Title: Dreary Decisions

Summary: After Deepground, Vincent just wanted to accept his fate in life and move on from Lucrecia. Unfortunately, fate is not so kind. Now, he must choose between saving the woman who still holds a piece of his heart, the man trying to win over his heart, and vengeance against the man seeking to ruin everything he holds dear.

Warnings: Explicit yaoi, graphicness, swearing, smoking, gore, angst, etc., etc.

Rolling his eyes, the brunette helped Mrs. Henderson to her feet and led her to the door for the entrance before opening the small door to the closet and pulling out the thin, Wutaian girl, pushing both of them out of his dreary apartment. "As much as I...appreciate...your visits, I am afraid that I must retire for the night."

"But, Vinny-" both Yuffie and the old woman started, just to have the door closed in their faces.

"Go home," he said before walking over to the bed and opening the folder, removing the file's contents before organizing them back into the piles that he had before. Satisfied when he heard the footsteps heading away from his door, the brunette opened his phone before looking at the time. Cid should be arriving any minute. Had he really spent an hour arguing with the little, old lady from next door for almost an entire hour.

Shaking his head, the brunette went back to listening over Hojo's messages, hoping to find a clue about the mysterious woman who was pregnant. Was she the precursor to Lucrecia? If everything went well with that experiment, would Hojo have left her to have their child normally; no drugs, no Jenova cellls, no experiments? Sudden knocking torn Vincent out of his thoughts. Walking over, he opened the door to find the pilot standing there with a lit cigarette dangling from between his lips.

"Sorry I'm late. Big ass storm over Wutai, so I had to go 'round the over way. Luck would have it that there was an even bigger storm over fuckin' Nibelheim! So, what ya got fer me, Val?" Cid asked as he walked into the dark room, pushing the gunner out of the way before whistling. "Yeah, yer fuckin' moving."

"...I am not," Vincent replied. "Now, can you read through these? ...I would like a second opinion."

Shrugging, the blonde blew out a mouthful of smoke before sitting down on the bed and reading the reports and scrap of paper before listening to the recordings and skimming through the pictures. Red eyes watched the blonde intently as he smoked and worked through the files. He looked much more serious when in the darker apartment; as if a cloud of doubt had been cast on him.

Maybe he should move?

Certainly not with Mrs. Henderson; that was not even an option.

Granted, the pilot was usually serious, there was a always a playful streak in him. Those who did not come into contact with the man often did not see through the abrasive exterior and that he had a good heart and a dry sense of humor, which was often shown through his sarcasm. It was quite endearing that the blonde was open with a select few and he was one of those privileged to see the pilot without his defenses up. Very few have seen the pilot when he was completely drunk and spouting his random thoughts into the open.

Smiling softly behind the large cowl of his cloak, the gunner continued to watch as the blonde filtered through the photographs. "So, ya were a part 'a this shit, too?" Cid asked as he held up the three images of himself, his mother, and his father. Nodding, Vincent watched as Cid shook his head. "Man, you've gotten the shit end 'a the stick "

"...So it seems..."

"Heh, yanno, one of these pictures looks really familiar to me an' I ain't got any idea why..."

"...I had the same feeling. Which one?" Vincent nodded as Cid lifted up the picture of the small-looking woman. "That is the only picture without any writing on it."

"My guess is the psycho doc didn't know what to do with her. She ain't marked down as a failure 'r a success, like ya are. ...In this case, she might be lucky fer that shit. No offense."

"...None taken."

"So, she ain't got a name, is supposedly dead; if ya believe a single word from that quack," Cid said as he tapped the ash from his cigarette into a dusty ashtray that Vincent had picked up years ago. "She was after ya were a success, right?"

"...Correct."

"Well, seems as if the doc wasn't too happy with his 'success.' Can't say I blame him; one killed herself, one "vanished," and the only living one is a brooding som'bitch who needs to get his ass into the sun every once in a while an' stop taking fashion tips from depressed teenagers!"

"...You make me feel so special..."

"Yer welcome," Cid said with a grin. "So, looks like he found this broad," he said as he held up the picture, "an' decided to give her a shot. Knowin' what I know 'bout the creepy fuck, it wouldn't surprise me if he tried some funny business with her. Boyfriend got upset when he found out she was pregnant and went to beat the demented doc into an early grave. What guy wouldn't? But I'm guessin' he found out that the kid was his and that she was a part of the experiment in the early portions of pregnancy. He freaked and wanted to make his baby proud, so he got himself enlisted into the fuckin' Wutai War. Guy got himself killed, woman died during birth. Big question is: What happened to the kid?"

