Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or Moulin Rouge's story line or songs.

Song: El Tango De Roxanne

A/N: As you are reading this chapter, I suggest you listen to this song during the bar/fight with Hojo scene. You read this chapter and listen to the song, you could almost see what's happening. I was listening to Moulin Rouge's El Tango De Roxanne while typing this chapter.


Chapter 12.

They had paused for a few minutes. The old man was trying to recollect what happened after that. And Tifa looked very sad. She was looking down at the picture of Vincent again with great sympathy. She almost had tears in her eyes. She wiped one away before the old man smiled at her. "You know, it's funny, Miss Lockhart." He paused reaching over his chair. Tifa looked up at him. She smiled right back at him. "Yes?" She asked. The old man had grabbed a box of tissues. "This is the first time I've told a story like this that needed these." He said handing her the box. Tifa laughed softly as she took the box and pulled one out to wipe her nose. "I'm sorry. I can be such a cry baby sometimes." She told him. The old man shook his head. "No, don't apoligize. It's quite alright. I'm glad that this story is a great impact on you. It is, is it not?" He asked. Tifa nodded. "Yes, actually. I'm learning so many things that I didn't know about Vincent." She told him.

The old man nodded with an understanding look on his face. "Ah, Vincent being his stoic cold ways now, huh?" He asked. Tifa sighed as she nodded. "As much as I hate to say it, yes. When we first met him at the Shinra Mansion. He never opened up to us. Not for a long time. He still doesn't but he's getting better at it." She said.

The man nodded. "I see. Well, I'm pretty surprised if he ever opened up again. And he started being a little cold right after he caught Lucrecia and Hojo together. He hardly ever spoke or done anything. He was always in the dark. He went back to his miserable self. Dariel was very worried about him so he dragged him out of the house one night while the Scientist were still working. Gast had given Dariel permission of course. That's when things went wrong."

It had been three months since Vincent and Lucrecia's final break up. They really hadn't spoken to each other after it happened. They looked at each other a few times but nothing else. Gast was getting very worried himself. He was starting to have second thoughts on doing the project. He began asking Lucrecia if she truely wanted to do what she was going to do. And every time, Lucrecia said yes.

It was the night they were going to inject Lucrecia with the Jenova cells and the Mako energy. Everyone was really on an edge. Gast because he was extremely worried about Lucrecia. Lucrecia because she was afraid of what Vincent had said before. That this would kill her and the baby. And Hojo was on the edge because he was really hoping that the project would really work. He didn't care anything about Lucrecia or the baby. All he cared about was his precious specim.

Vincent and Dariel were sitting at the bar drinking Absinthe. Both had depressed sad looks on their faces. And as if their moods were reflecting on the other people, everyone in the bar had depressed looks on their faces as well. Only a few were laughing or smiling. Dariel kept on glancing over at his best friend with sympathy.

At the Shinra Mansion, Lucrecia was in her room getting ready to go down to the basement to get her injections. She was shaking slightly from the nervousness and fear. She didn't really want to go through with this experiment but she knew it would be saving Vincent's life. With a sigh, she began to make her way out of her bedroom to go to the basement. She paused when she seen Professor Gast waiting for her with a grave look on his face. He shook his head holding out his hand. "My dear, I can't let you do this. No, this has gone far enough. I can't let you take those injections." He said still shaking his head. Lucrecia smiled at him faintly but shook her head. "It's alright, Professor Gast. I'll be fine." She said softly. Gast shook his head.

"No. No you won't. This could kill you. I'm not going to let you do this. Your ruining your life and your baby's." He said. Lucrecia stepped over to him, placing her hands on his cheeks. "Professor, I swear. I'll be fine. I have to do this. For Vincent." Gast looked at her with tears growing in his eyes. "I'm a man of science, Lucrecia. And usually scienctists don't have hearts and wouldn't care for anyone but their work. But this has gone far enough. You can not take those injections. I know they will kill you."

Lucrecia shook her head. "We don't know that. There is a great possibility that it won't. We must take the risk. It's the only way." With that she went around the professor and went down to the basement where Hojo was waiting with a smirk on his face.

Vincent lowered his head knowing what was going to happen that night. He knew that Lucrecia would risking her life. He didn't want to see her die just because of a stupid experiment that Hojo came up with. He blew out a small sigh. Dariel looked at him from the corner of his eye then back at the counter top. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. He hated this. He didn't want to see his friend be like this. In this depression and heart broken state. He sighed himself before standing up. Vincent looked at him quickly wondering what he was doing.

