CHAPTER TWO: THE SECRETS OF LONG AGO

"Just... JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!"

Was that her voice? Why did she sound so angry?

Her vision was blurring but she finally looked at the face in front of hers. What she saw amazed her. It was Vincent, or someone who looked an awful lot like him, a man she'd met only hours ago. But different...

'To answer your unasked questions, no - my hair was short then. I had blue eyes; it was because of other things made my eyes red.'

Vincent's voice rang from the back of her mind from earlier. She wanted to get a better look at the man, just to be sure, but her eyes were so blurred with tears and she'd already turned to flee from his presence. She didn't look back. She'd ran to another man, one completely different, and sobbed to him quietly. "You were right, Professor!" She sniffled. "He didn't understand at all!!!" She cried as she threw her arms around him. She glanced back at the poor man whom she'd spat such spiteful words to. She'd gotten a better look at him this time. He was wearing a blue suit, one typical of the Turks. He had a handsome face, with some of his neatly trimmed, jet-black hair falling in front of it. But what struck her most, were his eyes. They were a bright color of blue. They seemed to make her heartache. Whatever his expression was earlier, it was now a dejected look. Almost like he couldn't be hurt more if someone were to stab him right through the heart. She thought she could see him mutter something as he turned.

"As long as she's happy...I don't mind." With those words, her soul seemed to cry out; begging him to change her mind and to tell her that it was wrong. She needed him to rescue her from this horrible path she'd taken... It was like she was watching a film that she couldn't stop, no matter what she tried. It was like a curse, a punishment and even a nightmare.

Lucrecia's eyes snapped open as the dream faded into oblivion. Or so she wished. The dream was still in her mind. It was a haunting memory that didn't even belong to her. Whose was it? As she thought, things started to make sense; in a way it was her, Lucrecia, but yet it wasn't. It was all getting confusing as the dream replayed itself constantly through her mind, driving her mad. She fumbled with the phone and somehow managed to clumsily dial her boss's number.

"Hello? Sir?" She said in a shaky voice over the receiver. "I...I need some help." She said finally, not liking to admit when she needed help.

"What is it Lucrecia? What's the matter?" Hanz knew something was wrong.... but what if... he smiled to himself... Maybe... just maybe... He waited until Lucrecia controlled her breathing.

"Sir..." She started, feeling a bit embarrassed that she'd called him up for this. "I had a nightmare. I dreamt that I was in Nibelheim...With a Turk and another scientist. It seemed so real that I just know this wasn't a normal dream. Can you help me?" She explained in a rushed tone, still trying to gain control over herself. What was happening to her? Things like this didn't affect her! She hadn't even had a nightmare in who knows how long!

"Ok, calm down. What report did you read last?"

Yes! It's working... Of course I won't say that I heard the conversation that they had.... Hojo, you were a brilliant scientist! How I wish I knew you personally and been your assistant....

Hanz loved this, he knew the truth behind Lucrecia's dreams/nightmares.... it was... destiny that brought the woman of thirty-one years ago back....

"I wasn't reading anything out of the ordinary! I was reading reports on the Jenova project and then some strange man came and talked to me! He said his name was Vincent and that he knew Lucrecia. The FIRST Lucrecia! After that I found out about her and then he had to leave!" She took a few breaths after spouting all of this. "And then I just had a nightmare that I was talking to Vincent, or I thought it was Vincent. I felt so guilty like I'd just betrayed someone very dear to me! I felt so sick with that guilt! It was so real! And I haven't had nightmares in the longest time!" She finally finished, nearly hyperventilating. Of course the dream on it's own was just confusing, but with those feelings of guilt, pain, and suffering, it made her feel like she'd committed some great sin that needed to be atoned for; but what? She didn't understand. And those feelings continued to gnaw away at her.

"Vincent.... ah yes.... A bright Turk thirty-one years ago... I read about him.... in some reports...." He chose his words carefully; he didn't want to mention Hojo's reports - where he found that name. "Amazing, he is still alive. It's weird that you had that dream. What did he tell you about her?"

"He said that I was just like her. In looks and the way I acted. And the way he looked at me...It was like he was looking at her. I swear that man would have probably given his own life for her. But that's not the point! He told me about her experiments, and her real role in the Jenova project. Oh! I just don't understand all of this! I don't know why I had that dream! It was like I was living someone else's life!" She rambled off, her voice rising somewhat as she finished. "I just don't know what to do..." She concluded.

