Chapter Three

Aeris was watering the flowers she kept in the kitchen when she heard Sephiroth's PHS begin to ring. She could still hear the water running in the shower down the hall, so she hastily set her watering can down on the countertop. She stepped off the wooden stool she'd been using to reach one of the hanging baskets, then walked into the living room to retrieve the device from where he'd left it on an end table.

"Hello?"

"Aeris? This is Vincent," he said unnecessarily, his voice unmistakable even over the phone, deep yet almost hauntingly quiet. He seemed only mildly surprised that she had answered instead of his son. "Is Sephiroth at home?"

She glanced down the hallway, and a moment later heard the water being shut off. "He's just getting out of the shower," she informed him, frowning a bit. Vincent sounded odd somehow... Almost as if he was upset about something, which was very rare. "He just got back from the afternoon practice drill. Why, is something wrong?" she asked, filled with concern. If Vincent's emotions were coming through even long distance, something was definitely happening.

"No... not exactly..." Vincent said, sounding quite uncertain, which caused Aeris to frown more deeply. "But I need to talk to Sephiroth. It is important..."

Sephiroth peered into the room from the hallway a moment later, his wet hair trailing down his back and shoulders, a towel wrapped around his waist. He'd heard the ringing and gave Aeris a questioning look. She mouthed Vincent's name to him, trying not to look worried but knowing she failed at least in part. He lifted an eyebrow, then walked the rest of the way into the room. He watched her curiously as if he, too, somehow knew something was amiss.

"Hold on a second, Vincent." She put her hand over the receiver and turned to Sephiroth, holding it out toward him. "He says it's important." She shrugged as he took the device from her, looking puzzled, and held it to his ear.

"Yes?" Aeris watched as Sephiroth looked to the ceiling while listening, his usual frown deepening. "Why?" he asked after a pause, his brow knitting together in suspicion. "What is so important that you cannot tell me now?"

Aeris wasn't usually one to eavesdrop, but she could sense that something very important was going on, and could not take her eyes off of Sephiroth as he spoke. She could only guess at what Vincent was saying on the other end.

"I just got home… I am not even dressed yet," Sephiroth said flatly, beginning to look annoyed. Aeris wished that he and Vincent had a better relationship, but each was still so shocked by the fact that they were father and son, and so emotionally closed off from others, that it hadn't been possible past one word answers and nodded acknowledgements.

"Hmph," Sephiroth said to whatever Vincent's reply had been. "No, I suppose you would not... Very well, I will come. Aeris, too?" He glanced over at her for a reaction, and she nodded without hesitation, smiling reassuringly. Whatever it was, she would gladly accompany him. "All right... We will be right over." Sephiroth hung up with a great sigh as he set his PHS back on the table.

"What did he say?" Aeris asked, watching as her husband began to pace back and forth across the kitchen, obviously troubled.

"He said that he has something very important that he needs to show me, and I must come to his home in order to see it. I do not like going there..." Aeris avoided reminding him that he had never even been inside Vincent's home, and neither had she or anyone else, but decided that it wouldn't be a good idea.

"It must be important, then... Vincent isn't one to overreact, Seph," Aeris pointed out, watching as he paced, barefoot and wearing only a towel, back and forth in front of her. He was dripping a good deal of water onto the floor, but seemed unaware of that fact. He was so distracted by the call that he'd largely forgotten about his state of undress. "We ought to get over there right away. It'll give you and your father a chance to talk, at least. You two really ought to do that more often, you know..."

Sephiroth grunted at the sore subject, but did finally stop pacing. "I will go and get ready, then... I hope you do not mind coming along."

"It's fine," Aeris said with a reassuring smile. She liked Vincent, and felt sorry for the lonely, antisocial man. She had tried repeatedly to get he and Sephiroth to talk more often, but neither was ready to face the other on a personal level. They had actually been more able to talk before they knew they were related, a fact she found odd and troubling. Even when she had tried to talk to Vincent, wanting to get to know him better and maybe even help him with some of his pain, he usually remained aloof, as if he was bothered by her presence. As with Sephiroth, prying usually only made him retreat further into himself. He would have to want to open up, and thus far no one had been able to cross that bridge with him as she had, in part at least, with his son. He and Sephiroth were so much alike, and it killed her that neither could see that.

Sephiroth soon reentered the room, now fully dressed in a gray shirt and his usual black pants and boots, his hair neatly combed. Aeris smiled at him, still warmed by the sight of him every time he entered a room in the house... their house. Aeris reached out and took his gloved hand in hers, and together they left their home and headed for Vincent's building across town.

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Lucrecia remained seated on the couch, wringing her hands in her lap. She listened closely to Vincent's end of the conversation, as he first spoke with someone he'd called Aeris, and then, presumably, with Sephiroth. Aeris... Why did that name sound familiar to her?

She frowned, trying to remember. Whoever it was, she was apparently living with Sephiroth... and then it hit her. She was the same woman who'd been in the cave with he and Vincent, when she'd appeared as a ghost and helped her son to break free from his madness. Lucrecia remembered how she'd sensed something about her, some kind of connection between she and her son even then. That, at least, was a burden lifted from her soul. Now if only Vincent was not so alone... though a part of her had been very much relieved when she learned he was living by himself. She quickly banished the thought, ashamed of herself. How could she take joy in his isolation, selfishly hoping he might still have a place in his life for her after all the pain she'd caused him?

