Crying Forever
Rayzor

Disclaimer: I own nothing other than the pencils and paper I originally used for this fic. Oh, and the story line. And don't forget Riku and Squall-poo and Sephy-chan and- -Gets evil looks from not-nice lawyers- Aw, okay. I don't own anything.

Forewarning: You may not like the coupling - or you may be mad about how I use the coupling - but it has to be this way. Mainly 'cause I couldn't be that mean to Cloudy-kins. This chapter is happy, then sad. That's your warning.

Summary: Yuffie is left with a child that is not hers after her best friend dies. When the father returns to claim his son, how far will she go to keep the kid and raise him as her own? Might be a Yuriku or Squffie or Clouffie.

Prologue

Once Upon A Time, The Fairy Tale Died

"Ow! Dammit! GRAR!"

Aerith laughed as her younger friend stumbled into the kitchen holding up a baby rattle and glaring at everything. "Hang-over?" the pink-clad woman asked with a quiet smile.

"Shu'up," the 21-year-old growled in response. She plopped into a chair next to Aerith's son's high chair and put her face in her hands, elbows propped on the table. Arick, the ten-month-old monster, threw a spoonful of yellow baby food in his godmother's hair. She growled primitively and looked over at the fair-haired child. Large, round, green eyes watched her innocently and she sighed.

"Good thing you're cute, kid," she grumbled before getting up again. "Gonna grab a shower."

Aerith bit the inside of her lip until Yuffie was out of hearing distance. She looked at her son with a small smile. "That wasn't very nice, Arick. She's gonna take care of you if something ever happens to Mommy. You'd better learn to get along with her."

"Dah!"

She laughed melodically. "Yes, it is funny," she admitted, then went back to preparing breakfast.

((Scene Break))

Yuffie was on her way to the kitchen via hall when the phone rang. "Got it!" she called to her housemate. Snatching the innocent phone off the cradle, she answered with an unorthodox, "Wha?"

"This is Leon. Is Yuffie there?"

Leon who? she wondered. "Why do you need to talk to her?" she asked rather viciously, noting that his voice sounded rather familiar.

"This concerns only Yuffie and myself." That was when she recognized the voice. "May I speak to her?"

"Well, Squall, this is Yuffie."

"It's Leon, not Squall anymore." She rolled her eyes and mouthed Squall to nothing in particular. "I was calling to see if you intend on returning to Traverse any time soon. Riku and Cid were asking about you."

She suppressed a small smile. "Not that you're worried, right?"

"Ri-... er... Okay, so I might be woried. What's it matter?" he snapped. "Are you coming back or not?"

She bit her tongue to keep from laughing for a few moments before she could reply. "I'm going to help Aerith get back on her feet, then I'll be back."

Squall was utterly silent for a moment. "Sephiroth hasn't returned?" he asked quietly, as if he was afraid that Aerith might over-hear.

"It was rape, Squall," she whispered with clear distaste. "Besides, Arick's last name is Gainsborough because Seph- er, he did not want anything to do with him." She sighed. "I'm gonna get offa here. All this talkin's made my head hurt worse and I need a tonic."

She could practically hear Squall's crooked smirk. "Hang-over, Yuff?"

"Go to Hades, Squall," she spat hatefull and slammed the poor, innocent phone back onto the cradle. With a huff, she stormed into the kitchen to see food on the table and Aerith peacefully reading the newspaper.

"Leon?" Aerith sked without looking up.

"Insufferable prick," her friend growled. "You going to work today? It's already eight."

Emerald eyes shot up to the clock. "Oh no! Are you sure-"

"Arick will be fine. Go!"

Aerith hurriedly collected her things then called, "Thanks, Yuff!" and was gone.

The young woman looked at her godson and shrugged. "Guess Mommy didn't wanna be late."

"Mum!"

Yuffie smiled. "That's right. Mum didn't want to be late for work."

((Scene Break))

It was nearly eleven that night before Yuffie finally gave in to the fact that her body needed sleep. She had put Arick to bed at eight, then had watched some lame reality shows. Biting her bottom lip thoughtfully, as she often did, she looked at the clock, then at the phone. Aerith was probably just out with that Cloud-guy from work, she reasoned and went to Aerith's room - mainly because Arick's crib was in there.

Less than forty minutes later, a knock on the front door awoke the young woman. She stumbled to the front door in a wife beater - thank the deities she had not taken off her bra! - and pyjama shorts. Two police officers stood there solemnly and Yuffie let them in confusedly. Arick decided to start crying at that time and she excused herself to grab the kid before he got louder.

"Yuffie," the female officer, Yami if she remembered correctly, said in soft tones once Yuffie had returned with Arick in her arms. "Aerith Gainsborough's car veered off the road and into a pole barn."

"Is she okay?" The officers looked at her silently and it hit her. Why else would they be paying a midnight visit? "Oh, no," she said slowly. "No... No, no, no, no, no! Not Aerith!" Aricks began to cry after seeing his godmother in such a state. Yami merely stood there, hat off, staring at the floor.

End Prologue

(( This was inspired, for some odd reason, by "The Forgotten"... I just got the idea while I was watching it and don't know why. Anywho! Please review!))