A/N: Well, here I go again. I've been playing the game for ages, and working with the characters I like best (You'll figure out who they are quickly), so I finally decided to write a fic. Thanks, Onni-chan, for Vincent as we see him here. Oh yeah, I don't own anything but the twisted ideas and Diane. If you sue me, I'll see if I can pay in pocket lint.

Saving Grace

Chapter 1

Cold Meeting

She didn't belong in Junon. The little woman was educated, soft-spoken, and well kept, the opposite of most of the industrial city's residents. Even more, she didn't belong in the grubby bar in one of the worst areas of Junon, prodding the swill that passed for food.

It was rough and loud, chocobo races and other sports shown on grungy televisions, volume too loud, forcing patrons to shout. A few tables over, also on the back wall, where it should have been quieter, was a loud, motley group, arguing. Hearing the name of the insane general, Sephiroth, she glanced over.

Two men were leading the argument, one, small and skinny with yellow hair that resembled the chocobos on the television, the other a big, burly, tough black, a gun grafted on one arm. A well endowed woman with dark brown hair nodded in agreement with everything the blond—she guessed he was a leader of some sort—said. A grey striped cat bounced atop a mog, waving a megaphone, of all things, squeaking, ignored by the party. A girl, also dark-haired, was held in a headlock by a rough-looking blond, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, adding to the putrid air. She caught several creative explicatives, and something about materia, specifically, not the girl's. A red, lionlike creature lay on the floor, tail tucked close to himself, trying to ignore the squabble, single eye closed. The last was as far removed from the rest of the group as he could be, concealed in a draping red cloak. Feral-looking red eyes flickered from person to person, and she could almost feel the disgust, anger, and misery radiating from him. When he glanced at the cat-creature, she caught a glimpse of his face, and gasped in surprise.

Somehow, through the racket, he heard her, and their eyes met, cold red and intelligent grey. There was recognition in his, and his right hand twitched in what for him passed as a greeting. She nodded in return, both hiding their surprise.

Assured Yuffie would leave his materia alone now, Cid glanced over at Vincent. As usual, the man was quiet, but he was watching somebody. Since his instincts were never off, Cid followed the gunman's glance, and found he was watching a woman. She was odd, especially for here, so the pilot examined her closely.

She was small, probably not much over five feet, and downright scrawny. Her hair was long, the color of copper, and fairly well kept in a ponytail at the nape of her neck. She was naturally pale, but Cid knew that kind of paleness was only seen in people that lived in Midgar, where the sun never shone. She didn't carry any weapons that he could see, but he doubted she had any. The bookish type rarely carried anything sharp, even a pocketknife. He didn't see anything dangerous about her, and glanced at Vincent, surprised he was even bothering with watching her. As usual, he ignored the foul-mouthed pilot. Not taking the hint, he elbowed him. "Who's that?" he demanded.

"…someone I knew many years ago."

Red looked up, listening to what passed for a conversation. He stood, and padded over to the redhead. "Doctor."

"Red XIII. I'm glad to see you alive and well," she responded. Her voice was soft, speech educated, sincere. "How in the world did you get out of the labs?"

"I am too, Doctor. The people I travel with now set me free, thankfully. I'm helping them now, in their fight."

"And what would that be, Red?"

"Stopping Sephiroth."

"I see."

"Now, it is my turn for a question. What are you doing out of Midgar?"

She shook her head ruefully. "People with my level of knowledge of Shinra don't just resign. They die in their position, one way or the other. Needless to say, when I resigned, the President wasn't pleased. I suppose I should thank you and your friends for the relief I've gotten, with the Turks being after me. I've managed to hide so far, but it never lasts long."

"Why don't you help us, Doctor?"

"I won't be the cause of any more bloodshed. If I hadn't written those papers, you would be safe in Cosmo Canyon, and Sephiroth never born. I can only hope one day, I can redeem myself. As I wrote the theories that created Sephiroth and Vincent Valentine, perhaps I can undo them."

"You knew Vincent." He didn't make it a question.