The Leader of the Turks didn't say anything at first. All he did was take off his long overcoat and fold it over the back of his chair. "Dariel?" Vincent said softly. Dariel looked at him then took off his uniform jacket and undid his tie. He turned around and walked towards the several tables in the bar "Everyone in the bar, please move the tables to the sides." He told them. Everyone just looked at him like he was a crazy nut. Dariel just nodded. "Please, do it." He looked at the bartender who was staring at him. The bartender blinked a few times then nodded. He looked at everyone at the tables. "Do it."

So everyone stood and scooted the chairs and tables against the walls. Dariel turned and looked right Vincent who was watching his friend with confusion. "Vincent, my friend. I am at fault here. I should have thought of how this was going to end. I should have never fooled Lucrecia into believing you were Hojo and how she was expecting you as Hojo. It's all my fault that this happened. I should have just told her the truth."

He sighed shaking his head. He looked around the room undoing a few of the buttons on his white shirt. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at every single man in the room. "Never fall in love with a woman who sells herself, it always ends bad." He looked back at Vincent. "Where I grew up, where I was born, there is a dance. A dance that tells a story." He slowly turned looking around at everyone. "A story of a prostitute and a man….." He paused looking at a very gorgeous woman. She was no doubt a whore the way she was dressed. She wore a white blouse that showed half of her busts and a mini skirt. Her hair was was down and she wore makeup. Dariel had a glint in his eyes. He slowly beckoned to her. Coaxing her to go to him. The whore flipped her hair back and walked seductively towards him. Some men in the room catcalled and laughed. Dariel held out his hand to the woman and she took it.

They both looked at Vincent who was watching with a tense look. "…..who falls in love with her." Dariel said as he looked at a live band. He clicked his fingers towards them. "A mournful tango please." The band began to play. Dariel turned towards the whore.

"First there is desire." Dariel and the whore dance close to each other but didn't touch. A very handsome man from the side stood and walks close to the dance floor folding his arms with a look in his eye. "Then, passion."

Dariel grabbed the whore's hand and spun her in close to him. His hands running down her sides. She had a lustful look on her face. But her eyes went to man watching from the side. It was like the attraction caught him in like a fish. He stepped closer and the whore stretched her arm out towards him. Dariel followed her gaze.

"Then suspicion….." Dariel grabbed the whore's arm as she tried to back away from him. More men stood and walked towards them. "Jealousy, anger….." He spun the woman away from him then back. "Betrayal." Dariel began to tango a violent dance with her.

Dariel looked over at Vincent who was watching through pained eyes. His mouth slightly open as his chest fell and rose quickly. "When love is for the highest bidder, there can be no trust. Without trust, there is no love. Jealousy, yes, jealousy….." Dariel spun the woman off towards one of the men and they began to dance.

"……will drive you….." Dariel rose his hands close to his head with a mad look on his face. His eyes shut tightly as the band struck a violent note. After a few seconds, his eyes snapped open and looked right at Vincent. "Mad!" He stomped one foot as he yelled that word out. Vincent watched the whore tango with another man.

"Roxanne!" Dariel slowly moved to the side as the men took turns dancing with the whore.

"You don't have to put on that red light,

walk the streets for money.

You don't care if it's wrong or if it is right!"

More men stood and circled the whore and her partner. She was passed onto another man, who dragged her across the floor. Dariel watching her through narrowed eyes as she passed him.

"Roxanne!" The whore was passed to another partner.

"You don't have to wear that dress tonight. Roxanne!" Dariel began to circle the whore and her partners. He looked at several other women in the bar and they slowly stood as soon as he did.

"You don't have to sell your body to the night."

Vincent watched on with pain in his eyes. He slowly stood as he thought about Lucrecia. He looked right at Dariel who looked back at him.

"His eyes….." Vincent slowly said as he began to walk along the dance floor. He watched as the whore was spun towards Dariel, who caught her by her shoulders. They looked right into each other's eyes. "….upon your face."

Dariel touched the woman's face gently then placed a kiss on her lips. Vincent squinted his eyes as he watched his friend.

"His hand upon your hand.

His lips caress your skin."

He slowly walked through the other dancers. Men danced with women who stepped onto the floor and found their partners. Each of them tangoing. Dariel slowly pulled away from the whore and passed her to another man.

