Title: Child's Death III
Fandom: Final Fantasy: Advent Children
Characters: Tifa, Cloud, Nanaki, Yuffie, Denzel, Vincent, Marlene, Barret, Cid
Prompt: 027 - Parents
Word Count: 2220
Date finished: 08/04/2006
Rating: G
Summary: Tifa and Cloud lose something very precious to them. Again.
Author's Notes: A sort of continuation of the first two.
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Square Enix and Sony Pictures as far as I know.

Cautiously, he opened the door. Tifa was braced up in the bed again, but this time they'd been prepared. Cloud had gone to a pillow maker, described exactly what he wanted, and three days later, he'd presented Tifa with a large pillow that would support her in the bed. This time around, Denzel and Marlene weren't using rolled up blankets for pillows.

Tifa looked up, guarded hope in here eyes. "Come in," she invited. He stepped in, pulling the chair close to the bed again before sitting down on it.

"A little girl?" he asked gently.

"Yes," Tifa said. "If she lives out the night, she'll probably live, he said."

That explained the hope in her eyes. "Have you considered a name?"

"One," she said. "But only if she lives. I don't know what to call her if she doesn't."

He was absolutely amazed at her. She'd told him - many times, in fact - that she didn't want to have children with anyone but him, no matter what the doctor said.

Cloud reached out to smooth Tifa's hair a little. She smiled at him tremulously. "Do you want to hold her?"

"Yes," he said, and gently gathered the small child to him. She was tiny, like Sec had been, but she moved more than he had. She even protested a little as he settled her in his arms.

This time, Tifa didn't sit motionless, as she had when he'd held Sec, her hands lying useless in her lap. No, this time she leaned against him, reaching to touch the girl, and brushing Cloud's arm with her finger tips.

It was an amazing feeling, looking down on the tiny child, having her look back at him with dark blue eyes, holding her with Tifa leaning against him. He felt like they just might be parents some day, just might actually succeed in spite of what had been done to him. And he felt better when he gave the girl back to Tifa.

She smiled at him as she cradled the child, and then bent her head over the girl.

The night passed in quiet conversation, much of it about their daughter, about the son that died, about Denzel and Marlene, but carefully not too much about the future. It was still too uncertain, especially with the child in Tifa's arms, but they'd started to hope.

The angel out the window was haloed by the rising sun when Dr. Merari opened the door. "How is she?" he asked.

Tifa looked up. "She's still breathing," she said softly. "I think she fell asleep."

"May I see her?" he asked, and gently took the girl when Tifa gave her up. He unwrapped her and she gave a soft cry of protest, and the doctor's expression eased, tension leaving his shoulders. He was gentle as he poked and proded, eliciting more cries as he went on, and at each one, his expression lightened. "Watch her carefully for the next few days," he said, wrapping the baby again and laying her in Tifa's arms. "The tough part is over, but there's still a chance she'll deteriorate."

Cloud nodded. "What do we watch for?" he asked.

"Listlessness, especially," Dr. Merari said.

"Silence," Tifa said, and then blinked as if surprised she'd spoken. Cloud nodded slowly, and Dr. Merari, looking perplexed, smiled at them.

"If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me," he said. "I'll tell you when she's completely out of the woods."

He regarded Tifa for a moment. "Take the rest of the day easy," he said. "Sleep. You'll need it."

She nodded, but Cloud wasn't sure she was even paying attention. The doctor gave him a significant look, and excused himself.

Cloud began to persuade Tifa to lay down, suggesting that she keep the child near her. He'd do whatever necessary, to make sure Tifa was well - so she could take care of their daughter.

"What did you want to name her?" he asked when he'd gotten her to lay down.

"I thought Aerith would be good," she said sleepily, and Cloud chuckled.

"We'll talk about it when you wake up," he said, and she nodded.

He was tired, too, but there were breakfasts to make, and the children to care for. He kissed Tifa's cheek, and went downstairs to start the day.

Aerin continued to grow. Cloud spent more time at home, helping around the house. He was out on a short delivery, however, when his phone rang. He immediately stopped and answered it.

"Cloud, she's gone really still. I called Dr. Merari, please come home." Tifa sounded very close to tears.

"On my way." He kicked Fenrir back into motion, slewed around, and headed back toward Seventh Heaven. The doctor was just going in as Cloud pulled up, and Cloud dismounted and followed him in.

Tifa was a nervous wreck, holding Aerin close to her. Tears were in her eyes, and she didn't seem to know who to look at, her eyes shifting between Cloud and the doctor.

Cloud slipped an arm around her as Dr. Merari gently took Aerin, unwrapping her. But this time, she didn't protest. Cloud's arm around Tifa tightened, and she turned into his chest, hands fisted in his shirt. He could do nothing but hold her, watching the doctor do the same poking and prodding he'd done when Aerin had been born. This time, though, she didn't react. Tifa pressed closer.

"There is hope," Dr. Merari said, gently wrapping the baby again. "She's older, and stronger."

Tifa let Cloud go and turned to take Aerin. "Thank you." Her voice shook.

She started up the stairs as Cloud showed Dr. Merari out, locking the bar behind the doctor. He went up after Tifa, to find her walking back and forth in their bedroom, humming softly. Aerin lay limply in her arms. Cloud waited at the door, feeling helpless and useless. He left only once, to arrange for someone to watch Denzel and Marlene, and to put up the "Closed for Business" sign in the window.

When he returned, Tifa was still pacing. "How is she?" he asked softly.

"No change," she said, and he could hear the pain in her voice.

"I'm sorry," he said, not entirely sure what he was apologizing for.

