Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Someone to Love/ Someone to Protect ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 08.06.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 461 | Status: Work In Progress
Midori
by Midori Bond
Tifa absently rubbed her bulging stomach as she slowly ate an apple. She and Reno had set up a nice peaceful life in Costa Del Sol. For the past six months she had been preparing for her child's arrival, while Reno had been trying to look into Reeve's tragic accident.
A frown crossed her face as he thought about her friend. Shortly after they arrived, Tseng contacted Reno. Reeve's car was in a wreck, and he was now in a coma in one of the hospitals in Healin. When the details of the accident seemed too convenient, Reno started his own investigation.
"Hey, you home?" Reno's voice called.
Tifa felt a smile spread across her face. "In the Nursery," she responded. As she went to the door, she caressed her stomach. "Maybe we can get Uncle Reno to take us to the beach," she said softly. As she entered the hallway, she saw Reno running up the stairs.
Reno looked at her and felt his heart melt. Tifa had always been right by his side, always willing to help him with whatever she could. She had become his best friend and he knew that he had to protect her from the company he had done so much work for. "You up for a trip?" he asked easily.
She knew he was worried about something. Something that he was hiding from her, but she was willing to let it pass for now. "In a minute," she said with a smile. "I want you to see this."
Sapphire eyes widened as she pulled him into the nursery. The walls were covered with a hand painted mural, a recreation of the Forgotten City. "This was all just pencil sketches this morning."
"I was hyper," she said with a shrug. "Kaitlyn says it's good to keep busy around now. It's supposed to help with childbirth."
Reno caught the odd note in her voice and looked at her. She picked up another paint brush and was about to go back to painting when he caught her arm. "Let's go to the beach," he suggested. "All these paint fumes can't be good for you, or the baby."
Tifa tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and went with him. "I didn't think about that," she said lowly. "But I did think of names."
He heard the almost shy note in her voice. "Really? Rena if it's a girl, and RJ if it's a boy?" he asked playfully.
"RJ?" she echoed, trying not to laugh.
"Yeah, Reno Jr."
This time, she did laugh outright. "You goof," she accused. "I was thinking about Valencia if it's a girl, and Lucien if it's a boy." She looked at her stomach and slowly inhaled. It was always nerve-wracking to think about Vincent. Even after all of this time, she came to realized that Reno was right. She was in love with him, and right now, their child was the only link she still had.
As if reading her thoughts, Reno put his arm around her waist. "We can always go look for him," he said softly. "You know he'll accept you and the baby."
She shook her head. "He'd be angry that I left."
Reno easily grabbed his sunglasses from the table next to the door. "I think he'll get over it."
As an answer, Tifa pulled the front door open. Just as she stepped out into the daylight, her eyes widened in horror. After so many months of avoiding them all, Yuffie was rounding the corner, holding a large shopping bag. Without thinking, Tifa stepped back, right onto Reno's foot.
"Yo, Tifa, watch it," he gasped in pain.
Yuffie whirled around, focusing on the call to her wayward friend. Her eyes widened when she saw Tifa standing no more than ten yards away. "Oh my God," she whispered as she approached the older brunette. "You're actually here?" she questioned. Chocolate colored eyes took in Tifa's rounded form, as well as Reno's guiding hand on her back. "Oh my God."
Tifa ran back into the house and slammed the door. If Yuffie was there, then Cloud wouldn't be too far behind. She inhaled slowly as she gently caressed the child inside of her. "It's okay baby," she said softly. "It's just a tad unnerving to see someone I had once considered a friend."
A knock sounded on the door, making Tifa straighten. "I know you're in there," Yuffie's voice called through the door. "And Cloud's coming this way in like two minutes. You can either talk to me, or him."
Tears spilled down Tifa's cheeks. Cloud was here, in Costa Del Sol. She was living with Reno, and carrying Vincent's child. Nothing made sense and everything was out of control. Tifa slowly opened the door, making sure to stay out of sight. Reno easily shielded her body from prying eyes as he allowed Yuffie to follow him in. "Go ahead in the kitchen. I gotta make a few phone calls," he said wiping away Tifa's tears.
Yuffie felt her eyebrow twitch as she watched the tender interaction between the pair. For months, Cloud had been frantically looking for her, dealing with nothing but dead ends, only to find her lounging in paradise with one of those assholes from Shinra. Yuffie could barely keep her anger in check. "Please, don't play happy hostess on my account," she said sarcastically.
Tifa slowly inhaled as she tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "What are you doing her?" she asked in a whisper. She hated the way her hands were shaking, but the thought of Cloud finding her was too much to deal with.
"I'm hunting Materia, Cloud's hunting you, and Cid's along for the ride." Yuffie turned away from Tifa and walked into the large living room. She wanted to hurt the older brunette. "What are you doing here?" she asked in a growl. She then inhaled and glared at the pregnant fighter. "I mean, besides shacking up with a Turk."
"Hey now," Reno intervened. "What right do you have...." He trailed off as Tifa gently touched his hand. He looked at his friend and caressed her cheek. "You don't have to take her shit," he said lowly.