"It's more than I can stand!" He looked at Dariel who looked back. "Roxanne!" They stared at each other with pain in their eyes. Then the leader of the Turks turned away and walked off the dance floor.

"Why does my heart cry…." Vincent slowly turned from the couples and walked towards the other side of the bar. His heart was aching terribly. He stepped up to a large mirror that was apart of the bar's decoration and looked at his reflection.

"Roxanne!" Dariel watched his best friend stare at himself in the mirror. His mouth firmly closed and he narrowed his eyes. He turned towards the exit of the bar and made way towards it. Leavning to do what he knew he must.

"…..feelings I can't fight!" Vincent turned and watched the couples. His eyes looking for his friend but didn't find him. He squinted his eyes but then watched the couples.

"You're free to leave me…." He walked between a couple who was tangoing. "Just don't decieve me. And please believe me when I say I love you."

In the Shinra Mansion, Lucrecia was sitting down on a table as the assisstants were attaching a heart meter to her. Her heart was pounding and it was catching on to the heart meter. Hojo paid no attention though.

"You know, when this experiment succeeds, you'll no longer be just an assistant." He said turning around with the very large needles in his hands. Lucrecia's eyes went wider seeing them. She looked back at him. "You'll be a scientist. Exactly what you wanted to be when you joined Shinra."

Hojo walked over to her with an evil smile on his face. She shrank back just a little in fear. Her heart was pounding hard now. She wanted to yell out. To tell him that she didn't want to do this. She didn't want to give birth to a God anymore. "I'll make you a star, Lucrecia. You'll be in history books." A glint appeared in her eyes. She thought about how she could be famous for this.

Outside the mansion, Dariel was looking up at the large house. A hatred look on his face. In his hand was his electric whip. He spotted movement in one of the windows and looked to see Gast looking out at him.

"Roxanne!"

Vincent had enough of watching. He turned and left leaving the bar. He only glanced up at the dark clouds. Thunder and lightning in the sky, crisscrossing like jaggered cracks in the black oblivion.

"Why does my heart cry……"

"You don't have to put on that red light. Roxanne!"

"…..feelings I can't fight…." Vincent ignored the rain that fell from the sky. He just stuffed his hands into his pockets and made his way to the water tower.

The dance in the bar just grew more intense. The bartender watching with wide eyes. He had never seen a dance like this. It was the most ravashing and sensational dance he had ever seen. Watching as the usual drunkards and women dancing like there was no end.

"You don't have to do your hair tonight."

Dariel walked into the house, dripping wet and a murderous look in his eyes. He had gone mad with hatred he had for Hojo on what he had done to both Vincent and his sister. He He paused at the foot of the stairs looking up at a scared looking Gast. "Dariel, don't be a fool. You know what Hojo could do. And she made her choice already. You can't do anything." The leader of the Turks narrowed his eyes. "Shut up, Gast! Lucy is my sister! I will not stand aside and let her throw her life away because of that bastard!" He snapped. He stormed past the professor up the stairs.

Vincent was sitting on the water tower looking up at the dark sky. His tears mixing with rain. He had his gun in his hand. A few bullets in the other. The depression was too heavy on his shoulders and there was only one thought in his mind.

"Your free to leave me, but just don't decieve me…."

Gast went into his room and bent down by the bed. He folded his hands together and he began to pray. Tears running down his cheeks.

Dariel was storming down the stairs to the basement. He hadn't activated his whip yet but as soon as he was at the bottom of the stairs, he did.

"And please believe me, when I say I love."

Lucrecia was looking away from Hojo as he was getting ready to inject the Jenova cells into her womb. She had unbuttoned her shirt and it was giving him a free shot to inject her but stopped when something shot through her mind.

A memory of a smiling Vincent. He was holding her close as they laid in his bed looking at each other. He had said something to her that night. Something she had thought about every day, trying to figure out what it had meant. But now she knew.

"Come what may, I will love you till my dying day." She whispered those exact words he had said to her. Tears filled her eyes and she jerked her head towards Hojo as he was advancing with the needles. "No!" Hojo stopped and looked at her. "No?" Lucrecia quickly stood and covered up her chest. She nodded still looking very pale. "Yes, I said no. I don't want to do this anymore. I love Vincent Valentine and there's nothing you can do about that." She said. Hojo narrowed his eyes dangerously at her. "I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter, woman. You signed up for this experiment willingly and you are carrying my child. My experiment." Lucrecia shook her head. "No. It's not your child. It never was." Hojo's eyes flashed with rage."Silence!" He yelled. He stormed forward towards the poor woman. Lucrecia tried to back away but the evil scientist grabbed her arms and threw her against the table. "No!" She begged. Hojo pinned Lucrecia against the table while getting ready to stab the needles inside her. "You will be apart of this no matter whose child this belongs to! I am so close to creating the ultimate warrior and you will not ruin my plans!" He yelled at her. The door shot open without them noticing.