"I do not care, Sephiroth," Vincent was saying, his back to her as he spoke into his PHS. "This is extremely important." Lucrecia fought a smile as she listened, noting how much he sounded like a scolding father. She doubted he even realized it, watching as he sighed in annoyance, then sharply inclined his head. "Yes, you need to come here, immediately. Do you think I would exaggerate?… Yes... And bring Aeris with you. She ought to be here as well." There was a pause, and then he nodded again. "Very well... I will see you shortly." He hung up the phone with another sigh, shaking his head.

"Is... is he coming?" Lucrecia asked nervously, still wringing her hands. Vincent nodded after a pause, almost as if he had forgotten she was there. "Do the two of you spend a lot of time together?" she ventured to ask, though she feared she already knew the answer.

Vincent remained standing, walking back to the bookshelf and gazing at it absently. "No... Aeris is always trying to arrange it, but it is... awkward... for both of us."

Lucrecia nodded, though at the moment she wanted nothing more than to have her son and his father both there with her. "Yeah... I guess it would be."

"It is... strange. I am physically younger than he is. He has never had a father, and he is not about to accept anyone, let alone myself, in that role. I am not ready to fill it very well, anyway. It came as quite a surprise, and neither of us is very... forward with our feelings."

Lucrecia bit her lip at his obvious discomfort, both at having her in his home and discussing their son. "Maybe it just needs more time," she said hopefully, desperate to make everything right, the way it should have been all along. Maybe we just need more time...

"Perhaps..." Vincent trailed off, though he did not sound convinced or even very enthusiastic. "He has his own life now, though... working with the army and living with Aeris. I do not wish to intrude. She... often invites me over, but I do not usually accept. I do not want or deserve her pity."

"Aeris must be a wonderful person," Lucrecia said, and Vincent nodded much to her relief. That her troubled son had found a good woman to love him and help him to heal his wounds eased her mind, even though she knew she would never stop feeling guilty about the way his life had been due to choices she made long before he was even conceived.

"She is very good at helping Sephiroth deal with his emotions... which is why I asked her to come with him now. We may need her assistance..."

Lucrecia wondered what, exactly, he meant by that, but before she could respond, there was a sharp knock at the door. Lucrecia's heart began to pound, her chest tightening with anticipation and fear. Vincent looked first to the door, then back at her.

"Stay seated. I will deal with this..." She nodded mutely, thinking that she probably could not have moved if she wanted to, and watched as Vincent answered the door.

"Hi, Vincent," a cheerful female voice greeted him, spreading like a light into the darkness of the basement dwelling. Aeris, she assumed. She watched the back of Vincent's head as he nodded to her, and gestured for her to enter with his claw, his other hand still on the doorknob. A petite woman with long, braided brown hair slipped past him, wearing pink pants, little white sandals, and a white blouse. She had a large pink bow in her hair, and her warm green eyes shone with an inner joy. She was beautiful, and seemed to glow with a positive energy that made Lucrecia instantly like the young woman.

Aeris noticed Lucrecia sitting on the couch almost immediately despite the dim lighting, stopping dead in her tracks, her green eyes widening in surprise as her mouth dropped open to form a silent 'O'. It was obvious that despite the brief time Aeris had seen her as a partially transparent ghost, she recognized her instantly. Lucrecia could only stare back tearfully as Sephiroth stepped into the room after her, turning to face Vincent as he closed the door.

"This had best be as important as you say it is," Sephiroth said with annoyance, oblivious to what Aeris was gaping at just behind him. It seemed he had just been swimming or recently gotten out of the shower, his long silver hair still quite wet and trailing down his back.

"Sephiroth..." Aeris said quietly, without taking her eyes away from Lucrecia.

"Because if it is not," Sephiroth went on, glaring at the silent Vincent, who did not so much as blink, "I will not be happy."

"Sephiroth," Aeris repeated more urgently.

"What is it, Aeris?" he asked, finally turning his harsh gaze away from Vincent, who still said nothing, standing stiffly just inside the door. As he turned to look at her, his expression subconsciously softening, he noted that she was staring across the room at something and followed her gaze with his green Mako eyes. When he noticed what she was looking at, however, he tilted his head in confusion as he slowly looked Lucrecia over, unsure of what he was seeing. She felt her throat constrict as tears filled her eyes, and she rose on shaky legs, taking a few steps closer and looking up into his puzzled face.

"Sephiroth..." she whispered, holding out one hand. At the sound of her voice, he gasped aloud, his expression forming into one very much like Aeris' initial reaction. "Gods, Sephiroth... my baby..."

He managed to close his mouth after a moment, frowning severely, though she could see a muscle in his jaw twitch as his eyes darted about uncertainly. Instead of going to Lucrecia as she wanted, her arms held out for him, he turned on his heel and glared at Vincent accusingly, his handsome features twisted into an angry snarl.

"What is the meaning of this?" he whispered coldly, his voice shaking despite his effort to control himself. "Explain this immediately!"

"Your mother..." Vincent said quietly, looking across the room at Lucrecia with obvious affection, though it was clear that he did not mean for it to show, "has returned."

"She is dead. What do you think you are trying to do?" Sephiroth said, taking a step closer despite the hand Aeris had lifted to grab a hold of his forearm. Lucrecia was beginning to see why Vincent had sounded concerned about his reaction. He may have no longer been insane, but it was obvious that he still had a lot of emotional issues to deal with. The thought of what he must have endured in his life left her sick to her stomach.