"Knew of him," she corrected. "When he was head of the Turks, we met, once. It wasn't a cordial meeting," she confessed.

"But you could help him."

She looked at Vincent, seeing the glimmer of hope her words brought to his tired eyes. "I think so."

Vincent rose, leaving a confused Cid, who tried to dig answers out of Red, who returned to his previous place on the floor. He sat across from her, staring intensely.

"It could kill you," she said softly, staring at her folded hands.

"I don't care."

"I might not be able to repair all the damage that was done."

"Will they be gone?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I'm a scientist, not a seer. Everything I have is on paper."

"It's more than I have." His voice was soft, hope hidden behind careful barriers, lest he be hurt again because of it. In his eyes, she could see just how much this strange life was wearing at him.

Bluntly, she said, "You would be an experiment again." She didn't want to commit him to a living hell that he hated more than anything, not without knowing all the risks he faced.

He merely looked at her, calm. "But I would have hope."

"I'll need a place to work. I resigned from Shinra, so I have no lab space."

"…we could go to the Mansion. Most of the research is still there."

She studied his tormented eyes, knowing in her heart that was the last place on Earth he wanted to go. "If that's what you want," she said simply. She hesitated. "What of your… companions?"

He shrugged, cold again. "They won't notice I'm gone."

"Red, and the chimney, are watching us both."

Seeing that his staring was being noticed, Cid stood. "C'mon furball. Let's find out what the hell's going on with Vampy."

Red shot Cid an unkind look, but padded after the pilot. The doctor rose, and shook hands with him. "Captain," she greeted.

"Wait… do I know you?" Cid demanded.

"We've met," she replied. "I used to work for Shinra, and we ran into one another at one of those banquets they have."

"What's your name then, chickadee?"

"Professor Diane Jenrette. I'm a doctor and a scientist."

"I think I remember you, or your mother. You look like her."

Vincent glanced up, knowing the answer Cid was about to get. "That wasn't my mother, Captain Highwind. It was me."

"Shit!"

"Yes," she agreed. "However, I could use your help, both of you," she added to Red.

"Whaddaya need, Doc?"

She winced, knowing once Cid gave someone a nickname, it stuck, impossible to get rid of. It could be worse, she thought. "Mechanical aptitude. There could be a great many repairs needed on equipment."

"Whoa, what?"

"It's to help Mr. Valentine," she explained without explaining, eyes cool.

"Mr. Valentine?" he demanded.

"That is his name," she said frostily.

"Oh. He's not very chatty… only told us his last name…" he muttered.

"Now, are you coming or not?"

"Fuck, hold your chocobos! I didn't say I wasn't coming, Doc! I want to help the poor bastard!"

"That 'poor bastard'," Diane growled, words dropping like ice chips, "is sitting right there, Captain Highwind."

Cid swelled, presumably to start cursing the little professor, but he was quietly interrupted. "Be quiet, Cid. She's only trying to help."

Vincent's quiet order took all the wind out of Cid's sails, and even cooled the angry spark in Diane's grey eyes. She took a deep breath, held it a moment, and then let it out. "Very well. I can leave as soon as you both are ready."

"All three," Red put in. "I'm coming too."

Vincent looked surprised, not realizing that people actually gave a damn about him. Of course, he only showed it by a slight widening of his eyes.

"Very well, I'll be waiting here," Diane agreed, even as Cid stomped off.

"You heard me, Spike-boy, I'm leaving!"

"What the hell! Why?" Barret demanded.

"That's none of your goddamn business!" Cid retorted.

"Is it that lady you were talking to?" Tifa asked.

"In a way!"

"Cid's got a girl-friend!" Yuffie caroled, annoyingly off-key.

"No I don't! It's something else entirely, something good!"

"There's a first," Tifa snipped.

"Fuck you," he retorted, stalking back to the trio. "Let's go," he growled.

"Nice group," Diane remarked dryly.

"Cloud's the worst," Cid put in. "Obsessed and carries a sword bigger than him."

"Soldier was never meant for one that stupid," Vincent commented in his usual soft voice.

"Soldier was never meant to be."