lungs. Better?"
            She laughed in spite of herself. "Don't be a jerk. This is scary for me and I'm still not sure where you stand on involvement. Can you be serious for one minute?"
            His witty expression faded into something softer and he stopped feeling her up to press a hand against the small of her back and draw her closer. "We've been together eight years now," he murmured, holding her gaze with his. "If I was going to split on ya, I'd have been long gone by now. I told you before that I'd want to be involved in my kid's life. I ain't no rat that would bail on his own flesh and blood, even if we weren't together anymore. I'm probably going to fuck up a lot and need your help being a decent Dad, but you ain't raising this kid alone, got it?"
            She gave him a tremulous smile. What he lacked in romantic language, he more than made up for in honesty. "Got it. I was hoping you would say something like that."
~****************************************~

            Reno woke up late the next morning, after most everyone was already up and getting breakfast ready or enjoying the breezy day outside. He had a quick shower and shave before making his way downstairs to the kitchen, where the tempting smell of food wafted.
            "Hey, any of that left?" asked the redhead when he saw his partner cleaning up a plate.
            "The bacon's cold," Rude said with a nod at the covered platter on one of the counters, "but there's a few pieces left."
            One of the Fair children shrieked outside, in that special way small children had that could set a person's teeth on edge. Reno grimaced and shot a look toward the window. "That's one thing I ain't looking forward to."
            Rude gave him a curious look. "What's that, Red?"
            "Never mind," Reno said as he lifted the platter cover and snatched a couple pieces of the remaining bacon. "I'll tell ya later. I've still got to sort it out in my head."
            Leaving his companion wondering what the hell he was talking about, Reno finished off his meager breakfast and rinsed his hands in the sink before going outside to join everyone. There was a pavilion tent set up a few yards away from the front porch, on a relatively flat bit of land. They'd set up chairs beneath it for everyone to relax and visit together in the shade. Reno spotted Tifa sitting at one of them and he started toward her. He was so focused on his girlfriend and the way the breeze stirred her silky, dark hair that he didn't noticed Cloud Strife making a beeline for him.
            He noticed the blond when his fist connected to his face, however.
            Reno staggered under the blow, shocked stupid by the unexpected—and in his mind, unprovoked—punch. He heard Tifa yell Cloud's name and he saw her get to her feet and rush over to the blond, her glorious cleavage bouncing beneath her peasant blouse as she ran to intervene.
            "Cloud, stop this!" Tifa yelled as the blond began to advance on Reno with his sapphire eyes blazing. She looked back at Sephiroth when her friend began to drag her with him. "Aren't you going to do something?"
            "And why should I?" asked Sephiroth coolly, unconcerned.
            Reno tried to right himself and get ready to retaliate, though he knew he wasn't likely to win a fight against a First Class SOLDIER operative, no matter how skilled he was. "I don't know what the fuck your problem is, Strife," Reno slurred as he spat blood, "but that was...that was a dumb..."
            He took a clumsy swing at Cloud, just as the black spots around his vision closed in and multiplied. He thought he heard Tifa call his name as everything went dark and he didn't feel himself hit the ground.
~************************************~


            The sole of a size six boot loomed in his face, stopping just before it would have impacted his nose. Cloud stopped and gave Tifa a shocked look.
"What are you doing?" He sputtered.
Her dark eyes were narrowed on him. "Stopping you from pummeling my unconscious boyfriend, idiot!"
Rude had come out of the house and he raised his sunglasses to peer down at his unconscious partner. "What the hell's going on?"
"Cloudy uh...knocked Reno out for some reason," Zack explained, gently stopping his little boy from going to the redhead in curiosity. He looked at his fuming blond friend, openly bewildered. "Mind telling us what that was all about, pal? I thought you and Reno more or less got along, these days."
Cloud's gaze went to Tifa. "It's private."
Reno groaned and stirred at that moment. Tifa shot one more warning glare at her childhood friend before going to her knees beside her lover and wiping his bloody mouth with a napkin hastily offered by Aerith.
~************************************~