"Interesting... yes you do look like her. In the reports you have, there is a picture of her. Don't let the dream get to you; it was what he told you that made you have that dream. Words of others that knew the person, could affect the brain in different ways. So don't worry it anymore. Have a good nights rest, and I will see you back at the lab in the morning."

"Yes sir...Goodnight." Lucrecia said as she tried not to slam down the receiver. Maybe he was right...Maybe it was just Vincent talking about Lucrecia that made the dream come. But Vincent hadn't even mentioned anything like what she experienced. It was just out of the blue; something else was going on here. It hadn't even been ten minutes and it was already driving her mad. I don't understand. She stated to herself. Lucrecia had things all figured out; she'd go to Midgar and prove herself and then join one of the research projects that had been going on since ShinRa's demise. But now she wasn't so sure. It was like she'd deviated from her path, even if it was ever so slightly, and was now struggling to find her way back. Lucrecia walked over to her window and opened it up; she needed a breath of fresh air. Her face felt colder than it should have in a few places as the breeze washed over her pale face. She reached a hand up and felt several damp places under her eyes, she'd been crying. She hadn't been when she called the professor. It had to have been when she was asleep; was this affecting her more deeply than she thought? Lucrecia brushed these thoughts away as she leaned out the window to get a better look at the city, or so she told herself. She never really liked the dirt and grime of Midgar, but she was here. It was the only place to be recognized. Lucrecia looked up at the stars again, not thinking of the reactions going on in the stars, or the constellations that would tell navigators their way home, or even how far away they were, like any other scientist. Lucrecia just saw the pure, perfect beauty of it all.

How it all fit together so perfectly, yet it still retained an element of surprise in their patterns. Like jewels thrown about a thick navy fabric, so were the stars that she loved so much. Her manner of thinking may have seemed childish to any other scientist of her day; still having the child-like comparison to jewels just spread across the sky. Yet the simplistic beauty was all she could count on these days. As long as the stars shined, she still had something to believe in. And that was the constant magnificence of the night sky.

Hanz smiled to himself. What's happening couldn't have gone well, even if he planned this himself. Perfect, this is going most well indeed. It started quickly then I thought, but that's good - soon I will see some results of a long-term experiment. He folded up his notebook, sealed the 'top secret' report ... the report cover read in dark red letters:

TOP SECRET DOCUMENT SUBJECT: VINCENT VALENTINE AND LUCRECIA - PART ONE

He sat the report on the nightstand, turned off the lamp and rested his head on the pillow. Hanz mind was thinking about how this little experiment is going well … even more quickly then he thought it would. He smiled as he thought, and congratulated himself for a job well done. Only if he was here to see this, Hanz hoped that he would be proud of him; as that thought entered into his head, Hanz closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.


Cloud sat on the couch downstairs, and then he heard a door open and shut. He got up and realized that Vincent and the woman parted for the night. Cloud hoped that Vincent was all right, he never saw Vincent that bad off. Cloud shrugged the thought off and decided to sleep for the rest of the night, as he got to his door he remembered that Diane was no longer there. Cloud silently cursed to himself.

"Great."

He walked behind the desk and sat down in the chair; Cloud lifted a hand up and rested his chin in the palm of that hand. "I really needed some sleep...." A door above opened and shut quietly, and then light footsteps were heard. Cloud turned around and saw Vincent.

"Are you alright?"

Vincent nodded and went into the living area and sat down on the couch. What happened? He changed somewhat. Cloud thought as he saw Vincent's demeanor. "Do you want anything Vincent?" Cloud asked, but got no reply from his moody friend. Vincent wasn't in a talkative mood ... when is he ever in a talkative mood. Vincent sat there on the couch; the appropriate word might be slouched, his mind trying to comprehend.

Why is this happening? Why now after thirty-one years? I swear that the devil himself loves to toy with me...

Cloud got up and went to the kitchen to get him some coffee. I guess Diane wasn't the right person we wanted after all.... He thought as he walked back to the desk. He looked over at Vincent, and wonders what his friend thinks about ... but he lets Vincent know that if he ever needed someone to talk to... he was there for him.

