Veld stared at Vincent, swallowing hard. "What did you say?"

It was very clear when the reality of the situation clicked for Vincent. He held out a thick file without a word, expression somber.

Veld took the file and flipped it open to stare in horror at his daughter's pale, unconscious face, the picture clipped to a project statement - something about grafting materia into people - into living people. "She didn't die… that bastard, she didn't - he told me -"

"With all due respect, Veld, when it comes to Hojo… the dead don't always stay dead," Vincent said.

"You think a technical truth helps?" Veld snapped. "That's my daughter, Vincent. I have thought she died for twelve years, and he…"

"Wonder if the President signed off on that one, too," Kunsel said quietly.

Veld tensed. The President had ordered the Kalm cover up, just like he'd ordered the Nibelheim cover up, only Veld had been in the hospital barely clinging to life at the time. He hadn't been involved, had been deemed too attached to be involved afterward, they'd had Heidegger handle it, and at the time he'd wondered why it hadn't been handed off to Anya, working as his SIC at the time.

Now he knew.

She never would have signed off on this, but Heidegger…

"I think, perhaps, you both have some discussions to have," Vincent said. "Regarding ShinRa."

Veld clutched at the file, then eased up as paper wrinkled in his too-tight grip. He looked at Kunsel, seeing grim understanding there. "…yeah. Yeah we do."

"Then I'll finish gathering the files," Vincent decided. "While you talk."

"No," Veld said. "You get that, Cissnei can help you, while the SOLDIERs sit tight. I've got to make a call, and there's no reception down here."

"Very well." Vincent nodded, and disappeared back into the depths of the library.

"I'll tell Cissnei," Kunsel said. "You go on. We'll talk when you get back. I have a feeling we just got a lot closer to seeing eye to eye."

Veld smiled tightly, inclining his head, and promptly went back into the hall and back up to the manor proper.

He dialed Tseng as soon as he reached the bedroom, voice kept low. He had no doubt that one of the two SOLDIERs Kunsel had left behind to patrol could very well hear him, but it was just instinct at this point. Soon enough, he'd have very little to hide from the SOLDIERs, as far as his motivations and intentions went.

The phone picked up at once; Tseng must have been waiting. "I hope things are well, sir?"

"Not quite," Veld said. "I need you to put the board on a security lock down."

A beat of silence, but Tseng was nothing if not professional. "Consider it done. I don't suppose there are any details of the… threat available, should they ask?"

"Tell them there's been a security breach, and Hojo was found dead in Nibelheim," Veld said. "On that note, we're going to need a competent replacement to handle medical for SOLDIER."

"I see… certain SOLDIERs in particular, sir?" Tseng asked carefully.

"Just one," Veld said. "They recovered Fair. He's stable, but it's hard to say what all's been done."

"Perhaps Professor Rayleigh, from Junon?" Tseng suggested. "She's worked closely with the SOLDIER program, though not with Hojo or Hollander directly."

"Do some checks, I'll trust your judgment on this," Veld said. He had too much on his mind to make the call himself. "Have Maur lock down Hojo's corner of the Science Department, and pull everything from 1990. If he finishes that, comb it for mention of summons."

"As in the materia?"

"As in the materia, yes," he agreed. "There was a project I'm interested in that started in Nibelheim."

"I'll tell him, then," Tseng said. He was silent a moment, and Veld could feel him weighing a question.

As good as he'd trained his second, Veld was pretty sure what that question was, and now wasn't the time for it. "Keep the executives in one place. And call me immediately if it looks like SOLDIER's up to anything. We're on shaky ground right now. I'll update you further in person."

"Of course, sir." Professional as ever, even worried. There was a damn good reason Tseng was his commander. "Anything else?"

There was so much to say… but not here. Not now. "No. We'll be coming straight back, and I'll text you with instructions when we get closer."

"Very well, sir. I'll take care of things, then," Tseng said.

"Thank you, Tseng." Veld smiled faintly and hung up.

He gave himself a moment to breathe. To feel around the ragged edges of a grief that had never really healed, and press a hand to his forehead where a low ache had lodged itself and already started to spread, a tension headache threatening.

Hojo was dead. Which was lucky for him, because he would have done a lot worse than just shoot the madman.

Fair was alive. Which was lucky for all of them, because that meant SOLDIER wasn't going to go on a rampage, unless pushed by outside forces to defend themselves.

Vincent was alive. Which was something he was beyond grateful for, but really hadn't had a chance to process. There, too, was another devastating loss he'd never really dealt with so much as it had been the better part of three decades and eventually pain that sharp turns to numbness.

And Felicia…

He needed to read the file. Felicia had been alive. Was she still alive? Gods, was she here somewhere? Could he, in good conscience, leave without knowing?

And there was bitter, bitter irony that here he was worrying about his conscience, in this frozen hell where ShinRa buried its skeletons and he'd helped. It very nearly made him laugh aloud, lips twisting into a bitter smirk, before he shook his head. He knew the answer already.

