What You Really Mean To Me
"Good morning Mr. Valentine, how are you today?" Lauren asked as she entered the WRO building. She said hello to him whenever she saw him and always had a warm smile for him also. At times he wondered if she was like this with everybody or just him. Though she had a friendly hello and a smile for everyone he noticed a subtle difference in the way it touched her eyes.
"Morning," Was all Vincent Valentine ever said in reply. Though once he had thought of saying more he had decided not to. But now watching her as she headed towards the training rooms with a sword strapped to her back and two deadly looking daggers at her hips, Vincent found that she looked rather intimidating. Assuming that was the point of her weapons he silently got up and followed after her, he was planning to simply watch her training session.
"Good morning Lauren, are you ready for your increased training today?" Cloud asked, forcing himself to not stare at her daggers. They really were quite unique and they were deadly sharp, one hit from them and an enemy was sure to go down.
"Morning Cloud, yeah I'm ready to go. Do you want me to go all out or hold back today?" Lauren countered, usually Cloud would have her hold back but today she was hoping she'd be allowed to go all out.
"You can go all out after about 20 minutes today. Just because I haven't seen you go all out in a while and I'm told I need to make sure that you can still fight well when going all out." Cloud replied. Damn bosses had been having him keep her reined in and now she was finally allowed to go all out only because they wanted to make sure she still had the touch.
"Awesome! I can't wait, so where am I fighting today?" Lauren asked grabbing the sword off of her back and holding it loosely in her right hand. Her deadly hand as Reno like to call it, she was dangerous with a weapon in her left hand but she was downright deadly with one in her right hand.
"You'll see, I think that you will be satisfied with where they have me sending you today." Cloud replied. He knew that like him Lauren came from Nibelheim and knew the town like the back of her hand. He was just hoping that the people she would have to face would not give her even a second's pause.
"Oh I think that I can handle Nibelheim Cloud, I mean I did grow up there after all." Lauren replied with a smirk. Cloud simply sighed when was he ever going to learn that Lauren could read his mind as if it were a book, what with her being a telepath and all.
"Cheater, anyways get in there so I can start it up." Cloud said opening the door to the training room. He had to smile usually when he called her a cheater she would puff up and say don't have such an open easy or loud mind then, but today she simply walked into the training and waited for him to start up the program.
Ding, "Loading training program. Location: Nibelheim, safety restrictions: none, time limit: none." The electronic voice said as the sights of Nibelheim suddenly appeared before Lauren. She saw the inn and item store and the one house that a woman and two children use to occupy years and years ago. Then she saw Tifa's house and Cloud's place, well their old houses anyways they didn't live there anymore. And she saw the Shinra Mansion, which gave her a moment's sadness as her parents had both died inside that mansion, but she quickly pushed it aside.
"Ok Lauren you're cleared to begin, good luck." Cloud's voice came over the earpiece that Lauren wore; it was more of a safety measure than anything else. In case the person in the training room could not handle to session or somehow got seriously injured and needed medical attention. However Lauren was no ordinary ex-SOLDIER or WRO fighter, she had abilities that others did not and she was a very highly skilled fighter.
She mixed a variety of techniques together to create her own unique blend of offensive and defensive fighting styles. She was a quick thinker and though she appeared to be a very petite woman she was in all actuality extraordinarily strong. With the ability to control and manipulate the elements and certain other forces without the aid of Materia Lauren was a fine addition to the WRO forces. She had been at one time a 1st class SOLDIER but she had quit after the whole Sephiroth fiasco. It had hurt her too much to try and fill the position that he had left behind for her, and it was even harder for her when she had lost him as her lover because of his death.