"I have done nothing," Vincent said, unflinching as he and Sephiroth stood eye to eye, his voice as calm as a placid lake. His coolness seemed to further irritate Sephiroth, who was visibly shaking by now. "I was asleep, and I awakened to find her here. She can explain this better than I can, if you will listen."

"This must be a trick!" Sephiroth said, his voice echoing through the dark room. Lucrecia briefly wished Vincent had turned on a light for them, even if there was only one very small lamp in the room that might not have helped much.

"I… don't think so, Seph," Aeris said quietly, fearlessly stepping in front of him to separate him from Vincent before completely lost his temper. "I can... I can just... feel it. I can sense that she's really Lucrecia. She feels the same to me as when she appeared in the cave, only now the feeling is much stronger..."

Sephiroth stopped glaring at Vincent over her head and looked down at her in surprise as she placed a hand on his chest, some of his annoyance and anger fading. "…Really?" he asked hesitantly, and Lucrecia felt a few tears spill down her cheeks as her son finally turned and met her eyes. "You are certain?" he asked, sounding much less confident about his earlier judgment. It was clear that he trusted Aeris very deeply.

"Yes," Aeris said firmly, her hand now more comforting than restraining. "Somehow, she is really your mother."

"Thank you," Lucrecia whispered, nodding to Aeris with gratitude. The woman seemed to have abilities beyond those of a normal human being, something else she'd sensed about her in the cave, when as a ghost she'd had a wider range of perceptions. She was thankful Aeris was able to tell she was being honest, as she had no further proof of her true identity aside from her words.

Sephiroth was openly staring at her now, his eyes wide and his expression filled with surprise, distrust, and confusion. Slowly, some of the distrust was replaced with hope, and he took a cautious step forward.

"Mother?" he asked quietly, and Lucrecia had to hold back a sob at hearing him call her that. Hearing him with her own ears, and not through her disembodied spirit.

"Yes," she managed to say, nodding her head shakily. "It's me."

He tilted his head, studying her closely, looking her over as if seeing her for the first time and trying to commit her appearance forever to his memory. When he reached her eyes again, he paused, and threw a questioning look at Aeris. She smiled up at him and nodded, tears in her own eyes, and Sephiroth sighed heavily. When he turned back to Lucrecia, however, he awkwardly reached out to her, and she immediately crossed the distance between them and threw herself into his arms, really hugging her son for the first time.

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After the emotional reunion, the four remained gathered in Vincent's dark living room, if the dismal place even deserved that label. Lucrecia and Sephiroth were seated next to each other on the couch, Lucrecia holding one of Sephiroth's hands tightly, as if she was afraid to let go and lose him again. Aeris sat in a rickety old chair nearby, watching them and sniffling occasionally at the moving scene. Vincent remained standing, pacing the length of the room every so often, keeping his distance as if he did not feel he had the right to intrude.

"And that's... how I ended up here," Lucrecia said, finishing the retelling of her long and complicated tale.

"That's amazing..." Aeris said, awestruck. "You were so lucky that woman in the lab had a conscience and let you go."

"I know," she said, frowning. "I can't even bear to think about... what would have happened if I'd remained there. He would have..." She trailed off, looking down into her lap and fighting new tears, something that seemed to make Sephiroth very uncomfortable.

"Then do not think of it," he said from her side, squeezing her hand a little. "It did not happen. You are here now... safe. I will not let anyone harm you."

Lucrecia smiled up at him, lifting her free hand to touch his cheek. "I know," she said, feeling pride swell up in her chest. Her son had grown into a strong, handsome young man, honorable despite his hard life and all his faults. "I just... wish I had been able to do the same for you." She looked into his eyes and winced at all the buried pain and dark memories she saw there, knowing that all of it was her fault. "What I did to you was unforgivable..."

Sephiroth shook his head rapidly, not wanting to hear it. "No, it was Hojo, not you," he told her firmly, saying the man's name as if it were a vile curse. "And Mother... I do not know if Vincent has told you or not, but-"

"I know, Sephiroth," she interrupted him, a tear slipping down her cheek. "He told me. I know that Hojo isn't your father."

"You have no idea how glad that revelation made me," Sephiroth said quietly, a slight smirk crossing his face. "To think that I was related to that man..." He visibly shuddered, making Lucrecia wonder just what her ex-husband had done to her son. She felt intense anger begin to build within her, an emotion she had seldom experienced in her previous life. Now was not the time, however, and she quickly pushed the negative feelings aside.

Lucrecia noticed that Vincent had stopped pacing, glancing over at them for an instant before quickly looking away. He looked rather surprised, and it seemed to her that Sephiroth had probably never said such a thing in front of him before. She looked back and forth between the two of them several times, noting just how much alike they looked. Sephiroth may have had her eye color, and she didn't know where the silver hair had come from, but his delicate, attractive facial features, his expressions, his height and build, and even his voice were very similar to Vincent's. The resemblance was undeniable.

"I'm very glad," Lucrecia said, rubbing her thumb against the back of Sephiroth's gloved hand. She wondered why he was wearing them, since it was not cold outside. "But it makes what I did to you, and to Vincent, that much worse... I stayed with Hojo because I thought he was your father, and I wanted you to grow up knowing him, with a family that was whole. I knew what it was like not to have my own father around for most of my childhood, and I didn't want you to feel the same kind of pain and emptiness I did. But look what happened to you instead... If I had done the right thing and left..."

