Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Square Enix.

Summary: Scientists attempting to carry on research for the S and G Projects encounter a possibillity that is just too difficult to resist. Two subjects under both projects break out in an attempt to be free, neither of them understand the consequences of their births. Daughter of Vincent. Later Yuffitine.

S-Project: Secret

Chapter 1: A Secret at My Door


It happened out of the blue one might say. No one was expecting her, no one would have expected her to come. No one ever even thought it possible, he just wasn't the type of person that one thought those sort of thoughts over. It was in us to think about it, he didn't presume such things. Even if such thoughts had occurred, no one believed a man at his age would have had any one this far along. Not him. All his secrets were thought to be shared, opened. We were his family after all, we'd journeyed a long way with each other.

Perhaps this secret hadn't even been known by him. A secret so secret that no one knew . . . no one but the secret herself. Such a surreal secret that had there not been the proof standing in front of them . . . no one would have believed it.


The sun had gone to bed long ago but the sky had not gone to sleep by any means. Lightening struck across the sky, silent and deadly as the heavy cold down pour of dreams and thoughts in the form of rain came upon them. The placid city of Edge was a rather quiet place, quiet except for the beating of rain and the occasional drumming of thunder.

Tifa wiped down the bar for the third time in a row with her gray over used rag, a sigh escaping her as she gave one last look to the door. She would wait until she was done with this round before locking up, no one was wanting to get out in this weather. Heavy footsteps were heard followed by a mere scuff of a different pair. She didn't have to look up to know that the first pair was Cloud, the second would be Vincent. She rose her head up with a pleasant smile on her face.

"Kids are all in bed." She almost chuckled as Cloud gave a look around to check for people, he shook his head at the lack of life with in the bar. Vincent helped him to set the chairs up with the ok from Tifa. She was glad he was here even if for a few days. Music disrupted the near silence as Cloud stopped what he was doing to answer his phone before he promptly walked out the way he came in, to the living area behind the bar. There was only two more tables to do when Cloud's voice hollered for Vincent. He nodded to Tifa to reassure her he would be back before he went to see to Cloud, his red head band the brightest color in the room. He sure had grown, she nearly laughed at how silly that sounded.

She almost sighed again before setting the rag in the sink behind her ready to lock up when the bell jingled. She tensed up and turned around ready to tell the customer she was going to close up soon when she stopped.

A little child walked in, unsure and very hesitant. Tifa leaned against the bar with an astounded look on her face as the child looked around before pulling their attention to her. Large baby like eyes blinked at Tifa, she almost gasped at the color. Could she be another orphan that they'd possibly missed?

"Can. . .can I help you sweety?" The poor child was drenched, and even had they not been she could still tell the poor state the child was in. Dirty, black hair matted and in their face, clothes more like dirty rags wrapped around them to keep them covered, no shoes.

"A-are you . . .T-Tifa . . . . L . . .Lock-" The child seemed to think on it, as if forgetting.

"Lockhart? That's me sweety." She used her best sugared voice before realizing that the child wasn't stuttering from being nervous, she (it had been hard to tell by looking) was shivering from the cold.

Tifa watched in fascination as she pulled out a folded piece of paper with a pale shakey hand, it tugged at her heart to see how bad off the poor girl was. She unfolded the paper and pulled out of it a thicker yet smaller one, a photo. She looked at it a few seconds before struggling to walk closer to the bar before standing on her tip toes to place the photo carefully on the bar.

"D-do you know th-this man?" Tifa gingerly took the photo and looked at it carefully. It was a head shot of a man in a suit. There was a code at the bottom in black print and she noticed that it was one really old photo. The kind they stopped using at least 30 years back. She stared at it for quite sometime, she did know him . . .but who was it? He looked so familiar she just knew it was someone she'd seen before. His pale skin and that too straight nose. Short black hair . . .red eyes. The man was definately a handsome mouth hung open.

"Vincent?" She held it down for the little girl with a nod and an astounded look.

"I do, are you?" Her eyes, those big round baby like eyes made her look no more then six or seven, she spoke as if she were 12 or 13. She looked far more intelligent then her garb would give her credit for but as the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover.

"Is his l-location near here? Where may I find him?" She spoke patiently, as if she wasn't as starved as she looked, or as desperate as the hope that filled her bright ruby eyes. She didn't talk like the ruffians of the street, she talked nearly technical and it reminded her of several people. Tifa's heart squirmed at the thought of this baby running the streets. She slowly came around the bar before kneeling in front of her.

"I'll get him, but tell me who you are?" She shook her head once, as if that movement alone might send her sprawled on the floor.

"He won't know . . .who I am." Tifa nodded but gave her a concerned look. She held out her hand as if to say stay and walked to the back door. She looked back just before leaving,

"I'll be right back, ok?" The girl nodded, swaying on her feet a little, Tifa would hurry.


