"Let's go, I'm starting the meeting," he said.
Cid nodded and the two went to the conference room, where the rest of AVALANCHE had already congregated. Tifa sat on the left side, next to the head of the table, her head laid back and her skin looking paler than usual. Aeris sat next to her, a pleasant look on her face as she conversated with Tseng, who was standing behind her, his hands placed on the back of her chair. Zack watched enviously with his arms folded from the other side of the room.
Tayeko was seated next to Aeris, also talking to Tseng. Sephiroth was standing silently against the wall behind them, Vincent just as silent beside him.
Across from Tayeko, Yuffie, Striker, and Kat sat, the two girls flirting with him as he soaked it up. Red XIII chuckled at them from his seat on the floor.
Cait Sith bounced around the room following Reeve, who was pacing around nervously. Barret was seated on the right side of the table across from Tifa, a seat open next to him for Cid, an ashtray and all waiting in front of the chair. Cloud made his way to the front of the room as Cid sat, and drew the group's attention.
"We've got a problem..."
"Tifa, what's wrong?" Aeris interrupted, gazing at Tifa.
Tifa shrugged, putting a hand to her head. Her skin was paled with a faint green tone, and one hand was resting on her stomach, a pained expression on her face.
"Yeah, Teef, you don't look too good, gal," Barret added.
Cloud frowned down at Tifa as Aeris rested her hand against her forehead. "Tifa, you're burning up."
Tayeko leaned foreward. "Aeris, you can use magic to figure out what's wrong with her," she suggested.
"Whatever you do, do it fast, because I've got a lot to say," Cloud said.
"Hey, Cloud," Zack spoke from the other side of the room. "Show a little compassion for once."
Tifa closed her eyes miserably as Aeris reluctantly placed one hand on Tifa's abdomen and the other over her heart. She closed her eyes for a moment, and a faint golden glow appeared around the two women. After several moments, Aeris opened her eyes, a brilliant smile appearing on her face.
"Why, Tifa!" she exclaimed.
"What is it?" Cloud demanded.
"You're pregnant!"
"What do you plan to do with that green eyed bitch if you're not going to breed her?" Jenova asked, crossing her arms.
Hojo rubbed his palms together. "I'm going to find the Promised Land," he said.
Jenova snickered. "And what do you plan to do once you get there, eh?"
Hojo looked at her and grinned. "Let's just say, Shin-Ra Inc. will look like an antfarm compared to what I will build."
Jenova shook her head. "And what's your plan with my son and that other Cetra?"
"I'm going to create the ultimate being," Hojo explained. "Clone them, start an army, build my empire...."
Jenova laughed. "Yes, I'm sure... just as long as you let me use Sephiroth to bring the Planet to her knees."
"Don't worry," Hojo began. "My son will be of your service."
"MY son," Jenova corrected.
Cloud took a step closer to her. "How can she be pregnant?" he demanded. "We never made love, Tifa!"
Tifa ran her hand through her hair and touched her belly. "I..."
Aeris shook her head. "She's definanetly pregnant," she said. "I can feel the lifeforce of the child."
"I can feel it too," Tayeko said, placing her hand on Tifa's stomach.
Tifa shook her head and looked at Zack. "How could this happen?"
Zack broke into a sweat. "Don't ask me..."
Cloud scratched his head and looked back and forth between Tifa and Zack. "What the hell's going on?"
"Nothing, Cloud!" Zack blurted. "Maybe its a gift from the Planet!"
Aeris shook her head. "That baby was concieved by a man," she said.
Zack wiped his forehead. "Jesus, Aeris, how do you damn well know everything?" he asked.
Aeris shrugged. "I'm a Cetra," she said. "I have special powers when it comes to life."
Zack loosened his collar a bit. "Yeah...."
"This don't make no damn sense," Barret said.
"Please, Barret," Tifa pleaded.
"Perhaps the rest of us should leave," Vincent started, turning for the door.
"No!" Cloud barked. "I don't know what the hell this is about, but no one's leaving until I figure it out."
The room fell silent again.
Cloud looked at Tifa with accusing eyes, then turned to Aeris. "Aeris, can you figure out who the father is?"
Aeris looked down for a moment. "I could... but I don't think I'm strong enough. That sort of telekinetic magic takes a lot of energy.
"I'll help," Tayeko said.
"No!" Zack shouted.
Everyone looked at him, startled. Cloud folded his arms and walked over to his best friend.
"Why not, Zack?"
Zack wiped his forehead again. "Uh... it could hurt the baby!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Zack!" Aeris scolded. "You think I'd hurt my best friend's baby? Come on, Tayeko."
