Disclaimer: Nothing, nil, squat, dick all...I figured instead of naming all the companies I don't own, I'd just list off what I do. Nada, bipkus, diddly shit...

Notes: Nothing much to say here. Thank you for the reviews for chapter 6; it appears to have had the affect I wanted it to. So yeah, onward.

Chapter VII

It was a bright, crisp morning in November when he arrived in Kalm, his body weary and his mind guilty. He had forgone sleep the night before, having been determined to get to the town that day. And though tired and hungry, he had succeeded.

The town was already bustling, but he heeded the crowds no mind. Walking past the various stores and carts, he noticed a few people looking at him in recognition. Not surprising, really, given how he had helped save the world from certain doom.

At least no one has asked for an autograph...yet. He thought, smiling inwardly at the days when he could hardly go anywhere without being mobbed by people (mainly of the female persuasion) wanting him to sign something, be it paper or skin. That had been a while ago, when the defeat of Sephiroth was still fresh on everyone's minds. Now he could walk through towns and shops without attracting much attention. The odd person might come up to him and say hello, but that was about it. People were still grateful, just not as explicitly so.

Nodding hello to an elderly couple who walked past, he turned down Tifa's street and began approaching her house. And it hit him; he was nervous. He didn't think he would be, and yet...

What will she say when she sees me? It's possible she wants nothing to do with me now, the way I've abandoned her for all these months...she has every right to hate me, to never want to see me again.

He paused at the edge of the lawn, looking up at the building with his breath nearly hitching in his throat.

Tifa...don't hate me for what I've done.

---

Ten minutes earlier, as their soon-to-be visitor was first entering Kalm, Tifa and Yuffie were sitting in the kitchen, eating breakfast. Yuffie watched as her housemate slathered jam on a piece of toast.

"Hungry today?" She asked.

Tifa chuckled. "I'm always hungry these days, Yuffie. This is my third piece, believe it or not. I can't remember the last time I felt completely full."

"Well," Yuffie said, eyeing Tifa's stomach, "I guess that's because you're eating for two, huh?"

"Mmhmm." Tifa replied, munching away. "But the way I'm going, I'm gonna be leaving this pregnancy with a hundred pounds to get rid of. Man...this time last year I could get away with just eating half a grapefruit and a cup of tea, but now..."

Yuffie nodded. Still, despite the large baby bulge and her increasing appetite, Tifa was in pretty decent shape. She wasn't eating anything terribly fatty (despite the odd piece of bacon at breakfast) and she had been going for walks during the day. She had a surprising amount of energy, even though she was getting huge. As in, really huge. She was only seven months along, and she looked as though she could give birth any day. Shera never had gotten that big when she was pregnant with Kain...had she?

An idea popped into Yuffie's mind: what if Tifa was pregnant with multiple births? Given how the woman still hadn't been to a doctor yet, there was no way of knowing. Yuffie had suggested seeing a physician a couple times, or rather, she hinted that maybe it would be a good idea, but nothing ever came of it. Tifa just responded that she was doing fine, and had been doing research on pregnancies and was doing everything right.

However, despite not actually going to see a doctor about her current state, Tifa had alerted a local midwife to her condition and asked about her services. As she had told Yuffie that same day, she knew that she'd have a natural birth, as it was apparently customary in her family and that she'd be more comfortable having the baby in her own home with her friends in attendance.

"Well, at least the girls." Tifa had added with a laugh. "Somehow I don't think the men would want to be in the room with me."

Of course, Yuffie, never being one with a strong stomach, didn't think she'd want to be in the room with Tifa either. It's not that she didn't want to be there, she just didn't think she'd be able to handle witnessing the birth without passing out.

But besides that, Yuffie did like the idea of Tifa giving birth at home. Tifa had already decided that the best way to welcome the child into the world would be to have a party of sorts celebrating the birth and providing support. Yuffie loved the idea and volunteered to be in charge of planning it. Of course, inviting most the guests (namely members of Avalanche, plus Elmyra and Reeve, assuming they could get a hold of him) would seem some what out of the blue, as Tifa still hadn't told anyone else about the pregnancy besides Barret, Marlene, and Yuffie. She was adamant that Vincent be the next to know, although they had yet to contact him.