"There is no sense in blaming yourself now," Sephiroth said quietly. "It cannot change anything."

"I know..." she said, wiping at her eyes as more tears threatened to fall. "But I should have been stronger. I should have been strong enough to stay with you after you were born. I just want you to know that I'm sorry... I'm sorry I let Hojo experiment on you, and I'm sorry I was too weak to survive and raise you myself..."

She looked up at Sephiroth with such guilt and love in her eyes that he had to look away, shifting uncomfortably. "I am not angry at you," he said, his eyes somewhere over Aeris' head. "I never was. I only wanted to know you..."

"Maybe now we'll have the chance," she said, and he nodded a bit stiffly. She could see that it would take time for Sephiroth to feel comfortable around her, but she was willing to wait. She had the time now... And she was never going to waste such a precious and irreplaceable thing again.

Just then, the PHS sitting on the coffee table rang, and Lucrecia heard Vincent make a sound of annoyance before crossing the room and picking it up. "Hello?" he asked, turning his back to avoid the questioning looks he was receiving. "Is it an emergency?" A pause. "Then why are you calling me? ... I see. All right, I will come and sign the papers, but after that I am not to be disturbed again until further notice. I am… in the middle of something. You are in charge until further notice… Very well."

Vincent ended the call, then turned to give the three an apologetic look. "A burglar my officers have been looking for weeks has been arrested, and they need me to sign a search warrant for the suspect's room at the inn... It should only take a few minutes."

"Go ahead and take care of it," Aeris said easily, smiling reassuringly. "We'll be fine waiting here for you. And a lot of people will be relieved to have that thief off the streets. I know I am!"

Vincent nodded stiffly, slipped into his boots and cloak, then soundlessly exited his home, closing the door behind him after throwing Lucrecia one last look, as if begging her not to vanish before he returned. An awkward silence hung in the room behind him before Aeris cleared her throat and smiled cheerfully at Lucrecia.

"Vincent must be so happy to see you," Aeris said, looking a bit dreamy as if she loved romantic stories that ended happily. Vincent may have been acting like his usual, distant self, but Aeris had no doubt that he must have been feeling intense emotions inside.

"I... I'm not sure," Lucrecia stammered, feeling a bit ill. "He... hasn't said much..."

"He's just being Vincent," Aeris said with a grin. "Was he always this quiet?" she asked curiously, giving the impression that Vincent didn't share much information about himself with them. That, too, had always been true of him. He had always been slow to trust, and for good reason. And then she had given him even more reason...

Lucrecia nodded a bit fondly at the memories she had of him. "Oh yes... Well, maybe not this quiet, but he was never very talkative, at least not around most people. He was always able to talk to me more easily, though. We were very close... Gods, I was so stupid..."

Aeris listened attentively while Sephiroth remained silent, staring at a wall as if deep in thought as Lucrecia continued to hold his hand in hers.

"I'm glad he'll have someone he can talk to now..." Aeris finally said. "There are a lot of things he needs to get off his chest, I think. I know he feels very guilty about what happened to you, and Sephiroth... and what he deals with because of Chaos must be very difficult, but he never complains."

The instant Lucrecia frowned, clearly confused, Aeris turned bright red, looking down into her lap. "Oh no... I'm sorry, I didn't even think that... He hasn't had a chance to tell you yet, has he. Me and my big mouth..."

Sephiroth snorted, something that could have been a short laugh.

"Chaos?" Lucrecia asked curiously, pushing her glasses back into position on her nose.

"Umm... I think you'd be better off asking Vincent. Later," Aeris stammered, still clearly embarrassed. Lucrecia nodded wordlessly, her mind racing.

What was going on? What had Hojo done to him because he had loved her? She knew now that Hojo had known of their affair almost all along... He'd told her so quite arrogantly when she'd awakened in his laboratory with all of her memories. That was why, he explained, he had 'altered' Vincent, as he put it, making him into what he had called an 'undesirable freak' who no one would ever be able to love again. He told her he'd made it as painful and humiliating as possible, to repay him for sleeping with his wife and attempting to ruin his experiment. Lucrecia had tried to fight it, but was unable to avoid crying, something that had pleased Hojo immensely. And she had cried even harder when he told her that some of what Sephiroth had endured was also meant to pay her back for her unfaithfulness, despite how cruel and abusive he had been to her during their marriage. So much pain, because she had been weak...

"All right..." she gave in, feeling even more nervous than before. It seemed that a lot more was going on with Vincent than she might have guessed, things that went far deeper than his altered appearance. How much had he truly gone through because of her? Was there any way she could ever possibly make it up to him? Would he even let her try?

The door opened a moment later, and Vincent reentered the room, not making so much as a sound. He had always been so silent, able to move about with a grace and stealth that enabled him to avoid detection unless he wanted to be seen. It was largely because of his training with the Turks, she knew, but there was also something about Vincent himself that time had not changed. It was as if he did not want the notice of others, that he feared what might happen if he was given recognition. He was always a step behind, lurking in the shadows, as if he never wanted to be seen. He had never asked for anything from her... All he had ever done was give her his love.