So she had resigned from SOLDIER with her honour and dreams intact, something she had learned from Angeal Hewley SOLDIER 1st class before the degradation process had set in and he deserted SOLDIER following his childhood friend Genesis Rhapsodos also a SOLDIER 1st class who had left shortly before hand. Though as Sephiroth began to withdraw further and further away from her Lauren had gotten closer and closer to Zack Fair at the time a newly promoted 1st class SOLDIER. She had taken over as his mentor for a time and the two became quite close even dating for a while until the day that a massive army of Shinra Troops attacked and killed Zack, but not before he took most of the army out. Ever since then Lauren and Cloud had a rather strong bond, both had been quite close to Zack and both mourned his passing. Lauren still had not really moved on and she was still single even though it was 6 or so years later, Cloud sometimes worried that she would never be able to get over what had happened to Zack.
"See you at the end Cloud, and I don't need luck so long as I keep my dreams and honour intact." Lauren replied before beginning her virtual training session. As per orders she held back for the first 20 minutes of battle but after that she began attacking at full strength. She really was a very skilled fighter she hadn't gotten even so much as a scratch or bruise and already she was halfway through the training session.
"She's good," Vincent said moving to stand next to Cloud. He had been watching her the entire time and she had not missed a beat, she had even been a step ahead of her enemy just before entering the Shinra Mansion and heading down to the basement.
"Oh hey Vincent, yeah she is really good. Always has been long as I've known her, she was what I had aspired to become when I first met her. She was a 1st class SOLDIER like Genesis, Sephiroth, Angeal and Zack, though at the time that he met her Zack was only a 2nd class. She was the only female SOLDIER member and she had risen through the ranks quickly. But now when she fights she doesn't have the passion that she once did, it seems more like a cold fight now." Cloud said staring inside the training room watching as Lauren moved into one of the basement rooms.
"You've known her a long time then, but what do you mean a cold fight now?" Vincent asked curiousity actually able to be heard in his voice. Though usually the ex-Turk was utterly emotionless there was something about what Cloud had said that left him unable to hide his curiousity.
"Well when she was with Sephiroth and then with Zack she put her entire soul into her battles but now it's more like she is only fighting with her mind. Ever since Zack's death she has been different, less willing to reach out to others. Rather anti-social actually, she doesn't meet up with any of the other WRO agents and she barely visits with Tifa and me anymore. Though admittedly she seems to perk up a bit when she's talking to you, I'm not sure if she sees herself in you or you in herself but she actually smiles a smile that reaches her eyes when she's talking to you." Cloud explained frowning at the door Lauren was about to enter.
"Last room should be easy, wonder who they have me facing in the end." Lauren commented into the earpiece a satisfied tone in her voice. So far she had a perfect mission result and not many people could say that. Truthfully Cloud knew exactly who the higher-ups had programmed as the final fight for Lauren and he completely disagreed with them doing this to her.
Walking into the room Lauren quickly flipped on the light switch so that whoever was in the room to fight her could not have an advantage. However once her eyes adjusted to the light she was shocked when she saw none other than Sephiroth standing in front of her Masamune pointed at her. "Hello Lauren, it's been a while," he said smirking evilly at her frozen form.
"This has got to be some kind of sick joke, do they honestly think that I am going to be unable to fight and defeat the image of him. You'd think that they'd have a little more faith in me after everything that happened few years back but no they just gotta keep this shit up." Lauren grumbled before readying herself to fight. She had the look of absolute detachedness about her, like she wasn't in the present but somewhere else.
"Come now my dear, do you really think so lowly of me?" Sephiroth teased as he launched the first attack. He was showing no mercy the bosses had made sure that Sephiroth would be fighting at full strength. They really were getting to be quite cruel with this, they all knew of the sacrifice that Lauren had made in joining WRO and with what had happened to her a few years ago and even just a couple of years ago.
"Yes I do honestly think that lowly of you, after what you did to me and Zack not to mention Cloud. How many people have to suffer before you are satisfied with what you keep doing?" Lauren replied easily dodging the attack and countering it with one of her own that struck. It seemed the bosses had forgotten that Lauren had fought alongside Sephiroth for years and that she most likely remembered his style and method.