Yuffie sighed and sipped at her coffee, watching Tifa inhale her toast over the rim of her mug. Tifa's announcement that she may love Vincent had surprised her at the time, although in retrospect she wondered why. It made sense, as Tifa progressed farther into her pregnancy, that she would develop romantic feelings for the father of the baby. And while she hadn't discussed Vincent much since then, Yuffie was pretty sure that those feelings had only grown, and indeed she couldn't wait to see what would happen when the two saw each other again...

"I'm gonna go get dressed, I think." Tifa said, getting easily to her feet despite her excess weight.

"Okay." Yuffie replied, slightly surprised at having her thoughts interrupted. "Want me to do the dishes?"

"Only if you want to."

"Sure." Yuffie got to her feet, sweeping the dirty dishes into her arms as she went. There weren't many: just Yuffie's coffee cup, Tifa's glass (no longer drinking coffee because of the baby, she had a glass of juice in the morning instead) and a few knives and plates. She set them all in the sink and began running the water, letting the sink fill as she hunted for the dish soap. Now where in the seven hells did Tifa put it? Oh, there it is.

Pouring a liberal amount of the lemon-scented liquid into the water, she gazed out the window, watching a couple small birds fly past.

Tifa's lucky...she's pregnant and has a whole new world open to her. And what have I got? Dishes...and there's gotta be more to adulthood than dishes.

Sighing as she shut off both taps, Yuffie frowned at the soapy water in front of her.

It won't be easy for her, and I know I want to help her with the baby and everything, but...is this it? Is this what I'm supposed to be doing? I'm 19, for cryin' out loud. Should I be here, helping Tifa with her life, or should I be out sorting out my own?

Yuffie contemplated this as she cleaned the dishes, and continued to do so until the kitchen door opened. She whirled around, plate in hand, and the sight of the person standing there made her drop it, the dish shattering as it hit the floor.

"Hello Yuffie." The visitor said, sounding and looking thoroughly bewildered that Yuffie was standing in the kitchen with her hands covered in foamy water.

Yuffie, still a bit shocked, took a few deep breaths before plastering a smile on her face, trying to avoid looking as surprised as she really was.

"Hi Cloud."

---

Off in her bedroom, Tifa had been daydreaming. She had initially come to her room to pick out clothing for the day, but she had gotten distracted when she felt the baby start to move.

It wasn't the first time that the child had shifted around inside of her (it had been doing so randomly for the past few months) but it had caught her off guard. It wasn't a painful feeling, just a peculiar one; a strange sensation of movement and warmth from deep inside. She lifted her shirt and ran a hand over the skin of her stomach, feeling the baby kick.

She smiled a little as she felt the palpitations; it was like the child was trying to connect to her, to say hello.

As much as she loved feeling her soon-to-be-born child moving and showing signs of life, she wouldn't be sorry when the pregnancy was over. She hadn't felt too horrible for the first few months, save for the morning sickness and fatigue. But now the extra weight was a burden in both senses. She loved the fact that she was going to have a baby within the next few months, but she could do without the lower back pain. Not to mention the fact that the baby was practically resting on her bladder; it was a bit of a hassle, all in all.

Another thing that Tifa wouldn't miss about the pregnancy was the maternity clothes. Before she had gotten pregnant, she liked wearing nice, well-made things that flattered once enviable figure. However, there was nothing flattering about all-over flower prints and clothes that one could reasonably wear to the gym. Being that she was nearly the size of a woman at her due date when she was only seven or so months along, Tifa was close to having to go down the muumuu route, and she was not happy about it.

Sighing, Tifa rose from her seat on the bed and made her way over to her dresser to see what she could find. She hadn't even thought about how long it would take her to lose the weight...she imagined that her fighting skills would suffer pretty badly as well. Earlier on in her pregnancy she was capable of training on the outskirts of Kalm with Yuffie, but in her current state...

She was musing about her post-baby physique and digging through her shirt drawer when she heard the loud crash from the kitchen. The sound made her jump, and the lack of Yuffie swearing in response made her wonder.