But Vincent never talks to anyone or shares his burdens; he always kept that to himself. Keeping all that stuff he thinks about to himself can't be that good ... but what should that make Vincent change his mind now? ... He always had secrets ... I guess if I had a past like his, I wouldn't tell anyone either... Cloud shrugged again, sat down and sipped his coffee. It's gonna be one of those nights again. I can feel it.

Cloud slowly twirls his cup around, watching the ripples form in the coffee; how he wishes he could get some rest. It seems like forever since he had a good night rest. The hotel is dead quiet, not a single person is up, except for him and Vincent; but most of the time Vincent doesn't count - because Vincent usually is gone and no one hears from him. Cloud gets up and decides to see what's Vincent is doing, as he enters the room; he noticed that Vincent is wide-awake and staring straight ahead.

"Is there something the matter?"

"No Cloud … and thanks for what you did back there…"

"Excuse me?" What Vincent said shocked Cloud for a while; this is the first time that Vincent said thanks to anyone… especially to him.

"You know."

"Oh! Well it was nothing, and your welcome; besides isn't that what friends are for."

Vincent didn't reply. I wouldn't know, I never had a friend … my only friend now is the night… and an image of someone dear to me…. Vincent closed his eyes, and sighed. "I want to be alone."

Cloud got the hint, but that wasn't really a hint was it? Cloud shrugged as he got up and headed back to the desk. Cloud looked around the counter and found a book.

"Strange, I don't remember in leaving a book here; it must have been Diane's. At least she could have left a note or something, but Diane never liked doing things the easy way." Cloud sighed as he plopped down in the chair. He drank some more of the coffee and placed the cup down. He yawned and covered his mouth with a hand.

The hours flew by without the two guys knowing it, and when Vincent opened his eyes - he saw the sunlight through the windows.

Morning already? I must have fallen asleep last night and didn't realize it. He got up and walked to the stairs and noticed Cloud asleep with his chin resting in his cupped hand. Vincent walks up the stairs and enters his room, that rest he took did him wonders. He felt like new, the burning sensation in his lungs is gone and his forehead feels cooler.

Everything that happened yesterday wasn't a dream after all … but real … I can still smell her perfume here … remember her sitting beside me softly talking to me… us standing by the window looking at the stars… like we did so often back then … the only peace we could find in those troublesome nights.

Vincent walked to his bed and sat down, and closed his eyes. He can hear her starting to stir in the next room, and then her alarm clock went off. Vincent remembers every day that Lucrecia came in late, and most of the time - they were together.

Lucrecia stirred as she heard her alarm go off, her hand fumbled in the room trying to find the snooze button; and it finally made contact with it.

"Mmmmmm." Lucrecia mumbled as she sat up slowly.

I must have finally fallen asleep… and that dream didn't come back … good!

She found her glasses and made her way to the bathroom. Lucrecia turned the water on, cupped her hands, and gently splashed her face; then she grabbed the towel and patted her face. Lucrecia took her brush and started combing her hair while looking in the mirror; she noticed the small bags that was starting to form under her eyes, which meant that she hardly slept a wink last night and she tossed and turned without realizing it. Lucrecia walked back to the bed and found her rubber band, which must have fallen out; she grabbed it and put her hair back up into a ponytail.

I should be on time today … and I hope I don't fall asleep during his demonstration .She sighed as she headed to the door, grabbed her coat and her briefcase and opened the door. She took one last look in the room to make sure she got everything, Lucrecia nodded in satisfaction and closed the door behind her and locked it. As she walked to the steps, she stopped in front of Vincent's room, wondering if he was alright. Lucrecia took a breath and continued on. She slowly walked down the steps and noticed Cloud, at the desk.

"Good morning sir." Lucrecia said nodding.

"Good morning to you too." Cloud replied as he sipped his coffee.

"Is Vincent alright?"

"Oh yeah! He's fine."

"I'm glad to hear that. See you later this evening." Lucrecia went to the door, and turned back around. "If you see him today …" she paused for a second. "Could you tell him that I would like to finish our conversation when I get back."

"Sure thing ma'am."

"Please call me Lucrecia." She responded and left the hotel. Lucrecia welcomed the warm morning breeze, as she walked to the laboratory around the corner … it really isn't a laboratory as you might believe as one would look like. It was more of a stripped down one, it contains the most important pieces, but the least expensive equipment possible to get the job done.

