Before I Wake To Find You Gone

By: General Quistis (samaralockheartshinra@yahoo.com) and Zhakeena (zhakeena@yahoo.com)

Disclaimer: We don't own anything but the story plot. Gyah! Any resemblance to any other plots is purely coincidental…

General Quistis's Note: THE SETTING IS LIKE AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, ISN'T IT OBVIOUS?!? I know that Rufus is dead and Aerith is dead. I just resurrected them here… that's why I said, NEO-SHINRA. This is how I depict Neo-ShinRa also in all my other fics: everyone who is supposed to be dead is alive for a purpose. ¡¿Intiendes!? Oh and forgive the out-of-character tendencies because it is part of the story! And yes, Vincent loves Lucrecia very much; it's very, very obvious even in the game itself! Didn't you notice his cheesy lines about Lucrecia?! @o@ *pants* I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed at some of the people because they fail to understand things and they criticize it wrongly immediately! That's just so wrong!

Anyway, thanks to my friend Rinoa, I found out the title of the song and the artists behind it. The title of the song is "One More Time" and it's found in Kenny G.'s album, Paradise. Chanté Moore sang the song. The line "Before I wake to find you gone" is located in the chorus.

I still cannot understand why people cannot appreciate Vincent+Lucrecia fics….. I've seen the others and look at the reviews! Either none or just one! I feel so disappointed… ;_; Anyway, in case you still have some care in your hearts (even a little) and you could take not hating this story for a little while, please, please, please! Review!!!!! ;_;

Anyway, back to the story…..

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            "Will somebody get the door?!?" Tifa shouted from the kitchen.

No answer. All she could hear was the television set's noise.

"I'll just get it," Aerith presented.

"No, I'll get it. Just continue with the cooking," Tifa said as she wiped her hands and removed her apron, putting it on the dining table and rushing to the door. She frowned when she saw the others just seated in front of the television watching the Saturday morning cartoons. "This is outrageous!" she thought silently before she opened the door, gasping upon seeing Reeve.

The others heard her gasp but she closed the door again.

"Something wrong, Teef?" Barret asked.

Tifa froze, remembering that she must not let Barret and the others know… she smiled cheerfully at Barret. "It's just some kid playing a prank… you know, he wore this scary mask and I got surprised? Heehee!" she fibbed.

Barret stared unbelievably at her. "I see…" he said before turning back to the TV.

Cloud was staring at Tifa. She widened her eyes at him, signaling him that there's someone outside to see him.

Cloud yawned and stretched before standing up. "I'll just go outside for some fresh air," he announced to the others as he stepped aside and went to the door.

He grabbed Tifa's hand and dragged her outside with him. He shut the door behind them and faced Reeve. "What is it?" he asked as Tifa moved away from him with a perplexed look on her face.

"President Rufus is asking for you. It's about the results of Lucrecia's tests…" Reeve replied.

"How did it go?" Tifa asked.

"I cannot interpret the results myself… only President Rufus, Lucrecia and Vincent knows how to interpret them because they know all the information… I'd prefer that you two just come with me," he replied.

"Rufus knows? Did he interrogate them already?" Cloud asked.

"Not so… he just read their files." Reeve said before going to the black limo. "Let's go," he said.

Cloud frowned then turned to Tifa. "Go ahead, I'll just go and get Aerith," he said.

Tifa blinked. "What? What for?" she asked.

"She knows. I've told her. Maybe she can understand this situation now." He said before he got inside.

Tifa hesitated for a while before she went inside the limo.

Cloud entered the house and just went straight to the kitchen. "Aerith," he called.

She stopped slicing the carrots. "Yes?" she asked before turning to him.

He signaled for her to come with him.

She raised an eyebrow as she removed her apron and went to him. "Where?" she whispered.

"ShinRa," he replied softly.

Aerith eyed the others whose eyes were still glued to the television. She saw Cloud walk ahead of her so that the others wouldn't suspect a thing. After he exited, she followed, but Yuffie called her. "Hey, where are you going?"

Aerith jerked and stopped, facing Yuffie with a sweet smile on her face. "I'm going out… with Cloud. Heehee! We're going to church together!" she said.

"Church? But it's only Saturday!" Yuffie said.

"Uhm… we're going to inquire about… weddings?" Aerith said uneasily.

Cloud heard her from outside and he blushed. Tifa heard it too and she started to giggle while pointing at Cloud. "Can I be the maid of honor?" she asked.

He made a face.

"You mean you finally decided to tie the knot with him?" Barret asked happily.

"What the @#$%!? After so many months of bein' together you two are gonna get @#$%^%$ hitched?! Man! That's somethin' new!" Cid said excitedly.

"Bye!" Aerith ran out of the house, leaving all of them perplexed.

Cloud and Aerith rushed to the limo and got inside. As soon as the three were settled inside, Reeve told the chauffer to go.