I couldn't believe I'd made it this far. Triumph surged through me as I thought about finally being able to meet him. All my hard work . . . all my journey and . . .now I was finally free. Everything would be fine now. I looked back to the rickety door, the rain pelting the glass. I felt strange in my face, my body was cold from being outside but my face felt hot, my eyes were feeling more then just strange. I blinked in case something was in them, little droplets of rain fell from them. I stared at them as they fell out of my eyes and onto the floor. Was this bad? Or was this like going to the bathroom for my eyes? I rubbed them away just in time to hear heavy footsteps behind me, entering this room. I turned around as a breath hitched in my throat. A loud clap of thunder sounded above making the bar tremble and the lights shake.


It was only Tifa, her hips swaying as she walked in. The girl looked behind her, almost worried. Tifa gave her a reassuring smile as she looked behind her, she gave an inclination of her head and new footsteps arrived. She saw that the girl nearly shook, and she surely jumped when the tall man walked in. He wore a black shirt with the sleeves pushed up, black leather riding pants that were tucked into almost knee high 'sprinter' boots. The best for travel. His holster housed a large looking gun, his one leather glove, and lastly his red head band caught her attention last. She briefly noted his pale skin, ruby eyes and long black hair. Her little fists shook and Tifa was sure this was indeed nervousness and not her being chilled. He tilted his head at this strange child that had asked for him and she remembered what to do. Though at first she seemed reluctant as if not sure it was the right man, Tifa could surely understand, she hadn't recognized him from his old Turk form photo. Had she been expecting an old man?

She shakily pulled out the piece of paper and held it out straight, her shake more then apparent. His stride made the trip to her much quicker and she found herself biting her lip out of anxiousness. He gently took it with his uncovered hand and unfolded the rest of it, scanning over it. Tifa looked to him before the girl, noting something was a little odd. He made a noise, something between exclamation and a questioning grunt, his eyes squinting at whatever the information was. He looked at the photo that she'd handed with it and Tifa saw a bit of reminiscant light pass over his eyes.

He folded the paper back up and looked to her.

"I didn't know what else to do. I tried laying down and dieing but it didn't work. You are my only connection that isn't deceased." Tifa gasped at the words that came from this little girl. He took one step forward before kneeling, he towered over her small frame and this allowed him to better see her eyes.

"How did you get this?" She licked her lips and looked to the floor.

"I . . ." She looked up to him,"I stole it. " He nodded, he'd known she'd had to have.

"Where?" She let out a large breath and looked around.

"It says at the top, the logo. Thats the hospital. I can't ever remember which one is which. It wasn't hard to get it, I just had to get rid of a few pests. It was getting out of that hell hole that was difficult." He looked to the floor, gathering the information he had just recieved. By pests had she meant people and by getting rid of did she mean kill?

"I see." He looked to Tifa who was back to leaning against the bar, a questioning look dressed the concerned one on her face. He looked back to the little girl.

"Do you have a name?" She gazed at him, her eyes nearly matching his.

"My code is in there." He shook his head.

"No, a name. My name is Vincent, and that is Tifa. Yours?" She shook her head once again.

"No, I don't have a . . name. Only a code." A sad noise came from Tifa, as if she didn't believe it. He stood up and placed the paper in a pocket. He gave Tifa a gentle look,

"May . . she stay here? I know it is a bit crowded but . . " She held her hands up for him to stop.

"You should know better Vincent, of course she can. She looks like she has never seen food for Gaia's sake." He nodded and looked back down at her. Tifa bent down, her hands on her knees.

"Are you hungry?" The strange girl looked down before looking back up.

"I believe so. I have not had proper nourishment in too long." She showed her shakiness again and the sadness was in Tifa's eyes again. She nodded vigorously and turned around.

"Then I shall cook you a great meal for sure!" She started to get pans and such ready when light came across her eyes.

"Oh, but perhaps we should get you a bath and some clothes while its cooking. . . " She seemed to say it more to herself then to anyone else and she looked to Vincent. She had switched from bar tender to Mother in a split second.

"I wonder if Min's clothes will fit. Hm . . ." He nodded, catching on.

"Vincent, will you get Cloud? We need just a little help." She gave a bright smile to the little girl as he left, she stayed in the same place.

"Why don't I help you to a bath then." She held up a finger and set on a pot of water to boil.


I was clean and my stomach was full for the first time in well, a very long while. I was wearing someones gray shirt, the hem nearly touched the floor when I stood. They had decided to go through the other clothes tomorrow since I would be going to bed soon. Currently I was sitting on a stool at the bar, Vincent, Tifa and a man named Cloud were gathered at the end, talking. I looked at the large cup of tea that was almost empty. I'd ate almost three full plates and drank nearly as much water. Tifa had worried about me over eating until Vincent had come to my rescue. He knew how much someone like me could consume.