"Yuffie?" Tifa called. "You alright?"

No answer. She closed the drawer and started to the kitchen, hoping nothing too valuable had broken.

---

"Yuffie? Are you alright?"

She had heard Tifa ask her the question, but at the moment, the ninja was far too stunned to answer. She was still smiling broadly at Cloud (who was currently looking at her with a raised eyebrow and perplexed expression) and trying to maintain an aura of calmness about her. After all, it was just Cloud. He technically lived there, so why was it so alarming that he was home?

Still, Yuffie's conscious was taking a slightly more panicked view on things. Oh crap. Oh crap. He's gonna see Tifa, and things are all gonna go to shit because she's pregnant and he's probably here because he realized he loves her and the kid's Vincent's and Tifa's fallen for him and...and...and...OH MY GAWD IT'S A FREAKING STATE OF EMERGENCY! CODE RED! CODE RED!

Still, despite the fact that her inner voice was nearly going berserk, Yuffie continued smiling, hoping that she didn't look either crazy or guilty or both.

"Uh, Yuffie..." Cloud said slowly, continuing to look at her with the same confused expression. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, me? Just, you know, washing dishes, breaking plates...you know, the whole shebang." Yuffie chattered, throwing in a weak giggle at the end for good measure.

"Well, I can see that." Cloud replied, glancing down at the shards of porcelain that littered the floor. "What I meant was WHY are you here?"

"Oh, um..." Yuffie said, wondering exactly how to word her thoughts. She absently picked up a glass from the sink and began drying it with the nearest towel. "I've been living here. You know, keeping Tifa company, helping out around the house, just enjoying life in Kalm. You know?"

I've said "you know," what, FOUR times in the past minute? Might as well paint "I'm nervous as hell about you showing up" on my forehead.

"Uh-huh." Cloud stepped hesitantly into the kitchen, watching for the plate pieces. "...So where is Tifa? I know I should have written or something, but you know how it is. Is she doing okay?"

Judging by the slight tremor in his voice, it sounded to Yuffie like Cloud was a bit apprehensive too. Still...time to drop the bomb.

"Um, well, funny you should mention that..." Yuffie chirped, not succeeding in keeping her voice even. "Some...things happened while you were gone, and-"

"Yuffie?" Tifa called again, her voice echoing in the hallway. She's coming...she's gonna see Cloud standing here and... "Who are you talking...?”

Yuffie spun to see her standing there, gaping at Cloud and looking both very surprised and very pregnant. Her words had died in her mouth, which was currently hanging open. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed that Cloud looked just as shocked as Tifa did, his eyes falling to her bulging stomach.

"Tifa...?" Cloud said absently after nearly half a minute of silence. "You're..."

What he was going to say they'd never know (although in retrospect Yuffie figured that he, being Cloud, probably would've stated the obvious and said the word "pregnant" afterwards) as Tifa swayed slightly before closing her eyes and falling, slumping against the kitchen doorframe briefly before collapsing to the floor. Cloud and Yuffie quickly snapped out of their respective dazes and ran to her.

"Tifa!" Yuffie screeched, dropping to her knees near her friend's head. "Oh no...oh no!"

Cloud gently swept a few stray hairs off of Tifa's forehead. "Dammit...Yuffie, she's burning up. Can you go get a doctor or something? I'll carry her to her room."

"Y-yeah." Yuffie rose to her feet and was nearly at the door when she heard a slightly slurred, "No doctor."

"Tifa?" Cloud asked her quietly as he began scooping her into his arms. "Are you alright?"

"Midwife." Tifa mumbled.

"What?" Cloud asked hurriedly.

"Get the midwife...I think it's time."

That was all Yuffie needed before she reached full-blown panic mode. "OH SHIT!"

Cloud looked at her. "How far along is she?"

"Not very...that is, only seven months. Oh no...oh no." Yuffie frantically pulled on her shoes, well aware that she was still in her sleepwear and not calling one way or another.

"Uh, couldn't you call her?" Cloud asked meekly, still looking at Tifa and making sure she didn't slip into unconsciousness again.