The moment the vehicle started to move, Aerith spoke up, "You're not going to do some tests on me, are you?"

All of them looked at her unbelievably. "Of course not, Aerith. Besides, I wouldn't let them," Cloud assured with a gentle smile on his face.

"Miss Gainsborough knows the situation?" Reeve asked.

"I told her everything. I couldn't lie to her…" Cloud just thought silently, not wishing to reveal his real thoughts.

"Yes, Cloud told me everything… even the voices told me." Aerith explained to Reeve.

Reeve blinked. "Voices?" he asked.

"You know that she's half-Ancient…" Cloud pointed out.

Reeve nodded. "Sorry… I completely forgot." He said with a sheepish smile.

As soon as they arrived in ShinRa, they were led straight to Rufus's office on the 70th floor.

Rufus was reading the files of Vincent, Lucrecia and Gast when they came in.

He looked up at them with a tired look on his face. "Oh, Good Morning," he greeted sleepily.

Tifa and Aerith were quite surprised because Rufus greeted them.

"Good Morning," Tifa said with a slight smile.

Cloud and Aerith stifled smiles as they approached Rufus.

Rufus sighed as he got up from his seat and faced Cloud.

"So, what happened?" Cloud asked.

Rufus was silent for a while before turning his gaze to the floor. "The amount of JENOVA cells that we found in her bloodstream are bigger in number than the amount that Sephiroth had." He explained, getting straight to the point.

Silence.

"So what are you going to do then?" Cloud asked.

"Get it out of her." Rufus said.

Silence.

"Why not just let her die?" Cloud asked.

Rufus looked at them with a serious look on his face. "I'm not like old man," he said with a hard tone which made Tifa shiver.

They understood.

With that, Rufus approached them as he shoved his hands inside his trouser pockets. "I have read this method to get rid of everything in her bloodstream. I read it from Gast's old notes… but with her condition right now, it could kill her." he said.

"What do you mean? What's wrong with her? Is she sick?" Tifa asked.

"Something to do with her heart… but she wouldn't die because of JENOVA." He explained. "So, even if she survives this, it's going to be too painful."

"What now?" Aerith asked.

"Rufus, don't you think we should tell Vincent the truth?" Tifa asked.

Rufus turned to her. "I'm gonna be needing your help with that," he said.

Cloud, Aerith and Tifa looked at each other worriedly. "But… I'm not sure if we could do that to Vincent," Tifa said slowly.

Rufus nodded. "I understand. But…" he stopped when Aerith stepped forward.

"Rufus, we're… we're alive, remember?" she asked.

He stared at her.

"Everything happens for a reason… you're here again for a reason… I'm here again for a reason… and Lucrecia is here for a reason…" she started to explain.

"What about Sephiroth? And Tseng? And old man?" he challenged.

"Maybe…maybe Sephiroth's chance will be given in another lifetime or… he has fulfilled his purpose; his reason for living… and Tseng could be…just contented with his current state right now. As for your father, I don't know… he could be in hell or somewhere else, experiencing eternal damnation without anymore choices and chances to live life again to become useful." She said with a serious look on her face.

Rufus smiled smugly at her. "And what is my reason for being here while I'm supposed to be dead?" he asked.

Aerith looked up at the ceiling as if listening to someone speaking up there. After a few seconds, she turned to Rufus again with a sweet smile on her face. "To be a good leader for your people here in Midgar. You've done a lot of good things ever since you came back here. You want to help them because you are not your father." She replied.

"And you?" he asked.

Aerith blinked and turned to Cloud with a smile on her face before turning back to Rufus. "I need not tell you, Rufus," she explained.

Rufus chuckled lightly and turned away from all of them. "What about Lucrecia?" he asked.

Silence.

No one really knew how to answer that.

"Rufus," Tifa began.

Rufus turned to her with a curious expression on his face.

"I'm certain that for you to find out what your purpose in life is, you have to keep on living. Maybe that's what will happen to her." she explained with a reassuring smile on her face.

He smirked at her before approaching her and turning to the others as he spoke, "Maybe you would like to meet her?" he asked.

"Explain to us first about Gast's method." Cloud said with a serious look on his face.

"We'll have to drain her blood but at the same time transfuse some Type O into her system. The problem is, the blood to be transfused is not just any Type O blood… it's supposed to be the blood of an Ancient." He said.

Aerith looked down. "I'm Type O… and…" she thought silently, but she stopped when she heard Cloud react to Rufus's words. "You can't just use Aerith." He snapped.

"Besides, it's dangerous!" Tifa said.

"Oh for crying out loud, of course I know it's dangerous!" Rufus snapped back.

"Why the blood of an Ancient? What's wrong with normal blood?!" Cloud asked in frustration.

