A/N: This is the halfway point and it was the original final chapter until I realized that I still had more story to tell. And there are only three more chapters until we get to brand spanking new material! This chapter has been edited to comply with ffnet's TOS. For the complete chapter please check out my profile at Archive of Our Own, which can be found on my ffnet profile page.
Devilsblackangel: Thanks for sticking with my story even though you don't like the direction it's taken. I think you'll be better pleased with what happens next.
SkyMaiden: This one's extra long (4,402 words, when you include the smut), just for you ^_^
Super Tifa and all my other readers: Thanks for making my hit count go up!
Chapter 10: Valeria
When Tifa was released from the hospital it was with the strict resolution that she have complete bed rest. This meant that Vincent did everything for her. He brought her breakfast, lunch, and dinner in bed and any other weird snacks in between that she craved. He would bring her books and magazines to read, and play cards with her, or simply talk with her about anything and everything as they had once been wont to do.
In this manner they spent the last few months of her pregnancy, reacquainting themselves with each other. Until their daughter decided to make her appearance. She came a little bit earlier than her due date, but Dr. Whitsun was not worried. In the last few months the baby had grown a great deal and the lungs that she had been concerned about had developed fully and properly. She used them to let out a lusty cry the moment they tasted their first breath of air, angrily expressing her displeasure at being removed from the warmth of her mother's womb and exposed to the harsh environment.
After she was cleaned and inspected, baby girl Valentine was placed into her mother's arms where she was received with great joy and affection.
Vincent looked on admiringly as Tifa counted ten baby fingers and then unwrapped the swaddled figure and counted ten baby toes. She looked exactly like Tifa; the same startlingly crimson eyes, small nose, full lips, even her hands were the miniature of Tifa's. Tifa cried unabashedly and Vincent felt his own eyes mist over with happiness and relief.
The first few weeks after they brought her home were difficult for Tifa, though. The baby kept her awake most of the night and there was nothing Vincent could do but watch on helplessly. When she cried out at night it was only Tifa's milk that could abate her hunger. It was only by listening to Tifa's familiar heartbeat that she could be soothed back to sleep. Vincent wondered if he would be able to create a similarly strong bond with the child. For the most part when he looked at her, he felt rather indifferent. But he had to force himself not to wonder what color her hair would be when some finally grew in. All she did was eat, sleep, drool, and need to get her diaper changed. And when she wasn't doing any of those things she would stare into space with unfocused eyes.
As if sensing his concern, Tifa asked him to hold the baby as much as possible, or change her diaper, or dress her in the cute frilly clothes that Marlene had sent, or pajamas at night. At first he was afraid that he would hurt her. Even though his prosthetic hand was remarkable in design and gave him a full range of motion, it made him feel a little clumsy sometimes. And she was so little and doll-like he thought sometimes she might break off. But it was in those times that he spent with her that he began to discover how amazing she was. Still new from the womb she could curl up into a little ball and fit comfortably in his large hand. He couldn't help but melt a little when she would grab onto his finger and hold on as if her life depended on it. She also loved to eat his hair, grabbing fistfuls of it and sucking happily until she fell asleep. Tifa joked that his hair tasted better than hers. He was most pleased when he was the first to have the pleasure of seeing her toothless, gummy baby smile. It made him feel more like her father. And having Vincent there to take care of the baby made things easier for Tifa.
But it was when he watched her with her mother that he became even more aware of Tifa and the changes that had taken place while he was away.
When Tifa had first been released from the hospital after her premature labor had been halted, he had agreed to move back in with her to take care of her, but he had slept in the guest bedroom. He was afraid to touch her, in part because of her condition, but still wary of resuming any real intimacy between them. Now sometimes when he watched her with the baby, rocking her to sleep, singing to her, or feeding her, Vincent would feel an embarrassing tightening in his loins and force himself to walk away. He wanted nothing more than to touch the creamy fullness of her breast, or kiss her soft wide mouth. And he was intoxicated by her smell, like milk and the gentle lavender soap that they used to wash the baby. He couldn't help but wonder about how things would be different if he and Tifa still shared a bed.
