Chapter 36: Hello

Playground school bell rings again

Rain clouds come to play again

Has no one told you she's not breathing?

Hello

I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to

Hello

If I smile and don't believe

Soon I know I'll wake from this dream

Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken

Hello

Hello – Evanescence

Vincent slept in an armchair next Aeris that night. Despite the uncomfortable chair he slept soundly. He woke the next morning when Infalna came in, already dressed. She was clutching a medicine bag.

"Antibiotics. If we get enough into her we might be able to fight any colds away before it gets too serious." She said. She bent over Aeris and shook her gently. Slowly one green eye peeped open.

"Aeris, I need you to take these pills, OK?"

She sat up groggily. Vincent asked instantly,

"How are you feeling?"

"Not bad… amazing really." Aeris commented. Infalna handed her the medicine and she swallowed it. She looked up at her mother.

"Where are they?"

"Matthew is in Kalm and Eric went back to his hotel."

"What were they fighting about?"

"I'm not sure. I was too busy trying to get you back to ask." Infalna said, stuffing blankets around her. Aeris smiled.

"I feel OK. A bit icky but not sick. Just a headache."

"All the same, you're staying in bed today." Vincent said. Aeris laughed.

"Gee, that'll kill me. Lounging in bed, being waited on hand and foot. How will I ever survive? Seriously, I'm fine." She paused and thought for a second. "How exactly would one have their foot waited on? Or possibly have their foot waiting on someone else? Or does the hand wait on the foot?"

Before Vincent and Infalna could reply to this peculiar but curious comment, there was a knock at the door. Vincent answered it. Cloud, Tifa and Yuffie stood there, holding bouquets of flowers and bunches of grapes.

"How is she?"

"Slightly insane." Vincent replied. Seeing their confused looks, he led them into the bedroom. Aeris grinned.

"Hey guys. Ooh, grapes!"

"Well, we actually came to see the ailing invalid. But she doesn't appear to be here." Cloud said sarcastically. Aeris shrugged.

"I have a headache. That's all." Yuffie tossed grapes to her and she caught them. Infalna said,

"Vincent, is there a phone I could use? I want to call Matthew."

"In the living room, by the sofa." Vincent said. Aeris sat straight up.

"I want to talk to him."

"Later, Aeris." Infalna said.

"Mom!"

"I said later." Infalna said in an authoritative voice. Aeris slumped back in the bed, sulking. Yuffie said,

"Not quite the birthday you were hoping for, I guess."

"Not quite." Aeris agreed. Tifa patted her hand.

"It'll sort itself out. These things always do. What were they fighting about?"

"Hell if I know. I guess… they didn't end of good terms the last time they met. Maybe they have… unresolved issues." Aeris suggested lamely. Vincent shook his head.

"Whatever the reason, they could have chosen a better time and place."

"Well, yeah. Anyway, what are you guys up to today?"

Later that day Aeris changed into some proper clothes and went to sit in the living room. Infalna had put the fire on to make sure she stayed warm. Vincent went to buy some food, and Aeris and Infalna sat on the sofa, talking.

"Is it as exciting as you'd hoped, being a songwriter?" Infalna asked. Aeris smiled.

"Absolutely. You know that feeling when all of your dreams come true at once?"

"I know it." Infalna laughed.

Aeris fiddled with a lock of hair.

"Mom? What did Dad say?"

"Well, he wanted to make sure that you were OK. And then he told me about the argument."

"Really? What was it about?"

Infalna seemed reluctant to say. She picked at a nail for a few moments and then said quietly,

"It was about some old issues… you don't need to know about them. I didn't know until this morning."

"What were they?" Infalna shook her head. She couldn't tell her. It was hard enough trying to convince herself of the facts. But Matthew had told her everything. About the money, about the girls, about the fight… it made her hurt inside.

"Mom?" Infalna shook herself, dispelling the remnants of thought.

"Not now, Aeris. I'll tell you another time. Right now, I need to think it through."

There was a knock at the door. Infalna went to open it and found Elena and Reno standing outside.

"Hi Mrs Gast. We just wanted to make sure that Aeris was OK."

"Of course, come on in." Infalna stood to one side. Aeris waved at them from the sofa.