"That is what I want to know..." Vincent said.

"Well, pack up yer shit," the blonde said as he stubbed out his cigarette. "Say goodbye to this depressin' hole in the ground-"

"...I'm on the fifth floor..."

"An' get yer shit on the Shera! Locks like we've got some fact-findin' to do! First stop, ShinRa fuckin' manor in Nibelheim. Swear to fuck, Val; you so much as try ta climb into that coffin ya sprung out of an' I'm going to shove my spear up yer ass before settin' the fuckin' thing on fire with you in it!"

"...I am not even the slightest bit tempted..."

"Good! Now, pack yer shit and let's go!"

A knocking at the door had stopped both men in their tracks. "Vinny, is that your boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" Cid snapped, snorting before going over and opening the door. "Look, lady, I ain't no one's boyfriend!"

"My, my," Mrs. Henderson said as she looked the blonde pilot up and down. "Aren't you a cute one! You look just like an old boyfriend of mine!" she said, pinching the blonde's ass. "I see why you like him, dearie. Cuter than a button!"

"Eh?" the pilot muttered before looking at Vincent. "Started datin' women yer own age, Val?"

"...Mrs. Henderson, meet Captain Cid Highwind," Vincent muttered, feeling completely embarrassed and wanting nothing more than to take Cerberus and put himself out of this odd version of twisted Hell-like misery. "Highwind, this is my neighbor."

"Oh, this is your friend, right?" she said sweetly. "Be a dear, boy-o; take Vinny's stuff and begin to pack it up. We're moving to my house in Nibelheim!"

"Are ya now?" Cid asked with a large shit-eating grin on his face. "Did ya know Val used to live in Nibelheim?"

"Chief!" Vincent snapped, eyes widening. The blonde was setting him up.

"You never told me that, Vinny!" Mrs. Henderson said as she wagged her finger at him. "I keep telling him that boys his age need more space and sunshine to grow up big and strong!"

The pilot snickered as he nodded, "Ain't that the truth! Val's a skinny, little, thing!"

"...Both of you...get out," Vincent said as he tried not to growl in irritation. He was a grown man; able to make his own decisions, able to live on his own, support himself...yet, here were two people who were ganging up on him and trying to get him to move. What if he liked this apartment? What if he had grown attached to the small space? Granted, he had not lived here as long as he managed to live in his apartment in Kalm...and Marlene often made him promise to visit her at least twice a week... "I like my apartment and I plan on keeping it." There, he had set his foot down.

"Is that so?" Cid asked with a smirk. The look made an odd feeling spread in the gunner's chest; one that made his legs feel a bit weak and his head a bit fuzzed.

"...Yes." Did the pilot miss him putting his foot down?

"An' what's so important about this place?"

"...It has sentimental value?"

"Are ya askin' me, Val?"

"You need to eat, dearie. We're both worried about you!" Mrs. Henderson cut in. Wait, "both?"

"...Do you two know each other?"

"Of course, not, dearie! ...Are you feeling alright? I think you need to take off your cape-thing. Do you have anything so I can make you some nice chicken soup? Nevermind. You, boy-o; watch over Vinny. I'm going to go get some chicken soup from my apartment. Homemade; good for the soul. I'll be right back!"

The blonde mock-saluted her before laughing and looking at Vincent, "Yer so fucked, Val! That broad's gonna want ta marry ya! She's like the Brat's old bitty of a granny!"

Review if you want more. Hell, you lot review faster than I can type. I'm trying to figure out how to update all of the fics that need to be updated along with this one...

Thanks for reviewing:

mizperceived: Ha! Didn't even think of that! Hold onto that feeling; remember it! You should get that a lot. You're welcome.

talinsquall: Wait, what was the twist? Heh, kinky. I'm not sure what you mean by the "voice" comment, but okay!

reloudypie: Well, it's all listed in my profile; such a pathetic one that it is. Maybe...maybe not...

X-Ruby-X: Thanks! Here you go.

ABNORMAL2110: Ha! That's a good one! Well, I didn't want to add humor to this one; but it slipped out...