If he didn't get Zack and Cloud medical attention - if something happened because they hadn't gotten medical attention soon enough - it was game over. SOLDIER would lose it, not that he'd be alive long enough to see it.

Yet again, his family would have to sit on the back burner to his duty as a Turk. Somehow, knowing it was the difference between tentative peace and a bloodbath didn't take the sting away.

He took long enough to text Emma orders to go prep the transport and get confirmation before heading back to the basement. "Vincent and Cissnei done yet?"

"They're still back there," Kunsel said. "Haven't heard more than a few murmurs between them, too quiet to be sure what I'm hearing."

"Who is he, anyway?" Kythe asked.

"My partner," Veld said, smiling thinly at their expressions. "Before your time."

"Hojo said he'd died too, huh?" Kunsel snorted. "He had a thing for that, didn't he?"

"Apparently so," Veld agreed.

They stood in surprisingly companionable silence for a bit, before Kythe said. "So, techie over there's got everything together and has been made aware of the importance of his precision taking care of these two. I don't think we'll have a problem."

Threatened within an inch of his life, then. Well, he hadn't really expected anything less. "I've got Gun warming up the transport for us. As soon as we have the files, we'll go."

"You want us to start moving them and get them settled, then?" Kunsel asked.

He considered it, then nodded. "No reason not to, I don't think they'll be long. Vincent knows what he's looking for, and where to find it. It's not like they have to search the place."

"I'll go get the guys, then," Kythe said. "Another set of hands to help move things."

"Sounds good." Kunsel nodded. He watched him leave, silent a moment. "Director?"

Veld glanced at him. "Yes?"

"I know we didn't exactly start off on the right foot with all this," Kunsel said slowly. "But I think maybe you know where I'm coming from, more than I'd thought."

"Mm." No use denying it. But now wasn't the time for a conversation about his feelings. The SOLDIERs had seen him compromised enough. "I'm going to see if I can speed them up. If you're not here when I come out, I'll meet you at the transport."

"I doubt that'll be a speedy process," Kunsel said.

Veld nodded and headed back to where Vincent and Cissnei had amassed an impressive collection of files that she was bagging up. "Hey, chief."

"Found everything?" Veld asked.

"Not having read it all, I couldn't be certain," Vincent said. "I would send someone later to come have a look around. He seems… less organized, than he used to be. Scattered. His handwriting suggests he's been under some stress."

"Understatement," Veld said, waving it off. "I'll brief you later, there's… quite a story."

"Oh you will, will you?" Vincent arched a brow.

Veld paused, mirroring the gesture. "…Cissnei, if you would…"

"Yeah, I'll, ah, take some of these." She hefted one of the packs and quickly saw herself out.

"Just like that, hm?" Vincent said quietly. "Your SOLDIERs aren't the only ones nursing a grudge against ShinRa."

"No, they're not," he said, and had the rare satisfaction of seeing Vincent wince faintly.

"I didn't mean to imply -"

"I know," Veld said.

"I had no idea you didn't know," Vincent said. "I never would have said it like that, had I even suspected."

"I know, Vin," Veld said, smiling faintly. "You're oblivious, not cruel."

"You wound me," Vincent deadpanned.

Veld snorted, shaking his head, but his smile faded. "You don't get over losing a child."

Vincent looked away. "I know."

Veld grimaced. "So he was. I wondered."

"…you wondered?" Vincent prompted, glancing back.

Suspicion crept in, because it would just fit the goddamn theme of the day. "Lucrecia died in labor, but the baby made it. I always wondered if he was yours. There was… a lot about him that reminded me of you."

"Is he -" Vincent must have seen it in his eyes, his own closing. "I see."

"I'm sorry," Veld said. "If anyone could get it, Vincent, I get it."

Vincent nodded. "I skimmed the file. I knew you wouldn't have time, with the SOLDIERs. While there isn't definitive proof that she's alive, I notice a distinct lack of mention of death."

Veld held up a hand. "Don't. Not… not right now. I'll deal with that when I can, but not right now. I have a duty."

Vincent smiled wryly. "I taught you a little too well."

"More on Alex than you. I remember more than one reprimand for you putting people ahead of duty," Veld said. "You knew when to be selfish."

"It got me killed," Vincent said.

"Trying to protect someone you love isn't selfish," Veld said. "Asking someone to go somewhere they're uncomfortable with just because you're terrified of losing them again might be."

Vincent softened a little. "I can't promise to stay."

"Just a little longer," Veld said softly. "Until I can get you a phone. Please, Vincent."

Vincent watched him a moment. "What would you do, if I said no?"

"Are you going to make me find out?" Veld asked.

For a long moment, Vincent was silent. Long enough that dread began to sink its icy claws into Veld's gut. Because he had learned early on, there were very few people in the world capable of making Vincent Valentine do something he didn't want to do.

Then Vincent smiled. "I know better than to let you get creative."

Oh thank the gods. Veld smiled crookedly. "Thank you."