"Hey guys."

"How are you? Don't scare us like that again!" Elena said, sitting down. Reno sat in an armchair and said,

"You gave Mike a heart attack."

"Yikes. Well, I'm sorry, if that makes things at all better." Aeris grinned sheepishly. Elena laughed.

"Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, it's not like you did it on purpose." Reno replied, ruffling her hair. The door opened and Vincent came in, carrying shopping bags. He paused. Reno quickly withdrew his hand, going red. Aeris laughed.

"Reno, stop it! Vincent knows the article was rubbish."

"Right… but, just to set the record straight, I'm not hitting on her. Friendly gesture. See?" he patted Aeris' head. Vincent stared at him with a straight face. Reno swallowed nervously. Aeris burst into laughter.

"Vincent, stop teasing him!" Vincent couldn't help it. He gave Reno and small grin and went into the kitchen. Reno sank into a chair. Aeris giggled.

"You crack me up, you know that?"

"I'm so glad my pain is amusing to you."

"It really, really is!" Aeris assured him. Elena laughed at the annoyed look on Reno's face. Vincent sat down with them and said,

"When are you doing more publicity?"

"In a couple of weeks. They want to do a documentary on us and they want Aeris to make a guest appearance. Mike's gonna call you with the details." Elena told her. Aeris scratched her head.

"Documentary?"

"Yeah. We've done them before It's OK." Reno said. There was another knock at the door and Infalna went to get it. Aeris turned to Vincent.

"Do you think you could do something for me?"

"Depends what it is."

"Find my lyrics book. It's somewhere in the bedroom."

"OK."

"Aeris." She turned and saw her mother standing by the open door. With Eric Gainsborough. He smiled but she didn't.

"Can I talk to you?"

"…sure. Come outside." Aeris said, holding open the door to the balcony. They stood outside, talking. Vincent watched them through the glass doors. Infalna stood in the kitchen, watching them with eagle eyes. Elena and Reno joined the two in the kitchen. Elena said,

"What do you think they're talking about?"

"Geez, you are a true blonde, El." Reno said irritably. Elena glared at him and turned to look out of the window.

"It wasn't my fault, what happened." Eric insisted. Aeris shrugged her shoulders.

"Then why were you fighting?"

"He came up to me and started making all these accusations. And then, when I tried to defend myself, he hit me." He put his hands on her shoulders, but she couldn't look him in the eye.

"Aeris… please believe me. I travelled a long way to spend your birthday with you. I would never have started a fight."

"Eric… I don't know. I don't know what to say. Matthew has raised me like his own daughter, and I've never seen him like that before. And I barely know you. I'm not saying I don't believe you. I'm just saying that there must have been a reason for him to act like that."

Eric ran his hands through his hair.

"Aeris, I don't know why Matthew accused me. And I don't care. I just want to spend time with you, before I go home."

"We can. It was probably a bad idea to have you all together at that time. I could have been a bit more subtle about it."

"I guess it was just a bit of a blast from the past." Eric said. Aeris nodded.

"OK... but I'd really like you and Matthew to sort it out."

"I'll try if he will."

"OK. Good."

Eric smiled and then looked at his watch.

"I've got to go. I'm seeing an old friend."

"OK. We'll catch up soon?"

"You bet." He replied with a grin. They went indoors and Eric nodded to Infalna before leaving. Aeris stared at there closed door for a second and then went to pour herself some tea. Vincent touched her shoulder.

"Is everything alright?"

"I don't know… maybe. But I'd like to talk to Dad."

"He's coming tomorrow." Infalna told her. Aeris smiled and nodded.

"OK. Good." She sipped her tea and went to sit down with her friends again.

After everyone had left, Infalna went for a walk so Aeris and Vincent could talk. Aeris asked,

"Vincent? You know Eric better than I do."

"Yes…"

"What… what is he like?"

Vincent looked at her. Her face was thoughtfully, eyebrows creased slightly as she looked at him. And he didn't know what to say.

Eric Gainsborough had been a complicated man. And Vincent couldn't have said that he cared for him. He had been seven years old when he had gone to live with Eric. And even at that young age, he knew that Eric was not a good person.