Vincent was distracted from the pleasure of the hot water pounding down on his taught muscles when he heard the baby cry and realized that she had been crying for a while. Tifa never let her cry that long without rushing to comfort her and find out what was wrong. He felt a knot of fear tighten up his stomach. "Tifa?" he called out, turning off the water. When he got no response he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around himself, rushing off to the nursery. He was startled when he walked in and saw her standing in the middle of the room in her robe holding the baby with tears streaming down her face. "Tifa?"
"She won't stop crying!" Tifa wailed. "I've fed her, and made sure she wasn't wet…and rocked her…and sang to her, but she won't stop!"
"Here, let me take her," he said soothingly, reaching out for the baby. "You're upset and she's probably just feeding off of your emotions." Tifa gladly handed over the crying child, and then sat down in the rocking chair exhaustedly. She stared at him as he began rocking the baby. In a few minutes the baby had calmed down to only whimpers, and then after that she had stuck her thumb in her mouth and was sleeping soundly. He set her down in the crib gently, and then turned to Tifa.
"Are you all right?"
Tifa sniffled. "You're wet." Vincent stepped toward her awkwardly, suddenly reminded of the fact that he was only in a towel, and still dripping wet.
"I am sorry. I thought there was something wrong…"
"Oh, there's something wrong, all right!" Tifa exclaimed cryptically. But she said nothing more.
"Do you wish to elaborate?" He had some idea, if the scent rolling off of her was any indication.
"No…well, I do…but I can't."
Vincent stared at her long and hard, noting the embarrassed pink tint to her cheeks. She looked so damn lovely sitting in the rocking chair with her huge terry cloth robe on and her toes peaking out from beneath it. He once again wished that things were different between them because then he would go over to her and lean down and press his lips against hers just to see if they were still as soft and full as he remembered them…he had to stop where his thoughts were going or even a towel wouldn't be able to hide his sudden intense interest in her. She wasn't ready, was she? And he wasn't either…or was he?
"I should go…get dressed," he said, lamely.
Tifa only nodded.
"Valeria and I had our 6-week check up today," Tifa said as they sat down for dinner a couple of evenings later.
Vincent knew that because he had reminded her of it before heading over to the weapon's shop for the day. When they first got married he had mostly helped Tifa run the bar by doing the behind-the-scenes business that kept it running smoothly and efficiently. But when they separated and he had moved to Rocket Town he was surprised to learn how much he enjoyed dealing in weapons. As soon as Tifa didn't need him to take care of her so diligently he had bought out an empty store and set up a weapon's shop in Kalm.
"How are things?" he asked.
"The baby and I are perfectly healthy. She's gaining weight at a good rate, and I'm losing it rather quickly as well."
"That's good." He smiled.
"Dr. Whitsun also told me it would be all right if you and I resumed sexual relations."
Vincent nearly choked on the tea he had been sipping. He hadn't been expecting that.
Tifa blushed delicately, making her skin glow even more beautifully than before. "If you don't want to, I understand."
"No! I do! I just—I wasn't sure how you felt about it."
"I want to. If you want to. I've wanted to since you moved back in—I used to have the most erotic dreams about you—being pregnant does that…I guess—but we…couldn't. And even then I wasn't sure if you wanted me."
"I do want you. More than anything. I don't think I could ever stop wanting you."
"But…I lost my figure…I still haven't quite regained it…"
Vincent shook his head incredulously. "All I have to do is look at you sometimes…or catch a whiff of your scent…" He leaned in close to her, until their faces were almost touching and whispered seductively in her ear. "You blossomed when you were carrying Valeria, and now you're just more…fuller, rounder, sexier. It's been a struggle to keep my hands off of you."
Tifa gasped in surprise at his words and how they affected her. She felt a tingling of pleasure in her nipples and he hadn't even touched her! "Really?"
"Yes."
"Then what do you say about this weekend? I could ask Yuffie to come take the baby for the night, and then you and I can be alone."
Vincent agreed without any further hesitation.