Rufus grunted before answering. "Well, all those JENOVA in Lucrecia's bloodstream mutated her circulatory system… normal human blood probably would deteriorate her systems… well, according to Gast's  research, untainted Cetra blood is the only solution to this…" and turned to Aerith with a smug look on his face. "And so maybe his daughter could help Miss Lucrecia." He said.

Cloud shook his head. "I won't let Aerith do that!" he snapped.

"Why not?" Rufus asked.

"It's dangerous! She could die!" Cloud said.

"Well then tell that to Vincent," Tifa began.

Cloud stared unbelievably at her. "Whose side are you on anyway?" he asked.

"For sure, Vincent wants Lucrecia to be safe. He would want all the JENOVA out of her because it's making her so miserable. Look, I know that Aerith would be risking her life at this project, and if there's another way to help Lucrecia, I'm all for it. But I don't think there is…" Tifa replied sadly.

Aerith was looking down on the floor the whole time, thinking things through. After a while, she finally spoke up. "If this is the only way to help them… then, I'll have to accept your proposal, Rufus… besides, if it's my father's method, I trust that it is… it is safe…" she looked up at Rufus with a slight smile on her face.

Rufus frowned at her. "Then we have to tell Vincent and Lucrecia immediately." He said.

***

            Lucrecia was staring up at the ceiling. "Vincent," she said.

"Hmm?" he asked, turning to her with a sad look on his face, as he remained seated beside her on the bed.

She had this blank look on her face. "I want to die…" she said.

He frowned. "Stop saying that!" he said as he took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. "Why would you even want to die?" he asked.

"I'm so tired of being here… everything is gone. My life is gone because of JENOVA, my son is dead… everything… I find no purpose in living here anymore…" she said miserably.

Vincent was silent, not knowing how to say to her his exact thoughts. "What about me?" he thought.

He didn't really want to think about it but his conscience kept on nagging him, "What the hell; just leave her! She doesn't give a damn about you anyway even from the start! She's just a selfish bitch! If it wasn't for her, you wouldn't be the monster that you are today!"

"But I love her…" he thought silently with a sad look on his face. The thought about losing her again made him cringe.

"Everything is gone except for you," she said.

He looked down at her, surprised at what she said.

"That's why I don't want you to leave me… because you're the only one I have left." She told him with a sad look on her face.

Vincent examined the look in her eyes. Fear. He was so sick of that. "Then for my sake, don't die," he wanted to say out loud, but all he could do was stare at her with a disappointed look before embracing her tightly.

Lucrecia leaned her head against his shoulder. "What happened to Sephiroth?" she asked.

Dreaded question.

Vincent hesitated for a while but he remembered his promise to her that he would tell her everything. So he began…

***

            "So what's the result of the test?" Heidegger asked his colleagues during lunch.

"That woman's got a whole lotta JENOVA cells in her system. She's worse than Sephiroth!" Reno remarked.

"Gyah! That's horrible! So what's the President gonna do about it?" Heidegger asked.

"Kyah… if I were Rufus, I'd just kill the girl!" Scarlet said with a mean smile on her face.

"Aw, don't say that, Scarlet! She's just an innocent girl!" Elena snapped.

"Kyah! You call that innocent?! And what's the catch with her? She fell in-love with Hojo?! KYAH!" Scarlet said.

Reeve shook his head. "Uh… Scarlet, I don't think she ever was in-love with Hojo… What woman in her right mind would be at least infatuated with that slimy old scientist?"

"Kyah~… who said she was in her right mind? That woman's clearly insane…" Scarlet retorted.

"Hmm… I think Scarlet's jealous again… Hahahah…" Reno said, leaning back on his chair with a smug look on his face.

"Kyah!! Shut up, red! I wasn't talking to you!"

"Then cut it out with the back-biting, Scarlet!" Elena said.

Scarlet was about to say something else, but she was interrupted when Reno gave out a disgusting belch. She frowned at him. "Kyah! You are so disgusting!" she just snapped before leaving the room.

***

            Lucrecia did not cry anymore. She was tired. "I never even got the chance to hold him…" she told Vincent.

He bowed down his head. "I know…" he said gently.

She smiled sadly. "If I could just have another child like Sephiroth… I'll really protect him and take care of him very well… and I'll never let him grow up to believing all those lies that Hojo had told him." She looked up at Vincent. "If you were Sephiroth's father, I'm sure he'd grow up to be very… very…" she didn't finish the sentence anymore; she was too tired. She was about to close her eyes but she opened them wide again when the door suddenly burst open, surprising her.

The two looked up at Rufus, Cloud, Aerith and Tifa who just came in.

"Wh…what the," Lucrecia began.

Vincent stared unbelievably at Cloud, Aerith and Tifa. "What are you…doing here?" he asked.

"Vincent, we need to tell you something," Cloud began…

***

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