Rebirth

Chapter 22 - Doubts

Hundreds of miles away, Cloud sat up, suddenly woken from a light sleep. They had
driven through the day until finally Red slowed to a walk and sat down exhausted. He
couldn't go any further without rest. Cloud had reluctantly agreed that they needed rest
and he built a fire to warm them all.

Red had led them high up into the mountains; through passes that he didn't know existed,
following wherever Tifa's scent led him. They all sat around the fire in silence, staring
into its flames until sleep took them, one by one.

Cloud rubbed his eyes and looked around at his friends. They were all still asleep.
Vincent wrapped up in his cloak, Red snoring gently with his massive head resting on his
front legs, and Barret on his side with his back to the fire.

Cloud shivered as the wind cut through him. It was cold up here. Cold and windy. He
had no idea where they were but he trusted that Red would take him to Tifa.

He stood up and stretched, trying to work out the knots in his back from so many hours
on Fenrir. As he did, Red stirred and picked up his head and blinked at his friend.

"What time is it?" he asked.

Cloud shrugged. He never did wear a watch. He looked up at the sky and the setting sun
and said "it looks like it's about 5:00 o'clock. We've been riding all day."

YOU've been riding. Some of us have been running," said Red, licking his paws.

Cloud smiled and squatted down next to his friend and ruffled the fur on his head.

"Thanks for doing this, Red. I don't know what I'll do if we can't . . .," he didn't want to
finish the thought.

Red sighed and looked at his friend. "Finding her isn't the problem, Cloud. It's the
shape she will be in when we do find her that bothers me."

Cloud looked up into Red's eyes, searching for the meaning of his words.

"What do you mean?"

Red sat up facing the fire, feeling its warmth seep into him. Cloud stood and watched his
back as he sat.

"Her scent has changed, Cloud. There is something there that smells like you, only
stronger, much stronger."

"What? Smells like me?"

"I think when you . . . when she became pregnant, the Jenova in you transferred to more
than just your baby, it transferred to her and its changing her as we speak."

"I don't understand. I can live with Jenova. I can control my own thoughts, now," said
Cloud walking over to sit by Red.

"Yes, you can because you received small doses over time and had the strength to fight
against the changes. Even then, you still struggled for some time didn't you?"

He looked at the ground and listened to Red words. "Tifa's strong. She's probably the
strongest person I know. She'll be ok, she has to be."

"Yes she is strong, but she is also carrying a child now. Her body will be given over to
supporting the life growing inside her. She won't have much in the way of physical
reserves to fight Jenova."

Barret lay still listening to their exchange. He knew what a woman went through when
she was carrying a child. He had first-hand experience with his wife. He knew Red was
right. He sat up and turned to face Cloud across the fire. As he did, he saw Vincent was
also awake and listening to their words.

"What will you do if, when we find her, Tifa is fully taken over by Jenova?" Vincent
asked.

Cloud said nothing. He hadn't realized that Vincent and Barret had heard his discussion
with Red. He continued to stare at the ground, moving the small stones at his feet
around with the side of his shoe. He remembered back to his struggle to control the
Jenova surging though his veins and knew that Tifa was struggling with that right now.

He looked up at the darkening sky. The tiny stars sparkled and winked at him. He said a
silent prayer that Tifa would be able to hang on until he got to her.

"Let's go," he said to his companions and whirled around to stride towards Fenrir.

Vincent and Barret looked at each other and both struggled to their feet. Red said
nothing. He just put his nose to the ground, picked up her scent again and loped off into
the darkness. Cloud switched the lights on Fenrir and followed after him with a roar
while Barret and Vincent climbed into the SUV and did the same.

They drove on through the evening like this, Red following Tifa's scent on the air. He
could see that Cloud didn't want to think about whether Tifa had been able to hold on to
her sanity. If she had lost her mind, she would be very difficult to control and to bring
back safely. And if she had been driven insane, then the child she carried would also be
lost. It would be too dangerous for them to allow it to be born. They would have to kill
it and he was sure Tifa wouldn't let them do that without a fight.

"We might lose them both," he thought to himself.

Cloud couldn't get Red's last words out of his mind. He gritted his teeth and stared a
hole in the back of Red's head. He would not let himself believe Tifa was lost. She was
a strong woman! She would find a way, and if she didn't, then he would spend the rest of
his life taking care of her and their child. He still hadn't allowed himself think that their
child may be out of his control as well.