As she walked in, Hanz was already there looking into the microscope. He's studying the specimen that they were researching when the left last night.

"Morning Lucrecia." Hanz said without turning towards her. He knew she walked in, because she is the only other person that knows about this secret 'laboratory'.

"Morning. How is it doing Professor?"

"No change unfortunately. I really hoped it would."

"Patience is the key, isn't?"

"Yes, yes…" Hanz said remotely and dismissively at the same time, which was evident in his voice. "But, there are special circumstances in which patience is not the key. You still have to learn that lesson my dear."

"How do you know when it is and when it isn't?"

"You just do, it comes naturally. Come and look for yourself." He said as he motioned Lucrecia to him. She walked slowly up to him, Hanz moved to the side and she looked into the microscope. True, there was no change in the process, just the same as when they left. Lucrecia leaned back and thought.

"Did we follow the directions? I don't believe we missed a step." She said aloud, but really to herself, Hanz knew that she talked to herself when she's in deep concentration. Lucrecia looked at the paper beside the instrument and read it.

"Let's see …

Step 1: Put the sample in the Petri dish…. Check.

Step 2: Add three (3) drops of hydrochloric acid … Check.

Step 3: Study and log the progress."

Lucrecia glanced up at the paper above the one she was reading; it was the chart for the experiment.

"… Check.

Step 4: Let stand for 30 minutes before adding the salicylic acid…."

She turned to Hanz. "Did we add the salicylic acid?"

Hanz thought for a while, retracing their steps last night. He raised his hand up to his chin and started rubbing it.

"Yes we did, and we stopped there because we were running out of time."

"Ah… I remember that now. Then why don't we see any change?"

"Hmm, let me look at that."

Lucrecia handed Hanz the paper and he skimmed over it.

He nodded as he reviewed the steps and the charts of the progress of the experiment. Hanz laid the paper down and sighed. "It's no use… it didn't work. We have to start all over again. By the way Lucrecia, did you read over the notes that you took at the meeting yesterday?" She thought for a while, and almost forgot about it. Lucrecia stared at the floor. "Uh… kind of … I was a little preoccupied last night to read much of anything." Hanz knew exactly what she was talking about, and remembered the conversation they had last night over the phone. "Please read them tonight, they might contain the solution we're looking for."

Hanz walked over to another table and flipped through the notebook there. Lucrecia wondered what he was doing, but it isn't her place to ask, even though her curiosity is running high at the moment.

But she decided to finish the other project they were working on, so Lucrecia headed for the back door and opened it. Behind it revealed a long winding staircase that led deep into the bowels of this 'secret' lab. She reached over to her left, flipped the light switch, and down the stairs she walked. The sound of her footsteps, were the only noise that was heard, Lucrecia also thought that Hanz seem a little preoccupied himself recently. He has been looking through old folders and notebooks, and has lost himself in those for hours upon end. Oh well, she thought to herself. I don't act that different either, I do lose myself in Lucrecia's notes … so I shouldn't really think anything about him doing the same.

Lucrecia reached the bottom of the stairwell and entered into the room, it was a library containing a lot of ShinRa's old documents. She sat her clipboard on the small table, and looked through the selves, trying to find out something more about 'The Jenova Project' that she learned more from Vincent. "Ab… ce…hi…ja…jc… je…. jem…jeo …Wait a second?" She stopped as she noticed that the "JEN" is missing. "That's strange; I thought I remember seeing it here last night." Lucrecia thought harder, playing back that night in her mind; yes, it was here … but she didn't take it. She had other documents surrounding the project, but not the documents talking specifically about it. "I wonder… nah; I might just be losing it, since I haven't slept well at all last night." Lucrecia sighed and continued down the shelves and around the library, maybe she can find another subject to read. This is her 'project', Hanz knows that she read a lot of these files, and here is where she found the experiment that they worked on last night, which turned out to be a waste of time.

"Oh my… what's this?" Lucrecia gasped, she pulled out the folder and looked at the letters that was written on the side. 'TU' "hmmm" she opened it up and walked back to the table. Lucrecia sat down and flipped through it, and stopped when she saw the word "TURK"; then Vincent's words came back to mind: 'I knew Lucrecia, because back then I was part of the group called the Turks, and she was a scientist there at ShinRa Inc.'