It was past midnight; Vincent lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Why wasn't he home yet? He said he would be home by ten. Vincent huddled into the covers and shivered. This building was always cold.

The door opened and Vincent stiffened. Eric was home, but he wasn't by himself. He could hear a woman laughing. Vincent pulled his head under the covers to block out the sound. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be here, he didn't want to be here…

"Vincent, stay in your room. Don't come out until I tell you to. Do you understand?" Eric hissed. His breath smelt stale, like cigarettes. Vincent nodded and closed the door to his bedroom. A few minutes later the front door opened. Vincent could hear everything they were saying.

"Where's the money, Gainsborough?"

"I don't have it yet."

"You've had enough time. We want it now."

"I just need a little more time."

Vincent screwed up his face, clamping his hands over his ears. He could hear Eric pleading for them to stop.

It had been four days now. Vincent got in from school and looked around the filthy apartment. He still wasn't back. He picked up some rubbish and threw it out. It took him several hours but he kept on rubbing and wiping, dusting and polishing until the apartment was clean. Then he went to the kitchen and took out a frozen meal from the refrigerator. He put it in the microwave and went to open the windows, trying to clear the smell from the apartment.

After he had eaten he sat down to do his homework. He was only eleven years old. He shouldn't have to do this. He shook his long hair out of his eyes and wrote carefully, putting his all into the work in front of him. Carefully he answered each question and then put his books back into his bag.

He took out a piece of blank paper and started to draw. His red eyes were fixed on the paper as he drew the view his bedroom. Not much of a view anyway. A dirty street, filled with dirty people. He filled the page with pictures of the people.

As he drew he thought about the town he had once been to. He had only been a kid when he'd gone there. But it had been different from this. Clean and pretty. Nice people had lived there. He couldn't remember them very well, but there had been a pretty lady who had hugged him a lot. And a man who had slipped him a coin to buy some sweets. And a girl, who had been sick. He wished he could have stayed with them. He would have liked living with them.

The door flew open. Vincent jumped to his feet. Eric stumbled through the door. His face was covered in bruises and cuts. His nose was bleeding. He looked around and caught sight of Vincent.

"Where were you?" Vincent asked.

"It's none of your business. Go to your room."

"But-"

"Go! Now!"

He was seventeen years old. He finally had access to the money his parents had left him. And there was a lot of it. Vincent read and reread the letter from the solicitor. He was his own person now. He could finally get out of here. And he had somewhere to go. His own flat. Somewhere he could call home.

He hadn't seen Eric since the day before yesterday. He packed his few belongings and looked around the small room that had served as his bedroom. He wouldn't come back here, not ever. He scribbled a note to Eric and went downstairs. He handed his key in to the caretaker and then left the building forever.

"Vincent?" Aeris' voice pulled him out of his memories. She smiled.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes… fine."

"You didn't answer the question."

"Aeris, I can't answer the question. Eric might have changed since he was my guardian."

"But what was he like then?" Aeris pressed.

Vincent swallowed and hesitated. Aeris reached over and took his hand in both of hers.

"Vincent, I need to know. Please don't hide it from me. Don't shelter me from it."

So he told her. Aeris listened with speaking and her expression didn't change. Eventually Vincent said,

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For telling you that."

"Vincent, I asked you to tell me. I wanted to know."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah… I guess… I guess I knew what he must have been like. But maybe he's changed. I think he has. What do you think?"

"I don't know, Aeris. I haven't had a chance to talk to him properly. But I can see that he wants to know you. Maybe that's what made him change." Vincent said, choosing his words carefully.

Aeris smiled and kissed him.

"Thank you for telling me. I'm going to talk to Dad tomorrow. Then… then I'll go and see Eric again."

"What are you going to say?" Vincent asked. Aeris shrugged.

"Not sure. I think I'll start with Hello and carry on from there."

(A/N: I am SO sorry for the lack of updates. School's getting on top of me, and I've started work now so I've been pretty busy. Plus I had a serious case of writers block. Thankfully I had inspiration from Jenza1202 to write about Vincent's background which gave me the push I needed to get this chapter done. So thank you for all of the lovely reviews and I will try to get the next chapter out ASAP.)