Tayeko nodded and the two placed their hands on her tummy. The rest of AVALANCHE watched silently, and Tifa shifted nervously in her chair.
"Stop!" Zack shouted.
"What is it now, Zack?" Cloud said, almost threateningly.
"I....I....I admit it! It was me! Cloud, if you didn't sleep with her, then I'm the father! Tell him, Tifa! Tell him!"
Tifa turned the brightest red and her eyes welled with tears. Aeris and Tayeko backed off of her, and Tseng opened the door.
"Vincent was right, we should have left."
Cloud looked at Zack with a confused sort of rage. He turned and faced the wall.
"Everyone... just get out. Get the fuck out!"
Aeris broke out into a weeping cry as she slammed the door, which prompted Tifa to start bawling. Enraged, Cloud grabbed her by her shoulders, forcing her to stand upright, and began shaking her.
"Stop crying, you whore! I'm the one who should be crying!"
"Hey!" Zack yelled, pulling Cloud away from Tifa. "Cut it out, don't treat her like-"
Cloud whirled around and threw a punch at Zack, sending his friend flying backward toward the wall. He fell to the floor and skid across it.
"Stop, Cloud!" Tifa cried. "Let me explain!"
Cloud grabbed one of the chairs and crashed it into the wall, sending broken bits of wood soaring across the room. He glared at Tifa, breathing heavily.
"Explain," he told her. "You fucking bitch, go ahead and explain."
Tifa covered her face with her hands and wept, her knees trembling. Zack stood up and wiped a trickle of blood off the corner of his mouth. "Damnit Cloud! This is no way to resolve this!"
"Let Tifa fucking talk!" Cloud shouted. Tifa looked at him, her eyes red, and swollen, her cheeks stained with tears.
"Cloud... rememeber when I ran away?"
Cloud stared at her.
"Well... you know I ran into Zack, right?"
Cloud continued to glare at her, folding his arms again and shifting his weight.
Tifa turned away from him and began sobbing again. "Cloud... you know I was hurt...I thought you loved Aeris, and I..."
Cloud sighed. "Just get to the goddamned point, Tifa,-"
"Give me a fucking chance!" she shouted, whirling around to face him. "Cloud, I loved you! But my heart was broken... I told you that! That's why I left! When I found Zack, I found consolation... I wasn't thinking at the time, because I thought my chances with you were hopeless! I'm sorry, Cloud! It wasn't meant to be, and I see that now! It was a one night stand, you are the one I love!"
Cloud shook his head, a single tear escaping his eye. He turned to Zack.
"How many goddamned years did you know I really liked Tifa, Zack? How could you do this, my best friend, behind my back?"
Zack took a step closer to Cloud. "Listen, pal... I knew you liked her and all, but Tifa told me how you loved Aeris. At first I was bitter that you were with *my* girl! But I told myself to get over it, figuring since everyone thought I was dead anyway, it really wasn't your or Aeris' fault... so I too found my consolation in Tifa."
Cloud blew out a wave of air and looked down at the floor, resting a hand on his chin as he thought. He looked back at Tifa, his sapphire eyes silently pleading with her.
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
Tifa wiped her face. "I... I was afraid, Cloud. I'm sorry."
Cloud looked at her for a moment, then started for the door.
"I don't know what to say right now," he said. "I'm going to my room. I'll.... call the meeting later."
Cloud stepped outside, and Zack turned to Tifa.
"This is all my fault..." Tifa whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. "I should have told Cloud... I shouldn't have gotten pregnant..."
"Don't say that, Tifa," Zack said, coming close to her and embracing her. "Everything happens for a reason."
Tifa returned the gesture. "Thank you, Zack."
Zack smiled, lifting Tifa's chin and smiling. "That's what friends are for, right? Especially when they're the father of your children."
Tifa couldn't help but smile.
"I'd better talk to Aeris," Zack said as the two left the conference room. I hope she's not too upset."
"Not as upset as I," Tifa muttered, turning to go to her room. "Tell her to visit me in my room."
"Will do," Zack said, kissing Tifa on the cheek.
Cloud sighed. "What do you want?"
Sephiroth frowned contemptuously at Cloud. "You should be glad I don't kill you right there, puppet."
Cloud stared at Sephiroth for a moment, then drew his sword. "What...?"
Sephiroth's green mako eyes burned into Cloud's cerulean ones. "I know what went on in that conference room after we left. You beat on Tifa, just like I made you beat Aeris at the Temple of the Ancients, not so long ago."
Cloud stepped closed to Sephiroth. "Don't push me, Sephiroth," he threatened. "Rememeber, I am still eager and more than capable to kill you."
Sephiroth shook his head, not moving towards his weapon.