She didn't respond, humming softly to the small child in her arms.

At midnight, Aerin was still alive. Tifa sat down to rest and shift her a little, easing her own arms, and the child gave a small, protesting cry. Tifa stiffened slightly, looking down at her. "I think she's hungry."

Cloud stepped from the wall and dropped a kiss on Tifa's head. "Feed her," he suggested. "I'll get you something to eat, too."

He didn't cook. But he could fix sandwiches, so he put a couple together, filled a glass with milk, and returned to the bedroom. Tifa was still trying to tempt Aerin to eat. Finally, she latched on, and Tifa relaxed a little.

"Good," Cloud said, sitting next to her. "You eat, too."

He watched in some amusement as she devoured both sandwiches, deftly handling them and the child. Her smile of thanks was as welcome as Aerin's satisfied burp.

Sometime in the early hours, he convinced Tifa to get some sleep, and he began to walk the floor with the little girl. He was somewhat convinced, as she had been, that she would make it through the night; even in her sleep, she was moving more than Sec ever had. He tried so hard not to get his hopes up, because it would be so much harder if she didn't make it….

At dawn, Tifa woke up, reaching for her phone automatically. "Should I call the doctor?"

"If for no other reason than to tell him that she's alive, sure," Cloud said.

She smiled at him, radiant, and called.

The doctor smiled at them. "I think the worst is over," he said, once he'd looked over Aerin again. "Keep an eye on her, but she should be past it now."

Cloud showed the doctor out when he was done, gave Tifa a kiss, and went to bed, exhausted.

Saturday afternoons were some of Cloud's favorite times. It was a time for visiting, for being visited, or working around the house they'd finally bought after Isaac had been born, four years after Aerin. Aerin had grown so much; at sixteen, she was one of the most sought-after dates. Isaac was almost a teenager, and already, Cloud could tell he was going to be trouble, too. Tifa didn't look like she'd aged a day; set out on the blanket in the front yard, she enjoyed the sun after a stormy week.

Today was a work-around-the-house day; the roof had leaked during the last rain storm, and Tifa had refused to let him do anything else. Unfortunately, he knew nothing of fixing roofs. Fortunately, he knew Denzel. Reeve had sponsored Denzel's studies in construction, so he knew much more than Cloud did about houses. Cloud learned what he could, enjoying the chance to spend time with his foster son.

Yuffie had dropped by that afternoon, looking well, her head next to Tifa's as the two conferred on whatever they were discussing. Cloud was fairly sure he didn't want to know what they were talking about - and neither, he was sure, did Denzel.

Yuffie spotted Nanaki first, waving exuberantly as the lion-like beast stopped in the yard, breathing hard. "Hey, Cloud! You've got a guest!" she yelled, sounding like the teen she'd been when he'd first met her.

Cloud jumped off the house, landing easily, and caught sight of the expression on his old friend's eye. "What?" he asked, suddenly worried. "What happened."

"I'm afraid I bring you bad news," Nanaki said gently. Tifa got up, her hands trembling, and reached for Cloud, who gathered her into his arms.

Yuffie sat up, too, and she and Denzel exchanged glances as the young man climbed down from the roof of the house.

"What?" Cloud asked again.

"I am truly sorry. There was an accident." The beast seemed to have a hard time going on. "Aerin was climbing the walls of the canyon and fell. There was nothing we could do; she died before help could arrive."

Cloud felt Tifa fist her hands his shirt, her eyes buried in his shoulder to hide her sobs. He swallowed around the lump in his throat. "And Isaac?"

"He'll be here soon. He's fine, Cloud," Nanaki said soothingly. "He's a little shook up, but he's fine. Marlene and Barret are bringing him."

Denzel, just in Cloud's line of sight, looked so distraught that he forgot to blush.

Cloud tightened his grip on Tifa as she began to sob into his shoulder. "Thanks, Nanaki," he managed to choke out.

And so they waited. It wasn't long before Barret arrived, and Marlene helped Isaac out of the transport. He looked horrid, pale and scared, and ran straight to his mother. Tifa gathered him close, pulling him into the circle that Denzel had joined not long after Yuffie had gone in to get Nanaki some water.

It was dark before Cid arrived, his Sierra draped in black as he brought Aerin home. Tifa was sleeping, but the noise of the ship woke her up, and she stood with Cloud in the doorway as Cid disembarked, Vincent behind with their daughter in his arms. He carried her into the house and lay her in the coffin prepared for her, and if he stepped back a bit too quickly, well, they all understood.

When Cid left later that night, he took everyone not family with him. Cloud sat next to Tifa, holding her gently as she cried on his shoulder. Denzel and Isaac sat on either side. Denzel seemed to be doing okay, but Isaac was in as bad a shape as his mother, even though he struggled to hide it. Marlene sat next to Denzel, her arm through his, lending her support. But eventually they went, too; Denzel back to his place, Marlene to the guest room upstairs, taking Isaac with her.

Tifa finally stilled, heaving a sigh into his shoulder, and Cloud tightened his arm around her. "Tifa," he said gently.

"I know," she responded. "We had her for sixteen years. And we still have Isaac. But…"

"It hurts," he said. "I know." He was still numb, not entirely sure when his own tears would start. "I love you. I don't say it enough."

Her arms tightened around him. "I know it. Isaac knows it. Aerin knew it."

"I hope so."

But he had told her to have fun, he'd told her he loved her before she went. She had to have known.

"I just want to make sure you know," he said after a moment. Because if he'd learned nothing else, it was that life was so fragile….

"I love you, too," Tifa said softly, and then his eyes burned and it was his turn to grieve.

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