            The first thing Reno did was count his teeth with his tongue. He looked up at the brunette leaning over him and he noticed his head was cradled in her lap. He could see Cloud standing off to her left and he made a guess as to why the guy went after him like that.
"Ya told him, didn't you?"
"Told who what, Red?" Rude demanded, squatting down next to him. He gave Cloud a grim look. "Say the word and I'll go to town on this punk."
"Try it," challenged Cloud, narrowing his eyes.
            As Rude got to his feet and procured his brass knuckles to make good on his threat, Aerith decided she'd had enough.
            "That is enough!"
            Both Cloud and Rude felt something wrap around their feet, ankles and calves. The two men looked down to see flowering vines growing out of the earth, binding their feet to the ground. They stumbled and forgot about their aggression towards each other in their confused amazement.
            Standing beside Aerith, Genesis leaned toward her a little, his hooded gaze on the two would-be combatants. "Nice trick. When did you learn to do that?"
            "I didn't know I could do that, until now," she confessed out the corner of her mouth. To Cloud and Rude, she spoke harshly. "I'm not going to let your macho posturing ruin this reunion. Whatever the issue is between Cloud and Reno, they need to work it out like adults...or I'll...I'll...make corn grow out of your ears!"
            Reno sat up with Tifa's help and he regarded the angry Cetra warily. "Yo, can she do that?"
            Genesis smirked. "I wouldn't advise testing her."
            Knowing how much it took to intimidate Genesis, they settled down. Aerith released them from her magical vines and waited tensely to see what would happen. Cloud was still helplessly angry and he looked between Tifa and the Turk she was helping to his feet. He pointed at Reno accusingly and glared.
            "You're going to marry her."
            Reeve and Vincent came outside at that moment and they exchanged hopelessly confused looks before the bearded man spoke up. "Did we miss something, or is this some odd play reenactment?"
            Cloud ignored the question and he advanced slowly on Reno, though he was smart enough to avoid making any threatening moves while Aerith was watching. He stopped before the redhead and stared challengingly into his eyes.
            "You did this to her and you're going to do the right thing."
            "What did he do?" Zack demanded, still trying to figure out what started the whole thing. Others were already starting to figure it out and they exchanged uncomfortable looks and busied themselves elsewhere, feeling like intruders.
            "He got Tifa pregnant," Cloud said without taking his eyes off the Turk.
            "Yeah?" Rude smirked at his partner. "Way to go, Red."
            "Uh...thanks," Reno answered, seeing Cloud's eyes flash. "Now ain't the time for congrats, man."
            Tifa interposed between Cloud and Reno, looking between the two of them sternly. "If I see one more fist fly, I'll ask Aerith to make plants grow out of worse places than your ears."
            "Hey, take it easy," Reno pacified, "I never threw one punch! This guy swung first and asked questions later, yo!"
            "You're going to marry her," Cloud repeated forcefully, fixated on the one thing that he thought might fix the situation.
            Tifa looked at him with a combination of love and frustration. "Cloud, I don't want to marry him."
            Cloud stared at her and so did Reno. "You don't?" they both asked in unison.
            Tifa shook her head and she looked up at Reno, smiling a little. "No. At least, not like this. Our relationship works just fine as it is and a ring won't make us better parents."
            "But Tifa—"
            "No 'buts'," interrupted the brunette. She cupped Cloud's face and looked into his eyes. "I won't trap him like that. If he wants to marry me, it has to be because he wants me as his wife...not because my birth control failed."
            "How is he going to be there for you?" Demanded Cloud. "He lives in Junon, you live in Nibelheim."
            "I'll commute, man," Reno said with a shrug, "Just like I do now. Ain't that big a deal."
            Cloud shot a glare at him before looking at Tifa again. "How do you know he won't change his mind and walk out on you?"
            "I don't," she sighed, ignoring Reno's soft protest. "Not really. How do I know he won't get into an accident and be killed? How do I know something won't go wrong with this pregnancy before the baby comes? We don't live by 'maybes' Cloud. We never have. Whatever happens, happens. In the meantime, please stop trying to beat up the father of my child."
            Cloud weakened and he even offered her a tiny, uncertain smile. "I'll...try. I just...want you safe and happy...like I promised your parents."
            She nodded and kissed him on the cheek. "I am safe and happy, so you've done your job. Let's try to get back to enjoying the company of our friends, okay?"
~**************************************~

            Now that the secret was out, everyone congratulated Tifa and Reno and they carefully avoided speaking of the brawl that nearly happened that morning. Shera and Angeal took care of making lunch, giving Aerith some time off her feet to relax and socialize more. After lunch, Zack and Genesis basically kidnapped Cloud and Reno and locked them into the barn together. Zack tricked Reno into it, saying Rude needed some help with something. Genesis simply told Cloud to come with him and the gullible blond unquestioningly did so. Reno was already inside when Cloud got there and he stared with puzzled confusion as he stood in the doorway.
            "Genesis...what's he doing here?"
            "Move aside, Blondie," Reno demanded, hurrying forward. "Fair locked me in here and—"
            Reno didn't get to finish his sentence before Genesis picked Cloud up and chucked him at him. Both the blond and the redhead yelled in surprise as they collided with each other and as they went down in a heap, Genesis slammed the barn door shut and Zack came out from his hiding place and helped him brace it.
            "What the fuck, man?" Reno shouted from inside.
            Zack grinned at Genesis and leaned against the door as the two captives tried to force their way out. The hayloft was likewise braced shut from the outside to prevent escape. "Here's what's going to happen," he called out to the trapped occupants, "You two are going to sit down nice and quiet-like and you're going to talk about this situation. Tifa needs both of you on her side, not at each others' throats."
            "Zack, this isn't funny," Cloud warned.
            "Agreed," said Genesis, "There's nothing 'funny' about two angry pregnant women demanding my help, so you'd better end this fracas before I decide to end both of you."
            "You can't be serious," groaned Cloud.
            "I assure you, I'm serious—for my own peace and quiet, if nothing else." Genesis bumped his heel against the door. "Hurry it up, would you?"
            Zack snickered into his hand.
~************************************~