She stepped around Reno and kept her full attention on Yuffie. "What I have, or haven't done with Reno is really none of your business," she said reasonably. "But you know as well as I do, this baby would destroy Cloud."
Yuffie shook her head. "Don't act like you care about him," she hissed.
"Don't act like you don't," Tifa said in turn. When Yuffie's eyes slowly narrowed, she continued. "I know that you care for Cloud as much as I do." Her own eyes lowered as her child continued to move restlessly inside of her. "Maybe even more. So you can see why I hid from him."
"Maybe recently, yeah," Yuffie agreed. "But I still don't get why you left in the first place. I know your dinner was a bust, but you should have expected it."
Tifa sat on the large sofa and gestured for Yuffie to do join her. "I left because I was hurt," she said softly. "I had thought that Cloud was finally moving past his feelings for Aeris. But then we kissed." She nearly jumped when Reno placed a sandwich in front of her. She caught the frown he was wearing and sighed. "It was nice and sweet. Tender, like first kisses should be. My heart was ready to take off, and then he called me Aeris."
Yuffie lowered her head and looked away from Tifa. The older woman spoke as if she was still in love with the blonde swordsman. "So, to get back at him, you sleep with someone else?" she asked lowly, her eyes turning to where Reno made his exit.
Coffee colored eyes closed tightly for a moment. "I felt alone and lost," she said in a whisper. She could still feel the gentle way Vincent held her. The way her world rocked as he kissed her. "I didn't was to feel alone anymore." She opened tear filled eyes and gave Yuffie an almost pleading look. "What happened had nothing to do with Cloud."
The Nina stood and paced the across the living room. "He does love you, you know," she said lowly. She glanced at Tifa and saw the way she was shaking her head. "He's been searching for you non-stop for months. I try to get through to him, but all he's focused on is you." She looked at the archway and saw Reno with a tray of juice. She turned her attention back to Tifa and saw that she was rubbing her stomach, as if trying to soothe her child. "He hasn't even tried to look for Vincent," she said turning back to the window.
Tifa and Reno looked at each other. She saw the way his lips thinned and frowned. "Why would Cloud have to look for Vincent?" she asked softly.
Yuffie looked at Tifa. "You guys didn't know? About six months ago, Nibelheim was wiped out."
Reno inhaled sharply as Tifa's eyes flew to his face. "You never said he lived there Babe," he said softly. He sat next to her as she started to shake her head. "I didn't know." A concerned frown crossed his face when she started to hyperventilate. "Tifa," he said in a soothing tone. As he went to embrace her, she fought against his arms. "Tifa, you have to calm down. This isn't good for the baby."
"No!" Tifa shouted. She fought her way to her feet and glared at Reno. "Don't tell me to calm down. My home was destroyed, and Vincent's...." She cried out in pain as her baby moved restlessly.
Yuffie was wide eyed as Reno lifted Tifa into his arms. There was a large piece of the puzzle missing, and she had a feeling that the Turk would know what it was. "Is there anything I can do?" she offered. She winced as Tifa cried out again, this time even louder than before. "What's happening?"
"She's going into labor," Reno said darkly. "And if you want to help, stop trying to upset her."
Tifa shook her head as she was carried up to her room. "It's not her fault," she said with tears in her voice. As she was placed in the bed, her hands tried to comfort the raging infant inside of her.
Reno pulled out his cellphone and quickly dialed a number by memory. "Kaitlyn, it's Tifa," he said placing his hand on her stomach. His eyes went round when he felt the baby savagely lash out at his hand. "You need to get here like now. This kid's trying to claw its way out of her."
Tifa screamed again, this time feeling blood and other fluids run down her legs. "It's okay baby," she said trying to settle her child.
Yuffie gasped as an odd wolf-like creature appeared out of nowhere and jumped onto the bed with Tifa. "What the hell is that?"
Reno looked at the Materia hunter with narrowed eyes. He knew Tifa couldn't handle the news of Nibelheim's destruction, that was why he didn't tell her. Now, not only did Yuffie bring threats of Cloud, but she managed to upset Tifa and force her into labor. His blue eyes looked at Tifa and saw that Epy's presence seemed to calm the raging infant. He leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. "I'm going to grab some towels and ice for you."
Tifa nodded as she rubbed both her stomach, and Epy's head. She discovered that, for some reason, Epy always seemed to settle her child when it was agitated. She saw Reno walk over to Yuffie and pulled her out of the room. As the door closed, she closed her eyes. "I've made such a mess of things, haven't I?" she questioned. She felt Epy nuzzle her arm, and smiled, ever so faintly. "Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. I'm just tired." Both of her hands dropped to the mattress as welcoming darkness surrounded her.
Reno glared at Yuffie as he shoved an armful of towels at her. "You had to talk to her," he said lowly. "And I was dumb enough to listen to you. I should have known this would happen."
"Are you saying this is my fault?" Yuffie asked. When he snorted, she shook her head. "If this was reversed, and we were hiding Elena from you, wouldn't you want to know what was going on?"