"How could you degrade and hit the woman you love?"
Cloud rolled his eyes. "What do you know about love, Sephiroth? And since when did you start caring about Tifa? After all, you didn't care too much about her when you killed her father and slashed her chest open!"
Sephiroth did his traditional, haunting laugh, lifting his arms and holding them to the side. "Seriously, Strife. I am a different man. I had alot of respect for Tifa before I lost my mind to Jenova, and I have respect for her now that I've got it back."
Cloud stepped closer to Sephiroth, his Ultima Weapon in front of him. "I still don't trust you, Sephiroth. I never will."
Sephiroth finally drew the Masamune when Tayeko and Cid appeared around the corner, laughing loudly. They stopped when they saw the near confrontation between Sephiroth and Cloud.
"Sephiroth, what's going on?" Tayeko asked.
Sephiroth sheathed the Masamune and walked towards her, not taking his eyes off Cloud.
"I was just leaving," he lied.
Cid blew out a puff of smoke. "Don't tell me you idiots were about to start another goddamned fight?" Cid asked.
Cloud sheathed his sword and walked into his room, slamming his door in their faces.
Cid shook his head and inhaled more smoke. "I don't know what's wrong with that kid these days," he said, turning to walk back to the bridge.
Tayeko shrugged and took Sephiroth's hand.
"What was that all about? I thought you said you weren't going to confront Cloud anymore."
Sephiroth's other hand held the hilt of the Masamune out of habit. "I was standing outside of the door after we left the conference room," he said. "Cloud called Tifa some very horrible names, and he handled her quite violently. I think he even threw a punch at Zack.
Tayeko contorted her face in thought. "Cloud certainly has a strange attitude, doesn't he?"
"You have no idea," Sephiroth said as they walked up the stairs to the outside deck.. "But Cloud is not really acting himself."
Tayeko shrugged, stepping outside into the breeze. "I get the feeling Cloud doesn't like me very much."
Sephiroth brought Tayeko in front of him and held his arms around her. "I don't think Cloud likes anyone very much anymore," he said.
Tayeko smiled, comfortable in Sephiroth's embrace, her hair gently blowing in the wind. "I could stay like this forever..."
Sephiroth closed his eyes. "So could I...."
Tayeko held Sephiroth's hands against the rail. "Sephiroth, you've really opened up lately."
"Only to you," he said quietly. "I've tried my best...."
Tayeko inhaled the early morning air, watching the sparkly dust of dandelions flying in the air, traveling up from the field below.
"Sephiroth, what's going to happen now?"
"What do you mean?" "Hojo and Jenova are alive... and I know they have big plans for us."
Sephiroth tensed. "Hojo will not live long enough to touch us."
"I'm just afraid his plans far exceed what we expect," she said.
"Aeris...?"
Aeris shook her head. "How... how did this happen, Zack?"
Zack closed the door and leaned against it, sighing. "Aeris, it was all a mistake... Tifa'd run away, and she ran into me.. you know that already, right?"
Aeris nodded.
"Well, Tifa told me you and Cloud were 'together', and we both were kinda bitter about that, so...."
"Zack, I understand."
Aeris held her hand out to Zack and he sat next to her on the bed, accepting her hand. She smiled at him, and leaned against him. "No matter what, Zack, I'll always be here for you. I'll always be here for the baby. I love you and Tifa, and I already love that baby. Nothing will ever change that."
Zack kissed Aeris' forehead. "Aeris, Tifa wanted you to stop by her room."
Aeris slowly stood up. "Alright, I'll go there now. Stay here and wait for me."
"Alright," Zack said, laying down as Aeris opened the door. "Aeris, I love you."
Aeris turned and smiled. "I love you too."
"Oh.. Aeris, hi..."
Aeris smiled and wrapped her arms around her friend. "Congradulations," she said.
Tifa was slightly confused. "Aeris, are you angry?"
"Of course not," Aeris said. "It's not your fault. I thought Zack was dead, and I was sort of over doing it with Cloud... I didn't realize how much it hurt you. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Tifa said. "I'm just glad we're still friends."
Aeris hugged her, then put her hand to Tifa's belly. "Can I be the godmother?"
Tifa smiled. "Of course."
"Tifa, do you think you'll be able to fight in that condition?"
Tifa frowned. "I don't intend to let my pregnancy keep me from saving the world again."
Aeris patted Tifa's stomach. "Just be careful," she said opening the door. "I'd better get back to Zack now."
Tifa nodded and went to lay back down. "Alright Aeris. I guess I'll take a nap until Cloud gets himself together."
"Good idea," Aeris said.
"Oh, and Aeris?" Tifa started.
"Yes?"
"Thanks."