"Is everything all right?" Lucrecia dared ask him, to which he simply nodded, returning to where he'd previous stood with his back to the others. She bit her lip, wanting desperately to get through to him and heal all of his pain. Aeris seemed to notice the tense silence and quickly spoke up, changing the subject.

"Are you going to be staying here in Junon Harbor, Lucrecia?" she asked, trying to keep her tone casual, as if it were any other conversation on any other day. Her friendly and open manner did help Lucrecia to feel a bit less nervous, and she was glad the other woman had come. The men certainly weren't making this easy.

"I... I would like to," she said awkwardly, glancing briefly at Vincent, who had not spoken a word directly to her since before Aeris and Sephiroth arrived. He had barely even looked at her, something that caused her chest to tighten with worry. "I don't have anywhere else to go, and I'm afraid Hojo may come looking for me..."

"Sephiroth and I have an extra room if you need a place to stay," she offered, though she won a startled glance from her husband at the suggestion. "The inn here is very nice, too, if you'd prefer that. I'm sure we can find you a place to stay for the night, until you can settle in somewhere more permanent. And if you need clothing or anything else, it's no problem at all."

"Thank you," Lucrecia said, smiling at Aeris and already feeling as if she had a daughter now, too. "I really appreciate that."

"That will not be necessary."

All three turned to where Vincent had come to stand, just behind the chair Aeris was seated in. He looked uncomfortable under their collective stare, but stood his ground with his arms folded across his chest. "She can stay here with me... if... she wants to..."

Lucrecia fought hard for a moment to swallow the lump in her throat, then managed to nod her head. "I... I... Yes, I'd like that..." she stuttered, feeling her face flush as she looked up at him. This time, he briefly met her eyes, and she felt the familiar bond of love flare to life between them. From the expression that briefly flickered across his face, she was almost certain that he had felt it, too. "If... if you really don't mind..."

Vincent shook his head, as if the idea was ridiculous. "Not at all. If you can stand being in this place with me, I would like you to stay..."

Lucrecia smiled warmly at him, not caring how dark his home was, how badly furnished it was, or how isolated it was from the rest of the city. She didn't care about the golden claw that had replaced his left hand and forearm, or about the red of his eyes and the distance in his voice. He was still Vincent, and she wanted to be with him no matter what.

Aeris, suddenly feeling like an intruder into a very private discussion, stood and stretched. "Sephiroth and I ought to be going then, so you two can talk for a while." Lucrecia had to keep from thanking her aloud for her tact and perception.

Sephiroth nodded, and turned to Lucrecia with a very faint smile. Though only the corners of his mouth turned up, the feeling went all the way to his eyes. "I am glad you are back," he said, sounding a bit shy.

"So am I," she said, leaning over to hug him tightly. He remained stiff in her embrace for a moment, then awkwardly returned the gesture before standing and moving to Aeris' side, where she instantly took a hold of his hand.

"It was nice meeting you, finally," Aeris said to Lucrecia, still beaming. "Why don't the two of you come over to our place for breakfast tomorrow? We all have a lot of catching up to do... and I make decent pancakes, no matter what Seph may try to tell you!"

Lucrecia couldn't help but smile back at her. "That sounds nice," she said, though Vincent did not react to the invitation and Sephiroth appeared to be trying hard not to frown.

"Great! Come on over around ten, and I'll have everything ready."

With that, Aeris and Sephiroth headed to the door, Sephiroth pausing to take a long last look at his mother before closing the door behind them. Lucrecia lifted a hand to wipe at her eyes again, then took a deep breath and looked up to where Vincent had gone to stand, near the bookcase with his back to her once more. She suddenly felt very nervous, even more so than she had before, and quite unsure of herself.

"Vincent... If it makes you uncomfortable, I can find somewhere else to stay," she began awkwardly, though she wanted nothing more than to remain with him. He seemed not to have heard her, crossing the room to finally switch on the room's one small lamp, a dim golden light coming to life and painting shadows on the dark walls. She was about to address him again when he suddenly turned to look at her, his eyes intense.

"No, I want you to stay..." he said a bit more firmly, and she swallowed hard at all the things she could see in his eyes despite his efforts to hide them.

"And I want to stay, very much," she assured him, forcing a smile. "Come and sit down, Vincent. Please."

He hesitated for long moments, his eyes darting about as if he was deep in an argument with himself. Finally, she heard him sigh, and he walked slowly across the room, his footsteps silent even on the cement floor. When he reached her, Lucrecia looked up into his face, though he kept his eyes averted. Hesitantly, she reached up and took a careful, gentle hold of his clawed hand, causing him to flinch and attempt to pull the limb away. She held on a bit more tightly, though, refusing to let him withdrawal it. She wanted him to know that it didn't matter to her how he'd changed physically. Inside, she knew he still had the same heart and soul she'd loved thirty years before and never stopped loving even after death. After another brief pause, Vincent finally gave in and sat down beside her, Lucrecia keeping her hold on his metallic limb.

Vincent sat stiffly beside her on the worn couch, still hardly able to believe that it truly was Lucrecia who was seated next to him and holding his hand. His unnatural hand, part of what set him apart from all others, part of the punishment for his sins... Yet she held it with a familiar tenderness, as if she saw it only as a part of him, and not something to be feared or avoided. How he wished that were true...