"I FORGET THE NUMBER!" Yuffie screeched as she dashed out the door, slamming it hard behind her.

---

Walking numbly down the hall with Tifa in his arms, Cloud was at a complete loss for words. He wasn't sure what he had expected Tifa to do when he came back, but he was confident that fainting and going into labour never even crossed his mind.

Tifa, Cloud thought, moving down the hall as solemnly as one would in a funeral procession. Oh God Tifa, why? How? Who did this to you?

Glancing down at her, Cloud was horrified to see that she was crying, her face twisted in obvious pain.

"Tifa?" He whispered.

Her answer was a gasp for air and a muttered, "Contraction."

I'm so sorry for everything. "You'll...you'll be okay." Cloud told her quietly, squeezing her lightly as he made his way into her room. If only I had been here. Maybe then you wouldn't be hurting like this. Maybe whoever did this to you wouldn't have had the chance to.

Laying Tifa down softly on her bed, Cloud frowned. He sank down on the floor and listened to her laboured breathing.

Who was it? Because...because I'll make him pay for doing this to you. I promise.

---

When you're a ninja, speed is considered an asset. In fact, Lord Godo once told Yuffie that he considered fleetness of foot to be one of the greatest gifts a fledging ninja could hope to have.

"Even better than stealth?" Yuffie had asked, looking at her father questioningly.

"Much better." Godo had boomed back. "For what is the point of hiding yourself if you move like a slug? The art of stealth means being able to hide in the shadows, waiting to strike your opponent without being seen. If one is slow, there is no chance of escaping after your attack. Speed is the at core of being a ninja, Yuffie. In the long run, nothing else matters."

And as she ran down the street towards the midwife's house, Yuffie understood completely what her father had meant. This was one of few times in her life that she was happy that her father had put so much emphasis on agility during her training so many years ago.

The midwife in question lived on a quiet little cul-de-sac called Whittaker Avenue in a small brick house. It didn't take Yuffie long to hop the fence that encircled the property, dash to the door, and start banging on it with both fists.

After a few short seconds, she heard the click of the door being unlocked. It then opened to reveal a woman who couldn't be more than thirty with wavy red hair, a slim figure, and vivid blue eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses.

"Yes?" She asked, sounding out of breath, as though she had to run to answer the door. Yuffie could see why; she had made a bit of a fuss in getting someone to answer it.

"Hi." Yuffie said. "Do you...I mean, is this the house of..." Oh crap, what was the midwife's name again? "Uh, Lenna Huntington?" I think that's the name...or was it Lisa?

The woman, however, nodded. "I'm Lenna."

Yuffie was, admittedly, slightly taken aback. She had expected Lenna to be older for some reason. After a few second's pause, however, she remembered why she was here.

"Okay, well, my friend...she met with you a few weeks ago about your services." She said, speaking entirely too fast. "She's only about seven months along, but she went into labour just a few minutes ago, and I could only think to come here, because she's been really adamant about having a home delivery, and..." Yuffie paused to take a breath, not sure of what else to say.

"Hmm." Lenna murmured. "What did you say your friend's name was?"

"I didn't, but it's Tifa. Tifa, um, Lockheart."

"Okay. Hold on a sec." And with that, Lenna left the front hallway, walking quickly into a nearby room that was labeled "Office".

Yuffie stood and waited in the hall, hoping that the midwife would hurry. If Tifa truly was in labour, then no doubt the sooner Lenna and Yuffie got back to the house, the better.

After a few seconds in which she heard a lot of shuffling and paper flipping from the office, Lenna emerged, holding a file folder.

"Okay..." She said, glancing through the folder's contents. "I do have Tifa's file, although I haven't been to see her for an actual check-up." She looked up at Yuffie. "Has she been to a doctor at all?"

"Um, no." Yuffie said, wincing as she saw a frown pass over Lenna's face.

"Ohh dear." Lenna sighed, more to herself than Yuffie. "Well, I'll come with you, but this doesn't sound good. If she's only seven months along and hasn't had any physical check-ups or anything..."

"I know." Yuffie said, rubbing her forehead. "I told her that it would be a good idea, but she's really stubborn and likes to do things her own way."

