Chapter XIII; Day 23

The following day, Vincent was more relaxed. His hourly patrols were as diligent as ever, but he felt his spirits lifted and a miniscule- but present nonetheless- spring in his step. He pondered whether it was the beginning of the visible effect that Lucrecia Crescent was having on him, or whether it was merely the relief of having a regular, friendly face in his life. He'd had friends growing up and had even stayed in touch with a couple of them after starting his Turk training. But the more he learnt and the more missions he went on, it eventually occurred to him why most Turks were single and it was rare for one to have a friendship at all, let alone outside of the company. Vincent quickly grew used to the lifestyle and let go of any feeling of regret for having cut his ties; life as a Turk was lonely, but it was also dangerous and it was best that no one get too close to him. Of course, that notion had been thrown out of the window now. And although his newfound relationship was secure in its environment, the Turk still asked himself why he was continuing it- he wouldn't be in Nibelheim forever. It was almost shocking that he was holding onto a tiny ray of hope, as he hadn't realised he had any left in him. However, there was no denying that the more of himself that he opened up for Lucrecia to see, the less he could imagine going back to Midgar and resuming his life without her. She had become a constant in his life and since it took as little as simply knowing she was within walking distance, should he desire her company, he dreaded the inevitable day when he wouldn't even have that. It was clear to him that their resistance was futile, but still he made no move to put an end to their growing bond. And he was both grateful and dismayed that neither had she. In fact, he could sense her beginning to increasingly rely on him, for his words and smiles and general affection. Vincent had never experienced anything like it before. He was usually the dependent one, whether it was obvious or not. And he did depend on the scientist; he just couldn't get his head around her needing him. It was a strange feeling, as if he had gone to bow down at her feet, only to find that she was already kneeling on the floor at his. It was when experiencing feelings like these that the black haired Turks mind would become fanciful, conjuring thoughts that perhaps they were made for each other, and that no one else could ever fully understand them, the way they could each other. But that's how Vincent knew he was being daft; he didn't fully understand Lucrecia. Just when he'd start to feel like he was getting closer to her, she would say- or not say- something which would baffle him. And when that would happen, she wouldn't explain or give any hint to her meaning. So Vincent had to accept that if he wanted to know, he would have to wait for her to tell him. And if she never told him, then he supposed they weren't meant to be after all. He didn't like that idea, but it was out of his hands. Not that that didn't frustrate him to no end- he was a Turk, and one of the traits of being a Turk meant digging until there was nothing left to find. From that point of view, it seemed that a relationship between he and the scientist would never work, but there didn't seem to be any turning back now, so really it was too late to be having second thoughts, or anticipating what was to become of them. Vincent would just have to live each day as it came and make the most of it. With this in mind, on the way to his room that night, he slid a note under Lucrecia's bedroom door.

Come see me tonight,

Vincent

The scientist had been busy all day, working with Professor Gast and the Turk had decided that everyday- especially on days like this- he would spend time with her, whether it be an hour or a minute. Depending on how long she was down in her laboratory working, Vincent knew he could be in for a long wait, but he didn't care as long as he got to be with her, eventually.

The Turk was lying on his side in bed, with just his boxers on, when he vaguely heard his door creak open and closed. For a brief moment, he thought about reaching for Cerberus, but that soon past when he registered the light, almost soundless footfalls that could only belong to one person. He smiled as he felt her slip into bed behind him and curl up against his back.

"Hey, you," Vincent murmured sleepily, taking the hand that was pressed against his chest in his own.

"Did I wake you?" came the soft, whispered reply.

"Not really," the Turk answered, brushing his thumb backwards and forwards over the back of her hand.

"I was working with Professor Gast today…" she began, hesitantly.

"Mhm…?"

"It's become quite apparent what President Shinra is trying to achieve with the use of Je- the, um…recent find, or rather its cells…" Vincent's mind sped up, all remnants of sleep that attempted to call him back into their grasp, dissipating.

"I'm not sure I'm going to like where this is going but, go on…" he said wearily, eyes focused on the wall straight ahead of him.

"They want to…" Lucrecia took a deep breath, evidently conflicted as to whether she should tell the Turk or not. "Create a genetically-enhanced soldier. Well, an elite force of soldiers, to be precise…"

"And these cells that I assume they're going to inject into people…what are they? What is their origin?" Vincent asked cautiously, his head already ticking over with the possibilities.

"They are…not human." The scientist told him, reluctantly. "And there's something else…"

"I'm sure I can guess," the Turk muttered, the previous feeling of foreboding having returned, even worse than before.

"I am to assist the Professors in their research and maybe the experiments too, when we get to that point…" she admitted, quietly. Vincent released a muted sigh and closed his eyes again. He knew sleep wouldn't come to him now, but it was too late to think, let alone talk about this new information. No, they would discuss it tomorrow, when they could both think clearly.