He found himself unable to speak, unable to even look at her. He concentrated on continuing to breathe and keeping his expression carefully neutral despite all of the conflicting feelings rushing through him. He felt as though he was in shock, his mind racing as his heart pounded with the renewal of all he had felt so far back in time. He didn't want to make himself vulnerable and lose his heart to her all over again... But at the same time, he desired just that, and he couldn't have helped it anyway. From the first time he'd seen her in the laboratory, wearing her long white lab coat, glasses sliding down her nose and her hair carelessly pulled into a ponytail at the base of her neck, he had known there was something about her. And despite the fact that she was married, and that he had never known the feeling before, he'd been unable to keep from falling in love. Now it was happening all over again... Or had it ever really ended?

"Vincent?" she asked from his side, when he still had not spoken or moved a full minute later. The voice of an angel... Her quiet question, and the affectionate way she always spoke his name, as if he was so much more than the lonely, isolated man he'd always thought he was, startled him from his thoughts. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, not trusting himself to really look at her for fear of what it would evoke.

"Yes?" he asked, fighting to keep his tone neutral. He heard her sigh in response and saw her shake her head sadly, though she kept her hold on his hand, lightly running her thumb over the back of it though he had no feeling in the prosthetic.

"Vincent... I just... want to fix everything," she said, her voice strained with barely withheld tears. "I want things to be the way they used to between us," she nearly whispered, and he fought hard not to let her see how deeply the words affected him. Could she mean that? Did she really want to be with him again, despite everything he'd done to hurt her, regardless of what he had become? He could scarcely believe it, and forced himself to remain stiff and emotionless, fighting to ignore the rapid beating of his heart. He had never expected to feel such life in it ever again.

"What... are your intentions toward me?" he forced himself to ask, his deep voice quiet and almost chillingly devoid of emotion. He could sense the stunned, nearly hurt look on her face without looking, regretting his statement almost instantly. He was still hurting her, even now... but it was something he truly needed to know. He could not risk letting himself feel for her again unless he knew exactly what she intended for them.

"My... intentions?" she asked, sounding pained. "What... what do you mean? I love you, I told you that. You were the first person I thought of when I woke up in the lab, and I knew I had to find you." She paused, sniffling and wiping at her eyes with her free hand before continuing. "I... I came here to find you, to make sure you were all right... and I see that you're not. You've been blaming yourself for things you had no control over, you've isolated yourself from everyone... And it's all my fault. I want to stay here and spend the rest of my life making it up to you, making up for everything I ever did to hurt you."

She looked down into her lap, tears trailing down her cheeks and eventually dripping from her chin. Vincent's stomach twisted in knots, and his heart felt as if someone had plunged a knife into it. She was still hurting because of him... All he ever did was bring her pain. If she stayed, would he only bring her more bad memories and suffering?

"You owe me nothing," Vincent said, his eyes on the far wall. "I was not good enough in the past... Why would anything change now?"

"Not good enough?" she asked, sounding confused. "Vincent, you were the best thing that ever happened to me! If it hadn't been for you, I... don't know what I might have done. You were what kept me sane, kept me going. Sometimes, the only reason I got out of bed in the morning was to see you, even if it could only be from a distance..."

"But you still died. And I did not prevent it. I was unable to convince you to leave Hojo, or to protect yourself..."

This time, the guilt in his voice was paired with obvious hurt, something he scolded himself for. He could not let her know how much it had hurt him that she claimed to love him, but would not run away with him, where she would have been safe. It was not her fault, he told himself firmly. He was not good enough for her, and he never would be. Now, he was not only weak and inadequate... he was a monster as well.

"I had a choice, Vincent. I made the wrong one," Lucrecia said, her voice a bit louder and more confident, something he'd always worked so hard to bring out in her. He'd always wanted her to love herself the way he did, to see herself through his eyes. She even sounded a bit angry, he thought, listening to her every word. "It had nothing to do with you, and everything to do with me."

"Then why?" Vincent asked quietly, still looking away and staring at the wall, though his posture and expression were noticeably tense. "Why did you stay? At one point, you agreed with me that you needed to get away, that you were in danger. You said you... loved me... and wanted us to be married so we could raise the baby together. But then you changed your mind. You always did, every time... Why?" The hurt in his voice was so powerful that he winced, hating himself for letting it escape his grasp.

Lucrecia bit her lip, then released his hand from hers, reaching up instead to gently turn his chin toward her. "Look at me," she said quietly, when he kept his eyes averted. Reluctantly, Vincent complied, battling to keep his composure as his red eyes met her tearful green ones.

"I didn't leave him because... because... I convinced myself that the baby would make it all better," she said, keeping her hand beneath his chin so he couldn't look away. "I never had a relationship with my father, Vincent, you know that. I didn't want the same for my son. And... I... didn't think I deserved you..." She nearly whispered, new tears trailing down her cheeks.

"What?" Vincent asked, frowning, completely taken aback. "You thought... that you did not deserve me? I am hardly a man who would be considered a 'good catch,' Lucrecia... I never was. I was moody, depressed, kept to myself... I lived a dangerous life, and I burdened you with my problems when you had your own that were much more important. I did not even know what love was or how to handle it, because there had been no one else before you... You were always too good for me, and I knew it. I was foolish to think you would give up your husband and your work for me. There was nothing that I could have given you..."

