I slide to a hault just before falling off the edge of a building. Looking down on the centre of Midgar I see people, living. Living their normal lives, going about their daily business just like they do every other day of the year. Normal, everyday people. Not experimented on or tortured. How could anyone ever love me? How can Yuffie and Zack feel so strongly for me? I sigh. I turn on my toes and head for the frozen lake of Midgar. The last place I saw my little girl and her mother. My heart breaks every time I think of them and what Hojo did to me. He took them from me; the life stream only knows what happened to them. The two things I cared most about in the world before he killed me. But what do I care about now?

The frozen lake of Midgar is a magical place. It shimmers and sparkles in the light that manages to get through the white luminescent trees. Their laughter echoes hauntingly between the giants of the forest that surround the lake. How I long to have them back. I sit myself up against a tree and the theatre curtains that are my eyelids close again.

"Daddy! Daddy!" My little angels green eyes gleam as she holds her arms out, indication she wants a hug. "Hey." I take my normal human hands and pick her up. I pull her close to me and softly place a kiss on her head. "I love you daddy!" She grips me tightly. "I love you too darling."

"Vincent!" Reluctantly I open my eyes, being torn from the memories of my daughter replaying in my head. "You ok?" I look around, searching for the source of the voice. "Yeah, I'm fine... Tifa." She gracefully sits next to me. "No, you're not. Talk to me." I look away from her knowing that I needn't say anything for her to know what is wrong. "Zack is looking for you." The words drive a stake through my heart. The one person I didn't want to see right now, though in reality I don't want to see anyone. Just having Tifa here is pushing me closer to breaking point. "I saw him heading out to the bridge; maybe you should go and talk to him." I gaze at Tifa. "Do you think that's a good idea?" I begin to relax and release my tight grip around the Cerberus. She smiles, "Well it wouldn't hurt to talk to him. Go shoot some birds or something. Just relax Vincent." I nod and get up. "Cloud has invited you and Zack over for drinks later. 9 at the bar if you want to come." She smiles and heads out of the forest. The bridge isn't far from here. Maybe she is right and talking to him might do some good. I guess I should go and find out then.

I throw myself at the ground and land but feet from Zack. "Tifa said you were looking for me." Startled he turns around. "Yeah I was. Looks like you found me instead." I walk over to him. His blue eyes stare off in the distance. "Did you want to um talk or something?" I can't help but look at him. He nods and looks at me. "There is something I want to tell you..." He looks deep into my eyes, I feel him searching for my soul. "I have fallen in love." I look down at my feet, "Oh... who with?" He approaches me and cradles one of my cheeks in his silk soft human hand. "You." I consider pulling away from him but remembering I've already broken two peoples hearts today makes me reconsider. "Zack." I look into his eyes. Full of hope, just like Yuffies. "Yes Vincent?" I can't look away. Those eyes... so captivating. "I..." He pulls me closer, "You?" A bird caws overly loudly. I swiftly pull out my gun and shoot it dead. "I don't like birds." He laughs. I've never heard or seen him laugh before. We've been living together for almost 6 months, that's pretty outrageous. He takes my hand and wiggles the Cerberus out of my hold and replaces it with his hand, his soft human hand. The Cerberus falls to the ground with an echoing thump that sends a shiver up my spine. Zack pulls himself up against me. "What's wrong? You're trembling."
"I've never felt like this before." A stone cold lie, what a great way to build a relationship. "You're a terrible liar Vincent. You always have been." How does he know this? Is it all that obvious? "You've got me all figured out haven't you." My hearts pounds as the butterflies in my stomach flap their wings. "Not quite..." He traps me in his arms. "I'm still unsure of what would happen if I did this..." My body freezes as my lips make contact with his. He holds my head in place to keep the kiss going. Feelings rush up and down my body so quickly I don't know what to feel. He releases me and, smiling from ear to ear, looks me up and down. "Not so manly now." He laughs again. "Zack... I..." A motorcycle roars up the path. Zack sits down a few feet away from me as the blonde of my dreams stops his bike and gets off it. He looks at me, "What happened to you Vincent?" Zack tries to hold back the laughter. "Zack, did you finally get round to telling him?" He beams his smile at Cloud. "Congrats buddy." The world suddenly goes hazy and out of focus. My heart beats faster than I can keep up with. "Vincent?" Synchronised they ask. I feel myself losing my sense of balance and then everything starts to go Zacks hair black...

Finish