Lenna pulled on her shoes and stood up, taking a ring of keys from her pocket.

"We'll drive there. I know it's not far, but I will probably need some of my bigger equipment for this."

"Have you ever had to help with an early delivery before?" Yuffie asked, leading her outside.

"Oh yeah. It happens a lot more often then you think, although most of a time the babies are only a few weeks early. Very few, if any, are actually born when they're supposed to be."

"Hmm," was all Yuffie could think to say as she followed Lenna across the front yard and over to a large grey van. She grimaced a bit and hoped, for all their sakes, that this ride wouldn't be like the other couple she'd had in recent memory. She climbed into the passenger seat, praying that she would keep her breakfast down.

---

For a woman in labour, Tifa's thoughts were oddly lucid. Rather dark, yes, but clear all the same.

This...this is too much. She gripped at her stomach as another contraction hit her. I can't do this, I won't be able to.

She sent a blurry glance at the back of Cloud's head; he was still sitting on the floor next to the bed, and from the looks of things he was nodding off.

Oh Cloud...why are you here? Why now? She writhed slightly, trying to get in a position where the pain wasn't as intense. Nothing helped, and she curled into a ball.

I'm...it's only been seven months. It's wrong. Something is all wrong.

And then, the most horrible of thoughts reached her, and she began crying all over again. She wept fresh tears and her body shook with sobs as she clutched at her stomach, more as a sign of fear than pain.

I'm going to lose the baby...

---

By miracle of miracles, Yuffie managed to last the short van ride without vomiting. She really didn't feel the effects of motion sickness at all. Good thing too, because with her nerves wreaking havoc as it was, she thought it might be too much.

Lenna expertly parked the van in front of the house and was out faster than Yuffie could blink. By the time she had taken off her seatbelt and had opened her door, the midwife was already rooting around in the backseat, pulling out a couple black bags before running to the front door.

Wow. She's good.

Yuffie caught up with Lenna in the kitchen, where the midwife had been met by Cloud. After a few quick introductions, he led them through the house to Tifa's room.

Though she was between contractions when they arrived, Tifa was still in anguish. Her face was pale and tear-stained, and her entire body was trembling despite being under the quilt on her bed. She gave Yuffie a weak smile as she entered.

"Hi Tifa." Lenna said, setting her black totes on the floor. "How are you feeling?"

"Um, okay." Tifa's voice was very small. "As good as can be expected."

Lenna smiled. "So you've been having contractions?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"Oh, um..." Tifa paused. "Well, there's only been one so far...I guess it's been ten minutes or so since I had it."

"Hmm." Lenna was again consulting Tifa's file, which she had pulled out of one of the bags. She then looked up at Cloud, who was leaning against the wall and nearly dozing off from what Yuffie could tell. "Are you the father?"

"What?" Cloud jerked back into reality briefly. "Oh...uh, no."

"Alright, just checking..." She closed the file and set it on Tifa's nearby dresser. "Okay, so I'm going to need to give Tifa an examination to see how far things are progressing." She looked up to Cloud and Yuffie. "I'll need to ask you two to leave for a few minutes...I doubt Tifa will want an audience."

Cloud just nodded and nearly stumbled out of the room (he must really be tired) but Yuffie went over and gave Tifa a quick hug before she left.

"Good luck." She told her friend as she pulled away.

"Thank you Yuffie." Tifa replied, smiling faintly. "And...if it's not too much to ask, don't tell Cloud who the father is, okay? I want tell him myself later."

"Okay." Yuffie answered, slightly puzzled by Tifa's request. After all, did it really matter who told Cloud about it? He was going to find out eventually...especially if the baby came out with blood red eyes.

I guess she has her reasons. Yuffie thought silently, closing the door softly as she left the room.

SO. I suppose, if I really felt like it, I could include more in this chapter, but I think there's enough here for you to chew on. Your thoughts? Yay or nay? Keep writing or quit while I'm sort of ahead? I think this chapter's considerably more complex then the past few have been, given all the POV changes. Chapter 8 will be like that too, just so you know. So, let me know what you think, and I'll start on chapter 8 in due time. Happy holidays!