            Cloud and Reno looked at each other, silently measuring one another up. Aerith had healed most of the damage Cloud did with his punch, but there was some bruising on the Turk's jaw. The blond walked over to a square bale of hay and he sat down on it with a sigh, gathering his thoughts and swallowing his pride.
            "I'm sorry I hit you," he mumbled.
            Reno put a hand to his ear sarcastically. "What's that?"
            Cloud huffed in annoyance and growled the apology again. "I said; I'm sorry I hit you."
            "Just making sure, man." Reno gave him a lopsided grin that made him want to hit him again. The Turk sobered a second later, though. He tilted his head to one side as he regarded Cloud. "Ya know, if I had a sister or a close friend like Tifa and some guy like me knocked her up, I'd probably hit him too. Hell, I might even do worse."
            Cloud looked up from the floor. "Don't tempt me."
            Reno sighed and dug out a cigarette from his blazer pocket. "Once upon a time, you asked me to try and knock her up, remember?"
            "That was different."
            "Yeah?" Reno lit the cigarette and took a deep drag before blowing it out. "Seems to me you think a lot of things are 'different' when it comes to what you think is best for her."
            Cloud felt his anger rising in response to that and he opened his mouth to defend himself, only to heave a sigh of defeat and nod. "I know."
            Reno stared at him with a frown. "That's it? 'You know'? Aren't you gonna try to tell me you're just doing it because you love her?"
            Cloud shrugged. "Don't need to. You already know that."
            Reno nodded and took another drag. "Listen man, that promise you made to her folks might have worked when you were both kids, but Tifa's a grown woman now. You can't protect her from everything and sometimes, the world is just shit. If ya haven't learned that by now, there's no help for you."
            Cloud bowed his head and nodded again. "I know."
            Reno watched him quietly for a moment as he smoked. He put his cigarette out in the butt case he carried in his pocket and he came to sit beside the blond on the hay bale. "I love our girl Tifa, Strife. I mean that. I know I'm not a model father or husband or even boyfriend, but I really love the chick. I ain't going anywhere unless she makes me, got it? She's gonna want 'Uncle Cloud' in this kid's life and we ain't making things better by being at each other's throats."
            "I know." Cloud sighed and looked at him, offering his hand. "So we put this aside for Tifa. I'll try not to smother her and you try to treat her right."
            Reno took his offered hand and shook it. "Works for me."
~******************************************~

            When Zack and Genesis finally let them out of the barn, Reno sought out Tifa for a private talk and Cloud went off into the forest with Sephiroth. Reno urged Tifa to go with him into the guest room they were staying in and he sat down on the bed with her.
            "That was a neat trick you pulled, getting Genesis and Zack to toss us in that barn," Reno complimented with a grin. "Though I've gotta wonder how you got Genesis in on it."
            Tifa flushed a little, smiling. "Genesis did it because Aerith asked him to, no matter what he says to anyone. Zack is...just Zack."
            Reno nodded and he put a hand on her knee, making his decision. "I want you to marry me, toots."
            "Reno—"
            "I mean it," he said before she could argue with him. "I want you to be my wife. No joke. This ain't the first time the thought crossed my mind and this kid just cinches it for me. I know think I'm asking because I got you pregnant, but that ain't it."
            She gazed into his eyes suspiciously. "Why? Look me in the eye and tell me exactly why you want us to be married."
            He did so without hesitation. "'Cause you're the only chick I see myself with, when I'm a crusty old man. Good enough?"
            Tifa smiled at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She sniffed and nodded, embracing him. "Good enough."
~*******************************~

            While Tifa and Reno made plans for their future, Genesis walked the path to the garden with Aerith. The area was beautifully landscaped with rocks and all manner of flowering bushes, trees and plants. He watched a hovering butterfly for a moment before looking at his smaller companion sidelong.
            "Well? I've fulfilled my part of the bargain. Will you stop holding my pie hostage or not?"
            Her lips twitched with amusement and she made a show of considering it. "Hmm, I suppose. I wouldn't want you to think I don't keep my word."
            "Brat," he muttered.
            She put an arm around his waist and grinned up at him. "You are so my bitch."
            He almost succeeded in looking angry. "Bite me."
~***************************************~

-The End
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Ashen Skies