Lucrecia shook her head, shifting her hand upward to rest along his cheek. Vincent lost his control for a moment, closing his eyes against her warm, familiar touch. "You gave me so much more than you know," she said quietly. "You gave me your heart, your love, and you meant it... You didn't want anything in return. Your love was unconditional and selfless. You kept giving of yourself even when I gave you nothing back. You quietly accepted it when I chose to stay with Hojo, but you never stopped loving and supporting me. You took so much crap from me, Vincent, but you never turned me away. That's what makes me so mad! I hurt you, again and again, and you just took it! You never complained, and every time I ran to you, you let me in... even though you knew I'd be gone in the morning. How could you let me do that to you? And then to blame yourself for it! Dammit, Vincent, just once, I wanted you to stick up for yourself! How could you let me walk all over you like that? I love you, but I took advantage of you! Why can't you see that?"

She dropped her hand from his face, lifting a hand to her forehead and looking utterly miserable and guilt stricken. At that moment, she felt nearly as foul as Hojo, realizing that she had, in a way, hurt him as much as her husband had always hurt her. Perhaps far more. "Gods, Vincent. How could I have ever done that to you? And then to come and find you and expect you to forgive me..." She paused, letting out a brief, bitter laugh. "I'm a complete idiot. I threw away a future with my soul mate, a man who loved me for who I was and not what I could do for him, to stay with a madman who experimented on my son... and he wasn't even Sephiroth's father! I don't even deserve to be alive..."

"Do not say that!" Vincent suddenly exclaimed, looking at her with near-frightening intensity in his eyes. "I do not want to hear you speak that way, ever!"

Lucrecia jumped, shocked by his sudden outburst, cringing back against the couch cushions almost as if she expected to be struck. When she looked up again, his red eyes were focused on her face, and a deep frown had replaced his stoic expression. It was the expression he had worn so many times, when she would cry to him about the things Hojo had said or done to her... An expression of barely contained anger.

"I... I'm sorry," she stammered, looking down in shame, instantly feeling guilty for even thinking that he might retaliate. He wasn't Hojo, she knew that, and the two were nothing alike. Vincent would never, ever have lifted a hand to her or even thought about it, no matter how upset he was. He was more likely to become quiet and distant when upset, turning the anger in on himself instead. But old habits were hard to break, and she fretfully wondered if she would ever entirely break free of Hojo's control. When she glanced up again, she found that he hadn't moved, but had already looked away in an attempt to regain his composure.

"I did not mean to raise my voice," he said quietly, clearly ashamed of himself, aware of how timid she could be and feeling guilty for having startled her. "But it... bothers me... to hear you say that. You have returned, and... I do not think I could stand losing you again. Once was bad enough..."

"I know..." she whispered in agreement. "Even when I was... between life and death... being apart from you, and from my... our son... was devastating. I didn't know a ghost could be depressed." She forced a smile, looking up at him hopefully. "But somehow, I got a second chance... I don't think I deserve it after what I did, but... I'm not going to waste it, Vincent, and I'm not going to make the same mistakes again. And that includes being with you the way it should have been all along."

A brief flicker of hope flashed across Vincent's face, but he quickly wiped it away, shifting his weight and sighing. "How can you say that? Look at me..." He held up his metal claw for her to see, then met her eyes with his red ones. "I'm not the man you once knew... Hojo made sure of that. He made sure that no one could ever care for me again. He made me dangerous..."

"Dangerous?" she asked, frowning and again taking a hold of his clawed hand, determined to prove to him that she wasn't afraid. Her mind instantly returned to the conversation she'd had with Aeris while he'd stepped out. "Does... does this have to do with... something called Chaos?"

Vincent's eyes widened, and it was clear that he was alarmed. "How... how did you know about that?" he stammered, losing control of his tone and expression and not even bothering to try to hide it this time.

"I... Aeris... mentioned it, accidentally... but she wouldn't explain what it meant."

Vincent sighed, closing his eyes as if suddenly very tired. "Yes... Yes, that is why I am dangerous. Why I should not be around others. Especially not you..."

"What do you mean?" she asked, hearing the sharp pain in his voice. She looked up at him with love and support in her eyes, not wanting him to feel ashamed about anything around her.

"It is... part of what Hojo did to me," he began quietly, sounding very reluctant, as if he did not usually discuss it with anyone. "I am not sure how he did it... but... I can... transform..."

Lucrecia frowned, trying to figure out what he was talking about. "Transform how?" she asked, curious due to her scientific background in addition to her deep concern for the man she loved.

"There is a… demon that lives inside of me," he said, hanging his head. "And when it exerts its influence, my body... changes. It is quite painful, but that is not the worst of it. When this creature takes over, I... am unaware of my actions. I lose control of myself until I transform back some odd hours later, and at that time I have little to no memory past when the transformation began."

Lucrecia lifted a hand to her mouth, unable to believe what Hojo had been able to do to Vincent. How could he have done such a thing to another human being? Then again, he'd done much worse to his own wife and the child he thought was his son. "Gods, that's awful. I'm... I'm so sorry. It must be terrible for you..." She wanted nothing more than to embrace him, but the expression on his face told her that he would not welcome it.

"No... I know that I deserve it. It is my fate. It is others I am concerned about..."

"Why?" she asked quietly, still holding onto his clawed hand tightly. "You would never hurt anyone..."