She skimmed over the pages, and at the end, found a list of the names of the people that were in that group. There were five columns: Name, DOS (Date of Service), DD (Discharge Date), Job, and Age. Lucrecia slowly dragged her finger down the list, and there he was, the last name on the list:

NAME DOS DD JOB AGE

MIA Vincent Valentine xx/xx/xxxx Marksman 23

"Strange, the Discharge Date is blank, but Vincent said that he was one?" Then she looked at the left side of his name - MIA. "Missing in Action? Weird, why would it say that? But he's here and alive … I wonder what happened for them to write that in here?" She continued to the last column. "Wow! Vincent was 23 when he started; I thought that was too young for someone to become a Turk. But, how old was he when all the stuff he told me happened?" Lucrecia looked back at the other names, and most of them also had a Discharge Date left blank, and at the left side read - KIA.

"Killed in Action, and I thought that they didn't care about them … maybe they don't and this was just for their personal records." Lucrecia pondered these turn of events, she has to talk to Vincent about this … but would he get angry, when he sees this? Did he know that ShinRa kept records of their 'secret service' members? She sighed, leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. Before she could reopen them, she drifted off into sleep.

Vincent left the Hotel and decided to walk the streets, his mind still racing with the strange events that took place last night. Why is his still dwelling on these? Memories of old came back once again, but different events this time. This memory was of him talking to another Turk, and the discussion didn't make sense when it started.

' "Come on Vincent; don't tell me that you never thought about it."

"No and why should I."

"Every guy thinks about it, a woman, a family …"

"Sure, with this kind of job, who can find a way to fall in love?"

"Sometimes it just hits you when you find that special someone."

"Spike, being in what we are, there is never time … and besides being a 'family man' would just get in the way."

"What are you talking about?"

"You would be distracted, your wife would be wondering if she would see her husband again, the children would be thinking the same thing; and at work, your mind will be on the family and if you will ever see them again … it would just end up hurting everyone."

"Vincent, you are so cold."

"If you want to be a Turk, your can't show any emotion, your heart has to be stone. Any type of emotion can and will be the death of you when it comes to a split second decision."

"It looks like you have been thinking of this subject…"

Vincent turned his head to his companion and his blue eyes narrowed. "No I haven't, it was never on my mind … that is my point of view on this subject. Falling in love will just cause pain, and will finally be the ending to everything you know..."

"Alright, alright, gee man… I didn't mean to hit a sensitive spot … I get your point … but just between me and you … there is this new scientist and she is beautiful, you have to see her."

"No Spike, I told you before, I don't like being set up and didn't you hear what I just said? I don't want a family …" '

"... I'm lost."

Vincent snapped out of his daze, looked down and saw a little girl in front of him. The girl looked up at him. Should he help or continue waking? Vincent doesn't want to be rude, but he never talked to anybody on his walks, they were his only time to be lost in his thoughts; true, he was always lost in his thoughts and his past, but at the hotel there were always distractions and other things. Will he lie to the girl? He can't and he would regret his action later … like that last night with Lucrecia thirty-one years ago, so he knelt down and looked in the girl's eyes.

"What do you want to know?"

"I can't find my mother … we got separated. I don't know where to look."

Vincent can't help with this question and what would people think about him taking this little girl and walking away with her? He knows about some other things these folks say about him, and being a kidnapper wouldn't be a good thing to add.

"Sorry, I can't help you …" Vincent got up slowly and continued on his way, he wished her could help the girl out more, but rumors of him were already bad enough. Vincent feels the stares of the passer-bys on him, and ignores them. He wonders why people could be so cruel to strangers. People who are new, and before they get to know the person, rumors spread like wild fire in a forest full of trees.

Strangers have all the bad luck, but why do bad things happen to people who just want to live and get by in the world? Sometimes questions like those are best left unanswered.

He continued to walk on, and once again Vincent found himself thinking about Lucrecia; and how long it took him to realize that he had fallen in love with her, but Vincent never knew if Lucrecia felt the same way towards him.

did you ever think she loved you?

Deep down inside I believed it, but some part of me never did.

believe it Vincent; you knew she loved Hojo and her work more than you.

No I don't believe that part! Nothing you say will ever convince me of that.

really? What about that night in the orchard …

NO! STOP IT!!!

hit a sensitive spot didn't i?