"Zack was an unfortunate incident and as for Cloud well he had to be shown that people you wish to have stay memories will never be simply memories." Came his quick reply as he launched another attack that Lauren dodged just as easily as the first. She really did know his style and method all too well for this to be of any use.
"They both had to suffer at your hands and I will never forgive you for Zack's death nor for the pain that you have caused both Cloud and I. And you will always be just a memory to me now, I have moved on from you and your twisted ways." Lauren replied before launching her own series of unique attacks. Some of which included capoeira moves mixed with charged attacks and sword attacks.
"You will…..never….defeat me." Sephiroth said as Lauren drove her sword directly through his heart before taking a dagger and slitting his throat. Satisfied that she had defeated him she turned around and began to walk away only to have Masamune driven through her chest.
"Damn you, I will not allow someone as weak as you to defeat me Sephiroth." Lauren replied placing her hands on the blade of the Masamune and sending a massive charge back at Sephiroth. However the training program shut down automatically there and Lauren was in the air still pierced through with the Masamune.
"Damnit I thought we had all the Sephiroth copies locked up or destroyed." Lauren replied as she once again sent a massive charge along the blade of the sword killing the Sephiroth copy quite easily. As she fell to the floor the sword embedded further into her chest and as she sat on her knees waiting for the end to come she found that the only thing she was feeling was regret.
"Lauren! Cloud get the medical team here now!" Vincent yelled running into the room straight to Lauren's side.
"On it," Cloud replied running out of the training room area and quickly to the medical wing to get the doctor and a stretcher.
"Lauren, Lauren look at me. Lauren please do not close your eyes." Vincent said no emotion in his voice as he gently rolled her body so that her head rested in his lap.
"Vincent I am really tired, just let me sleep for a little bit." Lauren said her voice fading out near the end. She was getting cold to the touch, colder then she normally was even.
"No you cannot close your eyes or sleep! Lauren open your eyes, please! Lauren, Lauren do not leave me!" Vincent begged his voice no longer emotionless but full of pleading.
Lauren heard Vincent's voice as if it were far away but she heard the emotion in it and it called her back to awareness. "Vincent? Where would I be going? Am I to take it that I would be considered a deserter too?" She teased though her voice was weak.
"No you were never the type to desert or leave those you love behind if you could help it. I just thought that I was going to lose you and lose the chance to tell you that I…." Vincent began but was cut off when Lauren placed her finger against his lips.
"Shhh….. I know Vincent, trust me I know. You think that with my abilities I couldn't see how you felt? That I was able to help make even you smile if only for a moment? But Vincent I have never told you, that I…. That I love you as you are and for who you are." Lauren said her voice though weak was full of emotion as were her eyes which normally would be cold and distant.
"Lauren, you have no idea just how much you really mean to me. You are able to keep the madness at bay, the sorrow from consuming me whole. You help take the pain and agony away and in their place you leave good feelings, like love. Now you have to stay with me, I am not going to let you die today nor anytime soon." Vincent replied gently wiping away a little trail of blood that was running from the corner of Lauren's mouth.
"I'm not going anywhere Vincent, not now and not anytime in the near future. I can't do that to Cloud or Tifa. I can't leave you alone either Vincent." Lauren said before slowly leaning her head up and gently placing her lips against Vincent's. And as she gave Vincent a gentle kiss the doctor finally entered the training room.
"Oh my! We are going to have to get that sword out before we attempt to transfer her. Vincent would be so kind as to hold her body still for me?" Dr. Hallen asked as she looked at Lauren's wound critically.
Nodding Vincent took hold of Lauren's upper body and held it tightly while Cloud slowly pulled the sword from the back. Gasping Lauren's hands gripped Vincent's arm while she gritted her teeth against the pain.
"Good now quickly Vincent get her onto the stretcher so I can get her to the medical wing…." Dr. Hallen began but was cut off by Lauren.
"No just have Vincent carry me there it'll be faster and I don't want to lay flat with the whole like it is." Lauren said her voice once again fading.
