THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THE VALENTINE PAPERS

"Mommy, tell us again about when you first met Daddy." The little black haired girl scooted closer to the rocking chair where her mother sat. "I love that part best." Her eyes, an odd shade of amber, glinted in the firelight.

Maena Valentine nodded, a faraway look in her eyes. "That's one of my favorite parts, too, Seline."

"And I like the part about the big blue robot!" cried the red haired little boy in Maena's lap.

"I like that part, too, Cid."

Vincent.

Maena turned in her chair and smiled at her tall, dark, handsome husband, who was coming down the stairs. "Why don't you tell it, dear?" she asked softly.

Vincent shook his head and moved to stand behind her chair. "You are a much better storyteller than I," he said, beginning to massage her shoulders.

"Mmmmmm. That feels good." Maena leaned back and closed her eyes for a few seconds, then looked up at Vincent. She smiled the smile that was special to the man she loved. "I'm almost finished with the children's bedtime story."

"Hurry, Mommy! I want to hear it again!" Seline prodded.

Maena nodded, smiled, and began to tell the story.

Vincent crossed the room and sat down, watching his wife's face as she told the story, cherishing each little expression, each nuance of emotion. He was struck by her gentle beauty and easy elegance. Then he studied his children--Seline, with his coloring and Maena's features, a gentle, quiet girl; and Cid, with Maena's coloring and his features, an energetic, cheerful young man. They were good children, and so far, showed no signs of being plagued by Maena's magic and Vincent's curse-- a curse which had not manifested itself since that final battle with Caridoth.

After Maena finished the story, she and Vincent put the children to bed and walked to their bedroom hand-in-hand. They had just began to kiss when the communicator Cid and Shera had given them started to ring.

Vincent groaned and picked it up. "Valentine. Vincent."

"Hey, Vinny! It's Yuffie!"

"Here's Maena." Vincent handed the phone to Maena.

"Yuff?"

"Maena--I think there is a situation."

"Yuffie, what kind of situation?"

"Well, there has been a huge sighting of fiends up near Rocket Town. It's got Cid kinda worried. He and Shera are off investigating and they told me to call you--"

"Bad timing, Yuffie." Maena smiled wryly at Vincent.

"Let me guess-- you and your husband are once again enjoying the privileges that come with marriage?"

"Yuffie." Maena fairly growled into the phone.

"Sorry. Well, anyway, uhm, I can just call you back tomorrow--"

Maena rolled her eyes. "Just go ahead, Yuff."

"We were wondering if you two could lend us your skills. You know. Kick some bad guy butt with us."

Maena covered the receiver. "Vincent, Yuffie wants us to join her and the others in fighting off some fiends that have been sighted near Rocket Town. This probably also involves discovering the root of the problem and stopping some insane person from taking over the world."

Vincent shrugged and said nothing, his expression unreadable--except to his wife.

Maena smiled, then spoke into the communicator. "Sure. Call us tomorrow and give us the details. I'll see if Reeve can watch the kids."

"Oh, and Maena? Remember how the Turks were locked in the Highwind? Well, they got out."

Maena groaned.

(LINE HERE)

"So tomorrow, we're heading out to fight again." Maena settled comfortably against her husband's chest.

Vincent was silent.

"Rocket Town is being attacked. The Turks are on the loose."

Still, Vincent was silent.

"Vincent?"

"Hmmm?"

"You're being quiet again."

Vincent smiled. "I'm sorry. I was just--just distracted."

"By what?"

"By you."

Maena smiled. "By me."

Vincent nodded and hugged her tightly. "Every time I look at you, I think of how you brought light into my life."

"And every time I look at you, I think of how you brought life into my life."

They smiled at each other.

Abruptly, Vincent asked, "are you still working on that book about our adventures?"

Maena nodded. "The Valentine Papers."

"How does it end?" His voice sounded faint. He was falling asleep.

As his eyes closed, Maena snuggled close to him and closed her own eyes. She thought of their first meeting, the battles they had fought together, that last battle, their wedding and honeymoon, and the births of their children. She smiled. "The story hasn't really ended yet," she whispered into the darkness. "It's still somewhere in the beginning."

Vincent and Maena Valentine slept well that night. Their dreams were good, filled with expectations as to the new adventure they would face the next day.

Vincent Valentine, curled up with the woman he loved, was finally at peace with life.