When the night came Tifa handed the baby over to Yuffie's eager arms somewhat reluctantly and listed instructions a mile long about what to do in case of emergency. Vincent too was a little reluctant to let her go for various reasons, but ultimately kissed her on the forehead and waved goodbye.
When he turned to Tifa, she smiled shyly and then told him to open a bottle of wine as she got ready. She dashed up the stairs to the bedroom so quickly that he could do nothing but comply. When he had finished a glass, he decided that he had waited long enough for whatever it was that Tifa was doing and picking up the bottle and two glasses, went up the stairs.
When he opened the door to the bedroom, he was surprised to find candles lit all around the room, and rose petals spread across the bed. But Tifa was no where in sight.
"I'm almost ready," she called from the bathroom. So he set down the glasses and poured wine into them, then settled himself comfortably on the bed.
When she came out, she was wearing black lingerie that emphasized her already voluptuous breasts and accentuated her other curves. Matching black stilettos highlighted her muscular calves and shapely thighs. Vincent's mouth went dry at the sight of her, so he took a sip of his wine, which of course did nothing to quench his thirst, and then remembered to offer her some. She sat down beside him on the bed and took it gratefully and gulped it down exposing how nervous she really was. When she was finished with that she poured herself another glass and was beginning to down that one, when Vincent grabbed it from her.
"You know it's been a while since the last time you've had alcohol. You keep drinking at that rate and you'll be drunk in no time."
"I know."
"Why are you so afraid?"
"Aren't you?"
"Desperately," he whispered.
Tifa sighed, knowing that Vincent deserved to have an answer to his question. He waited patiently for her to express herself. Finally, taking his hand into hers, she looked up into his eyes and began. "I'm afraid that I've messed things up so badly that they'll never be the same between us. I am your unfaithful cuckolding wife you know." She smiled wryly. Then she frowned. "I know you've forgiven me, but I can't forget."
Vincent nodded sympathetically. "I understand. I have forgiven you because I love you, but I'll never be able to forget. But I haven't forgotten my own sins. I once convinced a woman to commit adultery with me and for a time I thought I had gotten her pregnant. It only seems fair that I should have the same thing happen to me."
"No, it's not! Hojo got his revenge on you. He took your life and he desecrated your body. Nothing you have ever done was worth what he did to you."
"I have done worse as a Turk. There are many things in the past that I have done that I regret. And I fear there may be many more in the future. Who am I to judge you, especially when I love you so much?"
"If you forgive me, then can I ask you a question?"
"Of course you can. If we can't be honest with each other than our marriage has no chance, and I really want it to work."
"Okay. Then can you tell me what happened to your wedding ring?"
Surprised, Vincent looked down at his empty left hand. "I had forgotten I'd taken it off."
"Do you still have it?"
"Yes, of course. I took it off because I thought our marriage was over, but I could never bring myself to get rid of it. I guess there was always a part of me that hoped we could still make this work. And I was right." Vincent smiled, and Tifa sighed in relief.
"I'm glad. Can you put it back on? I want you to put it back on right now."
Vincent heartily agreed and quickly got up in search of his cloak. It was hanging up in the closet and his ring was still in the pocket where he had placed it so many months ago. He returned to Tifa's side and was about to put it back on himself when Tifa caught his hand and took the ring from him. Then she kissed his palm.
"With this ring I pledge my never-ending love and fidelity, and I promise that I will never give you a reason to take it off again." Then she seized his head and brought his mouth down towards hers for a devastatingly rough kiss. She thrust her tongue into his mouth hungrily, releasing all the pent up passion from the past months of separation. Vincent responded just as fervently.
The next night when it was time for bed, Vincent crawled in and wrapped his arms around Tifa thinking that he had never been happier in his life. Soon they were both asleep, cuddling. Until a shrill cry woke them up. Tifa immediately sat up as she was accustomed to doing, but Vincent stopped her from getting out of bed with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'll get her." He went to the bassinet, and carefully picked her up, cradling her in his arms. Recognizing her cry he laid her down gently next to Tifa. She sleepily bared her breast and offered it to the hungry child who latched on greedily. Watching mother and daughter made Vincent feel utterly content. Every moment he spent with his family was better than the last.