Where is he? I heard him calling.

I am free! No one can stop me.

I want to rush and throw my arms about his neck,

I want to lie upon his breast!...

In the howling and clatter of hell,

And the angry jeering of devils,

I could tell the sound of that dear, sweet voice."

-Goethe, Faust

Chapter Eight

"Cid, no!" Yuffie had two hands in his white cotton shirt, digging the heels of her knee-high boots into the pavement of the sidewalk to try and stop him. He was not even slowing down. The force with which he walked caused her to be pulled after him, making her skip a few steps before she could grab another opportunity to dig in her heels and try again. "Sto…op!"

Nothing. He just kept walking.

"That fucking spiky-headed son of a whore!" Cid's voice was loud and unapologetic as he trucked down the street. Yuffie had to run like her life depended on it to catch up to him after her short phone call with Tifa, and there was no stopping him. "I'm going to kill that motherfucker!"

"Old Man, think about Tiiiiiiifa!" The 'I' was emphasized as Yuffie tried harder, not only to dig in her heels but to pull back at the same time. She looked like a fly trying to move a tow truck – weak and insignificant. She was beginning to feel the same way too. She told Tifa specifically that she would not share her secret with anyone until she was ready…if she was ready. She did not know yet what Tifa planned to do but she had made a promise and now here she was, tugging on Cid's shirtsleeves, trying to keep him from murdering someone that was nowhere to be seen or heard from.

Cloud, where are you? Yuffie thought briefly, as she was finally forced to let go of Cid. Why aren't you here?

Naturally, the cosmos returned no answer to her. The only thing keeping her afloat now was the old members of AVALANCHE…with or without Cloud.

--

"Vincent…I need to…go out." Tifa stuttered over her words as she tried to find excuses. Never had she been a master at lying, and now was no different. She felt almost sheepish for lying to him, as he leveled her a look (while at the same time leveling her no look – at least not something she was sure she could read) that said somewhat clearly that he knew she was lying.

Still, he politely stood and turned. Tifa moved around the bar so she could stand at his side, offering him the best smile she could despite the circumstances. What was she going to do? It was bad enough that Yuffie told Cid, but now, what if Cid told everyone? What would they think of her?

What would they think of Cloud?

More worried for his reputation than her own, Tifa did not realize that she was chattering uselessly until the front door burst open. It was Cid, followed closely by a pensive Yuffie who immediately looked down to the floor. Tifa did not know why, but she could not be mad at her friend. After all, she was the only other girl in AVALANCHE now, her only other real companion. Yuffie would not have told Cid with anything malicious in mind.

At the same time, however, Tifa was disappointed. More in herself than anything. She could have handled everything alone, she should have never involved Yuffie and complicated her life with such a secret. And now it seemed like Vincent would know, too, as they were both trapped inside with Cid at the doorway.

"Where is that mother fucker?" Cid practically yelled, with all the vehemence of a scorned father who had just found out his only daughter, perhaps even at sixteen, was pregnant. Never mind that Tifa was not his daughter nor was she an adult, the emotion was the same. His face was even red, his chest rising and falling heavily with his anger. She knew she should have been touched that he was standing up on her behalf, but the situation was just too out of control for her to think of anything besides what to do with everyone.

"Cid," Tifa began calmly. "You know as well as I do that he isn't here."

"Well I'm going to find that fucking spiky-haired mother fucker and teach him a fucking thing or two about responsibility!" The older man trampled around, looking as if he would find Cloud suddenly hiding underneath a table or behind the bar. Tifa moved out of his way.

So did Vincent, whose eyes betrayed no confusion, no curiosity. Nothing.

They're so much like Cloud's eyes, Tifa thought.

More cursing before Yuffie tried to calm him down. He didn't until Tifa spoke again. "Cid…really, it's okay. I'm okay."

"How can you be? What the fuck makes you think that none of us would give a damn, eh?" Cid was already behind the bar by the time she spoke, and he did not ask as he reached for a bottle of Jack Daniels. He pulled out a glass with a hand that was almost shaking, dipping the thin-rimmed cup in the icemaker before he poured the dark liquid near to the top. He downed half until he spoke again.

The room remained quiet.

"I didn't want to worry anyone," Tifa said. "…Especially with Cloud…gone, and all. Really, Cid, it's fine. Please. Your blood pressure is going to go through the roof," she offered him a calming smile when she said this – one that was inherently hers. It managed to work some magic, as Cid made his way back around the bar to sit down in one of the stools with a heavy sigh.

It was inevitable that she caught Vincent's gaze. His look was not even questioning, but she opened her mouth to tell him.

He may as well know… "Vincent, I'm-"

"Pregnant. I know." It was the same deadpan voice that he always used but it somehow sounded…softer. She could not quite put her finger on it, much like she could not put her finger on what he was going to say earlier.

Tifa, wide-eyed, blinked at him. "How?"

He shrugged, and said nothing.

"How long did you know?"

"Since the first time I came with the phone."

Since the first time he…and he didn't…act any different. Tifa caught herself staring, and forced herself to turn her attention back to Cid and Yuffie, who were sitting expectantly. I guess I'll have to give my press conference now…

"Tifa, I wish you would have told us earlier. We'll take care of ya in place of that brat."

"It's okay, Cid, really. I've already made my decision."

"Yay!" Yuffie finally chimed in, the first time in the barroom conversation. "Don't worry, Tifa! We'll be fine without Cloud! We get to build it a little crib and get little booties and…why are you shaking your head?" The ninja blinked at her, much in the same fashion Tifa had blinked at Vincent.

Cid, with the mind he claimed was like a steel trap, downed the rest of his drink after her next statement.

"Because…I've decided to…not go through with the pregnancy."

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Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry for the wait! Please please please please please review!! They make me update quicker in order to please.  And I thought I would do a throwback to the earlier chapters by including a literary quote at the top. Please review!!