"You give me far too much credit, Lucrecia... I used to be a Turk, after all. But past things aside... When I transform, it is as if I am... possessed. The transformations can be brought about by anger, danger, extreme pain... or sometimes out of nowhere. And after the first few seconds, during which I am usually crippled by pain, my vision goes... red... and my mind simply clouds over. I will wake up hours later, sometimes far away from where I began, sore and exhausted... with no memory of what I have done. And sometimes... there is... blood on me."

Lucrecia didn't know what to say, speechless for long moments as the pain on his face cut into her heart. She was filled with pity for him rather than fear, however, because she knew Vincent, better than anyone else ever had. And she knew he was not a violent man. Whatever he might do while under the influence of a being he could not control was not his fault, just as Sephiroth was not to blame for what he did while influenced by Jenova. And even if it meant risking experiencing one of these... transformations he spoke of, Lucrecia knew with certainty that she would never leave him. He simply needed her too much.

"There has to be some way to help you, some way to undo it... or at least control it a little better. Have you tried any medica-"

"No!" Vincent interrupted, raising his voice once more and pulling his hand away. "Do not try to help me. I am beyond help. I am a monster. You must accept this and flee while you still can..."

"That isn't true," Lucrecia argued tearfully. "I'm not going to leave you, Vincent... You're still the same, no matter what he did to your body."

Vincent shook his head miserably. "No, I am not. What he did, it... changed a lot of things aside from my appearance. I am largely nocturnal now, and my senses are far stronger than a normal man's. I am stronger and have greater endurance, and I have instincts and desires that are not my own. Yet, somehow, they are..."

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking at him with sympathy, far more concerned for him than afraid for herself.

"For instance… I sometimes have the desire to... hunt for food... even when it is not necessary. Something inside me simply wishes for the... thrill... of it. I usually catch myself and push the thought away, but when the urge becomes too strong and overwhelming... I transform. And then I am... afraid to think of what I do. Because afterwards, the need is not as strong for a time, as if it has been satisfied..."

"Oh, Vincent," she said, leaning over and holding him despite his stiff posture and miserable expression. "I'm so sorry..."

"Sorry?" he said with a bitter snort, remaining still in her embrace, forcing himself not to react. "Why should you be sorry? I have earned this..."

"You are so stubborn!" Lucrecia exclaimed with a short laugh. "How many times do I have to tell you that what happened to me was my own fault, as well as what happened to you? Can you ever stop blaming yourself?"

"I... do not know..."

"Then if it takes me the rest of my second life, Vincent Valentine, I'm not going to give up until you do!" She smiled at the thought of spending eternity with him, leaning back from the embrace and looking up into his eyes. "Talk to me, Vincent... Tell me how you feel."

Vincent sighed heavily, hanging his head and letting his hair fall across his face. Then he tossed it back and turned to her with an intent expression, the misery and guilt largely gone for the moment as he met her eyes and studied her face. Slowly, his features took on a softer look, until one corner of his mouth twitched in an attempt at a smile. The expression felt so unfamiliar to him that he could scarcely remember how to make his muscles perform the motion.

"I am... confused, surprised... relieved." He paused, looking uncomfortable. "I simply... feel alive again. I tried to get over you, Lucrecia, I tried to forget... but I could not... and I did not really want to anyway. I wanted your memory, the memory of every second we spent together, no matter how it pained me. And now that you are back... everything I went through was more than worth it. I love you..."

He was amazed at how easily the words came back, and at how natural it felt to speak them, words he never thought he would feel or utter again. The smile that crossed her face and the tears that filled her eyes only further served to warm the chill of many years from his heart. "I... I want you to stay...even though it will put you in danger. It is selfish, but I cannot help it. I missed you so much, and I do not want to lose you again..."

"Then... you want us... to be together?" Lucrecia asked shakily, sounding desperately hopeful and unsure of herself.

Vincent nodded pathetically, tears finally slipping down his cheeks. It felt so strange to cry... He hadn't done so in many years, but as he looked at her, he found he could not help it. "Yes... as difficult as it will be for me to remember how to live again... and as much as I will worry about the danger I may put you in. As guilty as I feel about the past, and as unworthy as I am... I want to be with you. I need you. But Lucrecia... this time... I will not share you. I cannot go through that again. If we are to be together, it can only be you and I... No one else."

The ultimatum was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to say. He wanted to be with her, no matter what, but he knew in his heart that he would not survive having to share her with another man again. After what it had cost them last time, it was something he simply could not allow.

"You'll never have to worry about that, I promise you," Lucrecia nearly whispered. "I would never be that stupid again... We belong together, and I don't want anyone else."

"Really?" he asked, looking down at himself doubtfully, allowing his insecurities to show through. How could she still want him when he looked as he did, and when he had so much darkness staining his soul?

"Really," she answered firmly, smiling through her own tears. "You are the man I love, the father of my child... This is fate."

She leaned forward and kissed him then, and Vincent knew the conversation was over. There was no way he could concentrate on anything else once her lips had touched his and her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck. He kissed her back gently at first, shocked at how quickly her presence had brought his body and soul back to life. It felt so easy, so natural, to be with her like this... even after so long and so many changes.

None of it mattered as they breathlessly stood together a while later, Vincent shyly taking her hand in his normal one and leading her toward the back room only after she had nodded her approval. Her face was as flushed as he knew his was, and he could scarcely believe what was happening. He briefly wondered if he was still asleep after all, but her hands on his body and her lips against his felt far too good to be another dream. Lucrecia had returned, and she was his again, forever.