Which brought me to that man Cloud. The moment I saw his teal eyes I knew what he was. I wasn't sure what they called him, but I knew he was similar to me. Made.


The three of them had pulled up chairs, Tifa with her legs crossed and Cloud was sitting with the back of the chair facing them.

"How is this even possible?" Cloud kept his voice down although he and Vincent had no doubt she probably could hear as well as they.

"This document said that she should be nearly 16 years. She doesn't grow at the same rate either." Cloud shook his head.

"This is so messed up." Tifa nodded although she only knew halfly what was going on.

"Who'd have thought you'd have one running around. . ." He almost grinned.

"Barrett, or Cid even, but you Vincent?" Tifa smiled good heartedly at them both, Vincent looked over to the girl that was just finishing her tea. His eyes held something a little differently then surprise or fascination. LIke he knew something obvious but chose not to say anything further on it.

"Are you tired now?" He'd said it under his breath, Tifa had barely heard him and she was sitting right next to him. The girl turned her head and nodded.

"Yes." Tifa's eyes widened with surprise that she'd heard him, Cloud stood up.

"Think I'm going too, it's been a long day. Deliveries tomorrow." Tifa thanked Vincent for putting the rest of the chairs up before looking at the girl who was trying her best to climb off the stool, whether it was her too large shirt or her being weak, Tifa wasn't sure. She was pale, the same white and gray skin tones that Vincent had, the same jet black hair as well(it stopped just past her knees). Her hair line was a little different though, her eyes were like his, and her brows which gave her an almost stoic 'no nonsense' look. Her nose and mouth weren't the same though, she was betting these had come from the mothers side. Over all she was a very pretty little girl but that really hadn't surprised her, Vincent was a handsome man. She thought back to her hair though, when she'd been giving her a bath she'd noticed some of the underside hair was a lot lighter, almost a silvery color. It made suspicion grow in Tifa about if this girl really was the only child of Vincent's after all, seeing as how she'd seen that same trait in . . . a few others.

She looked expectantly at Vincent who just sort of stood there between them, he then looked to Tifa almost as if to ask what next.

"Should we put her in with Min and Yuki?" He seemed to think it was a good idea before he looked to her waiting there for him. He shook his head,

"Perhaps my room will be fine tonight." Tifa smiled as he nodded to the doorway for the girl before heading that way himself.

"This way." He'd said it softly, the girl had no trouble hearing him of course and her tiny feet padded after him. She held a light smile on her face as she saw the little girl take each step of stairs one at a time, her legs too short to take them as her new found father could. He waited for her patiently at the top, Tifa could tell she was breathing hard and her eyes were half lidded. After all the excitement she could imagine her tired, and even in that there was no telling the last time the little girl had gotten any rest. She had looked like she had travelled far and been through many things. She still had another flight of stairs and a few hallways before Vincent's room too. Tifa made a motion to tell him to pick her up and carry her there and almost giggled at his concern look, as if he was afraid the little girl might turn into something fierce and bite him though he'd faced down enemies of the world that were a 100 times more feirce. She finally made it to the top and bent over to catch her breath but was suddenly swooped up into the air cradled in one strong black clad arm, Vincent's gloved one.

The little girl seemed tense at first, as if not sure what to do there held against him. He continued further with Tifa behind him, she'd seen a look pass between them, something like a thank you. The poor man was a little lost in the parent department it would seem.

Tifa watched contently as he held her gently, probably the first time he'd held a child like that. She faintly wondered if it was the first time being held like that for the girl as well. If she didn't even have a name . . . no telling what sort of things she was missing. Tifa's overly tender heart reached for her, she'd do her best to try and make up for it . . .she'd drag the boys along too.

He made it to the destination in one piece (of course) and opened his bedroom door and left it wide for her to enter. Tifa couldn't help but notice how neat everything was. No clutter what so ever. Things were almost perfect, things set in strict lines and orders. She knew it wasn't because it was a temporary room either, he was this way with everything. She silently wished Cloud would be so neat.

He used his free hand to pull back the dark blue covers before gently laying the little girl down, the pillows almost swallowing her tiny self. He pulled the covers up over her to rest right before her gray covered shoulders. Her darkened lids (from stress Tifa assumed) were nearly closed and when Vincent looked satisfied he turned around to leave but before he could journey out the little one's voice rang out in the silence.

"You won't contact them will you?" He went rigid before turning around to answer her,

"No more scientists." She seemed to take that answer as if it were more then just words, as if it were some sort of contract sealing her saftey. He waited until her eyes were closed before closing the door quietly. Tifa gave him a quick thumbs up before whispering,

"You did good." He nodded in a polite fashion before going back downstairs, she hadn't realized he wouldn't sleep in there with her. She almost sighed but realized he had just committed a very large step, a step into fatherhood. They should be proud for him.