Why don't you leave me alone?!

because it's fun to see you go mad!!! Want me to go on?

No, just stop it; leave me in peace.

you know I can't, you're stuck with me for the rest of your 'everlasting' life.

Do you have to constantly remind me?

of course! A life without knowing about hope and love… a life of solitude

Solitude, how he wishes and dreams of when his solitude will end, but how can it? No one could look past his appearance - one did - Lucrecia, not the past one, but her 'twin'. She saw something else, seen a disheartened person - the look in her eyes told Vincent that. How Lucrecia showed concern when his 'fit' came full force, and she didn't flinch or look away.

do you think she likes you? she could be using you just to know ...

Just stop right there, Chaos! I want to be alone.

you are Vincent …

No, I mean for you to shut the hell up, and leave me alone.

you can't get rid of me that easily … I will always be in the back of your mind …

I know and that is why I fear you, when you come out. All I want is to be like I was…having no care, and not having this heartache. I wish I never talked to that person who recruited me for the Turks … how I wish I could go back in time and stop myself …

Chaos torments Vincent every time it can. Even though Vincent is the only one who can hear it, to him, Chaos talks so loud that Vincent swears that others could hear it.

Hours went by as Vincent continued his stroll through the town. It was quiet like usual, but something else caught Vincent sensitive hearing - a scream! He ran as fast as the wind to the park, as he approached; Vincent saw a man holding a woman against a tree and heard the next part of the 'conversation'.

"Give it all to me honey."

"I told you, I don't have anything else. You have everything."

The woman's voice was shaky, nervousness was apparent in there as well.

"Your lyin' dear, now hand it over!"

"I swear I don't' have anything else! Please let me go! Dear God let me go!"

"Not until I get what I came for." With that the man pushed her back farther into the bark and stepped closer, until his face was close enough that she could feel his breath on hers. The woman shut her eyes and tears ran down her cheeks, but before the man could do anything else; he was torn away from the woman and was tossed to the other side of the path. The woman took that as a clue and ran off as fast as she could. The man stood and faced the person that tossed him.

"You have no right to interfere..."

The other person stood quietly, a red cloak covering his left arm, and the man's blood red eyes narrowing to slits as he looked at his opponent. The two men stared at each other before the man ran towards the other, but in a blink of an eye - Vincent dodged the man's advance as the man stopped in shock that they didn't hit.

"Wha...."

Vincent then took the man by the shirt and turned him around, this time the man's back was against the tree and Vincent looked into his eyes.

"I'll let you go this time, but if I see you doing that again; I swear to the devil that I will kill you."

The man looked down and saw a golden claw holding him against the tree.

"... alright...please...don't hurt me... I swear that I won't do anything wrong again...."

"If you are lying, you won't live to make a mistake ever again...." With that Vincent let go of the man and ran out of the park, when he got some distance between him and the park, Vincent slowed down to a walk.

there's my boy! show your true nature! i love it when you do!

My God, what did I do? Chaos why?

you need to show more anger to those types of people! they are walking garbage, the only language they understand are threats.... but don't worry, their kind never learn so you will see him again

I hope to God I don't, because it will be you that they will see, not me

threats are my kind of language, you have no backbone anymore - you gone soft hanging out with the Avalanche members

No I haven't....

don't lie to yourself Vincent, you know that you are. show me the beast inside you! show me the man that took nothing from anyone! show me the Turk that was the best of the best - the one that could beat them all in everything!

He was the best of the Turks; whenever there was a mission he was their first choice. That man is still there, but somehow recently he is being buried by the haunting memories of long ago. Before long Vincent made a circle and was back at the hotel, he can't recall anything that happened after his encounter in the park with that thug. He sighed silently as he entered the building and without acknowledging Tifa and Cloud, he continued up the steps and went into his room and closed his door.

Tifa followed Vincent with her eyes until he disappeared. "He's back early."

"That is strange, but at least he's himself again. I told you about last night right?"

"Yes, and about the woman that was with him. Does he know her?" Tifa turned to face Cloud who just shrugged in reply to her question. Silently, drops of rain could be heard hitting the pavement outside and gently tapping the windowsills.

