I do not own Vincent Valentine (*drools*) nor any of the other Final Fantasy 7 items. Oh! And, the lyrics to 'My December' by Linkin Park aren't owned by me either.
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My December

I wander through the vast, snow covered forest in the dead of night. There are absolutely no people and no nocturnal animals. The only time a sound is made is when my shoes break through fresh snow, leaving a small footprint. The naked tree branches reach out to me, grabbing at my long, red cloak. The cold and bitter wind runs through my hair and pushes it off of my pale face.

Out from behind a small tree, jumps a large Bandersnatch. It growls at me, showing all of it's sharp, blood-stained teeth. I pull my Outsider rifle from behind my back and point it at the monster. It leaps forward and pushes me to the ground. Before I'm able to push it off, it scratches my face. I'm finally able to get it off of me and I focus my gun once again. With one shot, it is mortally wounded. It pulls itself away and disappears.

I brush the snow off of my cloak and continue my trek through the snow.

Through some tree branches, I see the lights of a town.

Is it really...the Icicle Inn?"

I've been wandering in the wilderness for quite some time now, ever since I parted from Cloud his friends. I've been out in this forest for the longest time, searching for this, Icicle Inn. Finally I've found it!

Cid offered to fly me here. He said, "Are you !&%$in' crazy!? I gotta give you a !&%$in' ride! You'll freeze your ass off if I don't!"

I refused his offer, explaining to him why I should go alone, seeing as this would be somewhat of a spiritual journey. And now, I'm here!

I push my way through the branches and step out of the forest, into the town. It's night and no one is outside but, I can hear children laughing and see lights glowing in some of the houses. I walk through the snow, matted down and thin,towards my old house.

I push open the door and see that no one has touched anything. Everything is the same as it was before I was experimented on by Hojo...

I walk around the room, memories flooding my mind.

"This was where I dreamt of Lucrecia night after night", I tell myself as I enter the only bedroom in the small house.

A tear finds it way out of my eye as I listen closely to some music playing in the distance.

This music...It's so familiar...

It's faint as it is coming from one of the neighboring houses.

I close my eyes and listen to the music as my mind continues to wander about the house, reminiscing about old times...

This is my December
This is my time of the year

December 12th, a cold winter night. Winter...a cold, bitter time of year. Winter...a very lonely time of year. Winter...my time of the year.

This my December
This is all so clear

My subconsious wanders into the living room. It looks at a picture of my beloved Lucrecia.

"How beautiful..."

This my December
This is my snow covered home

"Yes, this is where I lived once...before I was ripped away from the comfort of this place by...Hojo". I narrow my eyes and ball my right hand into a fist.

This is my December
This is me alone

I follow my subconsious into the living room. I see framed pictures of my friends and former colleagues. All are in pictures with other people but me...my picture remains alone. In the photograph, I stand in front of the ShinRa building, wearing my blue Turk's uniform alone, as usual.

And I
Just wish that I didn't feel like there was something I missed

I rest myself on the black leather couch.

"I missed so much. For thirty years I was asleep and missed everything."

And I
Take all the things I said to make you feel like that
And I
Just wish that I didn't feel like there was something I missed

I sigh..."Well, I must thank Cloud for releasing me from the ShinRa mansion. I would have missed much more if he hadn't."

I stand up with my hand still in a fist. I look at my left ha--...claw. Hojo...that Hojo made my hand into a claw...

And I
Take back all the things that I said to you

"Maybe...maybe if I had never met you, this would have never happened!!", I yell as I punch a lamp off of my table. "But then", I close my eyes as they fill with tears, "I would have never met Lucrecia".

And I'd give it all away
Just to have somewhere to go to

"Although I live here, I have really no where to go..." Give it all away
To have someone to come home to

"...Nowhere where anyone would be waiting in anticipation for my return. There is no one for me here. There is no one for me anywhere"

This is my December
These are my snow covered trees

My subconsious leaves me once more. It travels through my front door, into my yard where beautiful trees once were. Now, they are covered in loneliness and deceit...

This is me pretending
This all I need

I walk into the yard and find myself crying.

"How could I have remained so long with just this. I've always needed more than this: this home, my job...I need...love."

This my December
This my time of the year
This is my December
This is all so clear

I walk back inside and light a fire in the fireplace. I close my eyes and feel the heat on my face, "Here, in my December, I just wish I had someone...a lover, a friend...anything. But, most of all, I want Lucrecia!" I start to sob. " 'An overpowering love may consume you in the end'. How true I was..."

And I'd give it all away
Just to have somewhere to go to
Give it all away
Just to have someone to come home to.

I've had enough. I'm not strong enough to stay here anymore. I thought I could handle it but, I can't. I don't think I'll be coming back here for a very long time...

As I step on the 'Welcome Mat' I hear a whirring sound. I open the door and look up. There, above my house, over my head, is the silver, shining Highwind.

I see a rope being released from the deck and down slides Cloud, spikey hair and all. He lands right in front of my face. "Hey!", he yells, "Where'd ya think you were goin'?". He then chuckles.

"I told Cid I must do this alone...by myself", I say, full of confidence.

"Vince, we're a team. We gotta stick together!"

"But--"

"You're our...friend" He says, as if he's being forced to say the word 'friend'

I smile, seeing as Cloud isn't at all very outward about his feelings, "Thank You"

"Now, C'mon! We gotta mosey!", He laughs as he hands me the rope.

I climb up and he follows me to the the deck of the Highwind, where all of my friends await.

Give it all away,

I guess I don't,

Just to have somewhere to go to...<

...because I really do have somewhere to go to...

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~The End~