Reno closed his eyes and sighed. "Maybe," he said lowly. "But this whole thing is a mess."
Yuffie's lips thinned. "Yeah. You didn't have to knock her up," she said dryly.
"Why does everyone think that?" he asked as blue eyes rolled. If Yuffie was staying, she was going to find out the truth soon enough. "Tifa's like a sister to me, so I'd appreciate it if you stop accusing me of something Valentine did," he said before walking down the stairs to the kitchen.
The towels she held all fell to the floor. "Valentine? Vincent Valentine?" she asked chasing after him.
Reno sighed and looked at her. "After that kiss, Tifa left Cloud, and everything you think happened with me, happened with him. He found her, one thing lead to another, and they slept together. She was leaving the next morning and when her car broke down, I found her."
Yuffie sat at the kitchen table. This did shed a new light on Tifa's disappearance. "Cloud's gonna be destroyed," she said in a whisper.
"That's why she left," Reno said as he filled a large bowl with ice. "She was too heartbroken to face Vincent. She mumbles about him in her sleep. And even though she fights it, I'd say it's a safe bet that she's in love with him."
"What about Cloud?"
"She loves him too. But it's not the same." He looked at her and sighed. He hated having to show his intelligence. "She thinks that she should love him. He's the lone hero that no one really understands, and she's the only one that's been by his side since the beginning."
"High maintenance," Yuffie mumbled. She looked at Reno and folded her arms. "How can you tell the difference?"
Reno shrugged. "Listen to her. She told you that Cloud's kiss was sweet and tender. A kiss that you've been waiting years for should move the Earth, set you on fire, and make you crave more."
"And you think she had that with Vincent?"
"She's having his kid, isn't she?"
Before Yuffie could say anything, a woman with long brown hair came into the kitchen. She looked at Reno with concerned jade eyes. "What happened?" she asked softly.
Reno sighed. "She found out about Nibelheim, and the baby's father. He was staying there."
The woman frowned as she quietly moved across the kitchen to the stairs. She had left detailed instructions for Tifa's care and yet the young woman still went into labor early. Her frown deepened as she reached Tifa's room. She had sworn that she would atone for her sins. She had made the promise to the one man that sacrificed everything he was. She opened the door and inhaled sharply. Tifa was lying motionless in a pool of her own blood.
Without a second thought, the midwife ran to Tifa's side. This child was an heir to an immeasurable amount of darkness, and it was becoming apparent exactly whose child it was.
"Holy shit, Tifa," Reno gasped when he saw her. His eyes turned to the woman calmly placing her hand over the struggling infant. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked nervously. When he didn't receive an answer, he went over to Tifa's side. "She's so pale." He placed the bowl of ice on the nightstand and gently took her hand. "What's going on Kaitlyn?"
"She's loosing too much blood. If I don't take the baby now, she'll die." A faint, pleased smile crossed her face when the child stopped struggling. Jade eyes turned to Reno. "I want you to cast a cure spell on her after I have the baby out."
"I can do it," Yuffie said from the door. "My Materia's probably more powerful than his anyway."
Kaitlyn looked at Yuffie before nodding. Her eyes then turned to the tamed summon spirit. "I want you to stay with the little one."
Yuffie bit her lip as she came to stand next to Reno. It had been years since she seen so much blood from one person. She had to hold back a gasp as Kaitlyn simply traced a single short nail across Tifa's stomach, leaving a deep gash behind. She ran from the room and quickly grabbed a number of towels from where she dropped them. As she raced back into the room, a baby's cry reached her ears.
Wide brown eyes were focused on the small blood-covered baby in Kaitlyn's arms. It was a boy, and he was clearly Vincent's son.
Reno's lips pressed into a thin line. "Gawk later," he snapped running his fingers through Tifa's hair.
Again, Yuffie snapped into motion. She placed the towels near Kaitlyn and easily started to cast a cure spell. She would concentrate on Tifa right now, and look over the baby later.
Sophia lounged lazily on the beach. She knew Vincent's child was here, somewhere in Costa Del Sol. There were at least ten women that were pregnant and far enough along to have been impregnated by him. She sipped her San Gria and spotted one of those women.
"Enjoying the view?" Peter asked, taking the chair next to her.
"You never told me who the mother is," she commented. Her eyes moved away from the red haired woman. Vincent wasn't partial to red heads.
Peter picked up her drink and sipped it. "That's because I don't want you to rip out her heart before we have the infant."
She gave him a shameless smile. "It is possible that I can hold my temper."
"Not likely," he said with a muse. "But she should be far enough along that we can take the baby if the situation arises."
She nodded, her blonde locks falling into her face. "Will you tell me her name?" she asked quietly.
"I'll tell you her name, and where she's staying." Peter leaned back in his chair. "But in the morning. She's not going anywhere, and I want to enjoy a nice day at the beach."
Sophia's eyes rolled as she looked across the sand again. "Fine, tomorrow," she mumbled. Her eyebrow arched when she saw none other than Cloud Strife walking down the street. A sinister smile crossed her face. "Maybe I'll see about one of Hojo's experiments while I'm at it."