Hanz picked up the folder as he heard the door to the basement closed. "Now I can look at this more closely, I didn't want Lucrecia to see it." He went to the stool behind him and sat down, opening it. The first Lucrecia was a mystery trying to unfold, but with Vincent it was a different matter. Hojo had left a journal since he started working for ShinRa, but the most fascinating part of it was when the black-haired Turk appeared. There were countless entries of their disagreements; most were Hojo's rambling about that Turk. The common phrases that Hojo wrote down in his journal that described Vincent were: 'nosy', 'incompetent', 'meddling', 'too curious for his own good', and many others.

Hanz had only seen Vincent once, and these phrases didn't come to mind; but he has this feeling that he will sooner or later. As he reached near the end, something caught Hanz's attention: Hojo's experiment journal. "What's this?" He lifted it up closer and studied it like that of a child whose interested was peaked about something.

Name: Vincent Valentine

ID: #79013342

Project: #124610

Occupation: Member of the Turk Organization

Job: Sharpshooter/Gunman

EXPERIMENT LOG/SUBJECT PROGESS

DAY ONE

TIME: 17:07:00

"Now this is more like, I always wanted to know how this little experiment worked. I can't believe that he logged it… What's this?" Hanz saw a key inside the back pocket of the folder he took the key and looked at it. Then he remembered seeing a locked safe in the corner.

He got up and walked over to the safe. Hanz inserted the key into the keyhole and turned it, there was a soft click as it unlocked and the door squeaked as it opened. Inside he saw cassettes, he reached in and pulled one out and read it.

VINCENT VALENTINE'S EXPERIMENT LOG

"He tapped it also! This is getting better all the time! Now I can listen to it and read it at the same time! You are such a genius Hojo!"

Then all the sudden the door behind him opened and Lucrecia walked in. He quickly stuck the tape in lab coat and looked at her. Lucrecia closed the door behind her and turned to face Hanz.

"I must have fallen asleep downstairs because I had another one of those memories, dreams, nightmares; or whatever you want to call them." She said softly as she held the folder close to her side.

Another one? This quickly, this experiment is going far better than I hoped it would! "What was it about?" Hanz replied not trying to show his excitement, but his voice gave the hint of peaked interest. Lucrecia tried not to show that his look was starting to make her uncomfortable. What does he care about these dreams? Why am I telling him this anyway…. This isn't his concern, but yet he wants to know…. Why?

"Well…" She started trying to get her thoughts into focus. "It was different from the ones before, they were sad and confusing. This one was really weird…. I was at place, I think it was an eating room of some kind and I was talking with this guy, I believe it was Vincent again." Lucrecia stopped and thought for a while longer, trying to figure this out. Once again she dreamt of a guy that she just met, but these dreams felt different, like she actually knew him in a past life. "We were talking about different books we read before. I remembered being surprised about the knowledge he had, and the fascination he had about reading."

"Why did that surprise you?" He voice showing more and more interest as she spoke.

"I must have assumed that the group he was affiliated with never read books." Without realizing it, Lucrecia face started getting a far away look in it. She sighed, rubbed her eyes, and looked at Hanz. His face was starting to unnerve her more than it was. "I'm sorry professor, I shouldn't tell you this stuff, and it is so childish of me."

"No, not at all. Please feel free to tell me your dreams, there are really interesting."

Now this is really starting to make Lucrecia uncomfortable, henever showed interest in her before. Now all the sudden, Lucrecia is having these dreams Hanz wants to know about them? "I won't bug you with this petty stuff anymore; they're just dreams and nothing more. I can figure them out on my own. I think I'll call it a night, sir, I don't feel that good."

"Sure, I think that's a good idea. See you tomorrow afternoon Lucrecia, and be sure to read the notes from last night."

"Alright Professor, good night." Lucrecia bowed and exited the laboratory.

It was just starting to drizzle so she hurried to the hotel and as she entered, the rain came down hard. The brown haired woman that stood behind the desk, and the blond haired man that she met early this morning, smiled.

"Made it right on time didn't you." Tifa said light heartedly.

"Yes ma'am, I almost got soaked." Lucrecia smiled back, and she started up the stairs. When she reached the top stair, she saw light coming from Vincent's door. I wonder if he is in the mood to talk some more. She walked quietly up to his door and stopped; she lifted a hand like she was going to knock but just held it there. Lucrecia sighed, lowered her hand back to her side and continued to her room.