"She has a point Dr. Hallen, why not just let Vincent carry her." Cloud said eyeing Lauren who was already in Vincent's arms.
"Alright let's go then, we cannot waste time standing here talking we must at least clean the wound before it heals itself." Dr. Hallen said grabbing the stretcher and heading off for the medical wing.
Vincent was right behind her running but Lauren did not even feel as if she were moving. "Lauren stay with me okay?" Vincent said quickly bending his neck so that he could give her a quick kiss before looking up again.
"I'm not going anywhere Vincent except to bed after this is done." Lauren replied with a little laughter present in her voice though it was still weak.
"Here Vincent I'm going to ask that you hold her up so I can clean the wound." Dr. Hallen said pointing to a bed that Vincent gently sat Lauren down on.
Dr. Hallen quickly cleaned the wound and then made sure that the fabric of Lauren's top was not going to get closed inside the wound which before their eyes was closing up. Luckily they had gotten it cleaned out before it began closing otherwise she would have run the risk of infection.
"Vincent why don't you take Lauren home so she can rest, though I'll ask you to stay with her to make sure that she is going to be fine." Dr. Hallen said smiling kindly at the now sleeping Lauren and gently running her hand across the younger woman cheek.
"Alright," Vincent replied as he turned to walk out of the room.
"Hey Vincent! Call me when she wakes up I want to make sure that she is okay for Tifa and all." Cloud said blushing lightly. Vincent nodded smiling at the blonde before walking out of the medical wing.
"Do you think that something is going on with those two Cloud?" Dr. Hallen asked watching as Vincent walked away with the girl she thought of as a daughter held securely in his arms.
"To be honest Dr. Hallen I think that there has always been a connection between them it's just now become visible to everyone else. She always smiled a smile that reached her eyes more when she would be talking to Vincent." Cloud explained as he got ready to leave.
"Well I hope that he takes better care of her than that horrible Sephiroth did." Was all that Dr. Hallen had to say to that as she quickly began cleaning up the mess from cleaning out the wound.
"Lauren we're home," Vincent said as he gently lay Lauren down in her bed. He stood up and looked around the room before going out to the kitchen and bringing one of the chairs into her room and placing it beside her bed. He was going to keep watch over her until she woke up, this way he could still stay by her side.
Vincent sat in the chair and watched Lauren's chest gently rise and fall as she slept. He was still amazed that he had actually told her how he felt about her. And was even more surprised to find that she had similar feelings for him. Still he began to wonder if when she woke up Lauren would want to have him stay or tell him to go. He really had no idea what he was going to do if she told him to leave and not come back.
"Hey, stop that you're going to have that crease there permanently." Lauren said quietly as she ran a finger along the crease between his eyebrows. She had a small smile on her face but her eyes were full of concern.
"Your awake, has it really that long? How are you feeling?" Vincent asked checking to make sure that her wound was still closed and healed. Then he returned her small smile but Lauren saw the question in his eyes.
"What's wrong Vincent?" Lauren asked she was still too out of it to read his thoughts for which he was thankful.
"Do you want me to stay?" Vincent asked simply. He watched as understanding lit across her face.
"Vincent I want you to stay by my side always and to be with me whenever we can manage it. I love you Vincent and I want you to have a real house to come home to." Lauren said her eyes tearing up as she thought about Vincent leaving her. "Please don't leave me." She cried her voice full of the pain that would cause her.
"Shhh… I don't plan on going anywhere unless I must, not without you. I-I love you also Lauren. And I am already home." Vincent said taking Lauren's hand and kissing it gently.
"Vincent come here," Lauren said before pulling on the hand that held hers bringing Vincent forward enough that Lauren could press her lips against his. She lightly ran her tongue along the seam of his lips until he opened for her allowing her access to his mouth and him to hers.
And slowly they both let go of their pasts and of the pain that had happened in each of them and began to give everything their heart and very souls to each other. Because finally they knew what they really meant to each other.
~Wow that went fast I started this in the morning and it is finished already. Hopefully you all enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. ~