The Child of Our Flesh

Good News and Bad News

I brushed Priya's hair gently while she hummed to the radio. Today was her first day of kindergarten. This was a whole new game for her waking up at seven and not coming home until three. She seemed excited though, maybe it was because of all the new school supplies and school clothes. She wore her new jean skirt and flowery lime green and pink shirt. I pulled up a chunk of her hair on the side and clipped it back with a pink clip.

"Okay, chick your finished." I patted her on her back as she stood up and skipped away from me to pick up her new purple and lime green backpack. The bus for the elementary school stopped right at the house next door so I now didn't have to walk a few blocks with her to her stop, but being it was her first day, I did walk with her down the sidewalk and saw her off to school.

"Mommy…I wanna see Vincent." She said as we walked slowly down the sidewalk hand in hand. I laughed softly. No one could even imagine how bad I wanted to see him.

"You'll see him soon enough." It had been a month and a few days since he had left. The planet was still here so I knew he must have won his battle. But where was he…? Cloud had also been gone for nearly a week now searching for him.

The big yellow bus came around the corner with its loud engine and pulled up in front of our neighbor's house. Another little girl with short brown hair walked alone to the same bus stop. Priya shied away from her, hugging my thigh. I bent down and hugged her before gently pushing her towards the girl and the bus.

"Have a good day sweetie, mommy or Tifa will pick you up from school today, ok so don't get on any buses."

"Okay mommy, love you." I kissed her cheek and watched her climb the bus steps.

Once back inside the house I saw my cell phone's lights flashing indicating I had missed a call. My heart raced, but to my disappointment it was just Tifa. Not that I didn't want to hear from her, its just that I would feel much better to finally get that call from Vincent telling me he was on his way home.

I plopped down on the couch and dialed Tifa's number.

"Hey Vinaya! How are you?" How can she sound so cheerful in times like these.

"I'm ok, I guess. Have you heard from Cloud yet?" I leaned back against the sofa. Phoebe jumped up and crawled into my lap. Its funny how pets seemed to just know when you are feeling down. Not to mention the past couple of days I've been feeling sick to my stomach and even vomited a few times this morning.

"No, I haven't but he better get home soon because guess what!" I smiled at the excitement in Tifa's voice.

"What?" I pushed as much enthusiasm as I could into which wasn't much.

"I'm pregnant!" I heard her clapping in the background. "You know how I've been telling you about all the morning sickness and stuff." Morning sickness….

"Yeah….wow congratulations Tifa that's great. I hope Cloud is as excited."

"Oh I know, he better be, but you never know about Cloud. Something like this could completely scare him away." She laughed nervously.

"Tifa…don't say anything to anyone, but I bought a pregnancy test too, but I haven't taken yet. All the symptoms you said you've had, I've had them too. I tried to dismiss it at first, but I can't anymore. I think I might be pregnant too." How ironic…

"Oh this is so cool! We can go through it together!"

"Tifa…what if Vincent doesn't come back? What if he's dead? I can't go through this alone again… Then I'll have two fatherless children."

"Vinaya, I have faith in Vincent and you should too. He promised he would return to you. Vincent Valentine would never break a promise."

I sighed Tifa's words gave me a bit of confidence, but I was still afraid. "Thanks Tifa, well I guess I'll go take this pregnancy test. I'll call you tomorrow and tell you the results."

"Ok, hang in there alright. Vincent's ok I know this Vinaya."

"Thanks Tifa. Goodbye." I hung up my phone and set it on the coffee table. The rest of the day was terribly long. I hadn't been in Vincent's room for weeks. His scent still filled the air in there the last time I was in it so to avoid having a breakdown I stayed out. I hadn't really done much travelling either, due to the fact I had no flight car. I sighed out loud. Vincent Valentine it's been long enough get your crazy ass back here now!

Next Day

At around eleven that day Tifa came and picked me up and we had lunch together. I wore a long pink tube top and jean capris. I took a pregnancy test that night before I went to bed and still hadn't looked at it. When we returned to my house Tifa immediately went and got my pregnancy test and broke the news to me. "Yep this is definitely positive." She set it back down on my coffee table. She smiled and put a hand on my bare shoulder. "This isn't a bad thing so don't make that face."

"Do you think…if Vincent comes back….that he will be happy?" I looked up at her. Her long brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun. She wore a black tank top and khaki shorts. Tifa was just weeks further along than I was and already seemed to be putting on a little bit of weight. I dreaded the thought of gaining weight and trying to lose it again, it was so hard to get my body back in shape after having Priya.

"I don't know…Vincent's not really a kid person, but if he loves Priya I'm sure he'll love his own child. If he loves you, I think he'll be happy. And I know he loves you. I've never in my life seen Vincent act the way he has around you. Before you brought him here I had never even seen Vincent smile before, he was a very depressed stoic person before you came along."

I nodded at Tifa's words. We were both silent for a while then my cell phone rang. I looked at it and I could literally feel my heart beating through my chest when I saw the name Vincent Valentine appear on the screen.

"Hello?" My voice already shook with emotion and tears filled my eyes.

"Vinaya…this is Cloud. I've found Vincent's belongings…uh…but not him. My phone's dead that's why I used his, tell Tifa not to worry I'm doing fine."

Tears ran down my cheeks. He's gone I know he's gone…. Tifa put her arm around me and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Cloud you can just say it…he's gone isn't he?" I sniffed as more tears poured out of my eyes.

"There's still a possibility that he's alive. I've contacted Reeve and he knows of some new Deepground operation that's going on at an unknown location. Maybe they have Vincent captured there. He won his battle….he must still be somewhere. He has to be Vinaya so don't lose hope."

I wiped away my tears and sighed. "Thanks for calling Cloud."

"No problem. I promise I won't stop looking until I've found him, ok?"

I sniffed "Ok." I hung up with Cloud and fell into Tifa's arms as I cried uncontrollable. This can't be happening to me.

Meanwhile….

◊ Vincent's POV ◊

I coughed and spat blood for the hundredth time today. Degraded, humiliated, and helpless once again… I never wanted to go out like this, but here it is. I lay clothed only in my black pants, on the cold concrete floor the captivity I was being held in. Cerberus was out of my hands; Chaos along with my other demons had returned to the Planet, I am no longer immortal, no longer any different than any other weak human being. The claw was an exterior part of Chaos; it had dissolved and left me with two normal human hands. I used to be only a monster, now I am nothing… Forgive me Vinaya I have failed you.

Vincent Valentine you may have saved the Planet, but you will lose you life at the hands of Deepground. And don't think we will let you die quickly without pain.

I could still hear that thick accented voice in the back of my head, that irritating laughter following. There was nothing I could do, I had not even the strength to stand.

My eyes snapped open as I heard two familiar voices followed by a familiar cocky laugh.

"Is that you Valentine, boy don't you look great?" I closed my eyes again much to weak to respond to that nonsense. The only voice I wanted to hear now was that of the one I loved so dearly. Vinaya….

"Reno, let's get him and get out of here."

"Ah…what is this..." I heard that female's voice thick with its accent. I heard electricity and the click of a gun being cocked. Reno and Rude? How did they find me? I slowly opened my eyes and saw a blurry sight of the two standing, holding their weapons as they faced Rosso and her crew of Deepground soldiers. The next thing I could remember was seeing Reno and Rude's bodies lying still next to mind.