"Roxanne!"

Vincent was raising his gun, looking straight into the barrel. Tears streaming down his cheeks. 'I loved you, Lucy and still do.' He thought.

Gast closed his eyes tightly and tightened one of his hands over the other, without realizing that he was digging his nails into his skin. He drew blood from squeezing his fist too tight.

"Why does my heart cry…..feelings I can't fight!"

The tango dancers danced violently. The bartender turned from them and looked out the window. He could see the black haired Turk aiming the gun at himself. His jaw fell and he ran to the door, throwing it open.

Lucrecia closed her eyes tightly waiting for the needle to pierce her skin. She could hear the evil scientist above her laughing maniacally. Until he yelped in pain. Her eyes shot open. She seen Hojo drop the needles and throw himself away from her.

"Roxanne!"

Dariel was standing in the door way. His whip tightly in his hand and activated. A dangerous glint in his eyes and his teeth bared. Water was dripping from his hair. He looked evil with the eerie green light shining on him and the darkness behind him.

"You don't have to put on that red light."

Lucrecia quickly sat up, her eyes wide. Hojo was looking angrily at him. His face purple with rage but was starting to change. He was transforming!

Gast stood grabbing several of his things and throwing them across the room. He was cursing angrily. He was yelling angry words about Shinra and Hojo.

"Roxanne!"

"…..feelings I can't hide……"

"You don't have to wear that dress tonight! Roxanne!"

Dariel was facing off with the monster Hojo had turned into. His eyes glowing with hatred. Lucrecia backed away as much as she could. "Dariel! No!" She screamed. But her brother didn't pay any attention to her. He just charged to attack Hojo. And their battle began.

"Why does my heart cry….."

Vincent was just staring into the barrel of his gun when suddenly someone slapped the gun out of his hand. He jerked his head to see an angry looking bartender.

"Roxanne!"

In the bar, the dancers were still tangoing. The men surrounded the whore and began pushing her around in the circle.

"Feelings I can't hide!"

Dariel and Hojo were just attacking each other viciously. However, Hojo had been hit by the whip several times across the face and that had knocked him down to the floor. The leader of the Turks stood above him and began whipping the hell out of the scientist. He would not stop until the scientist was either knocked out cold or dead.

"Roxanne!"

Gast fell to his knees and yelled out his hatred for Shinra. He swore an oath that he would never work for the evil company anymore. He would end the evil work he had done for them.

Vincent tried to stand to fight back but slightly slipped on the wet wood. The bartender stepped forward kicking the gun off the tower. He let out a yell. Telling Vincent to stop being such a fool for trying to kill himself.

Dariel was yelling at the top of his lungs as he whipped Hojo. He ignored the pleas of his sister. He just wanted to kill the evil scientist that had almost destroyed her life and Vincent's love for her. He didn't even see the other assistants run into the room looking wild eyed. Lucrecia backed into the bookcase and covered her face.

Vincent tried to back away from the outraged bartender but slipped off the wood and fell to the ground below. The bartender ran forward with wide eyes and watched the Turk hit the ground. Vincent was unconscious.

Dariel felt a sharp pain his back. His eyes grew wide as the tranquilizer one of the assisstants used on him kicked in. He dropped his weapon as his mouth fell open. Then he fell to his knees first then fell into a heap. He was out like a light. Leaving a crying Lucrecia in the corner.

The old man stopped there for a moment. The tea pot had started whistling and was alerting them that the water was ready. Tifa was staring with wide eyes. She was in shock of what she had been hearing. This story was taking her breath away.

She looked up at the old man when he had returned with the tea pot. "Oh my god. Vincent had an accident that night? Was he alright?" She asked weakly. The old man shrugged. "I'm not sure what happened that night. I believe Vincent had hit his head pretty hard on the cobblestones and it knocked him out for a few days. He wasn't even aware of what was happening to his friend."

Tifa blinked a few times. "Dariel……what happened to him? Did he live? Was he killed? What?" The old man smiled faintly. "Well, he did attack one of the scientists when he was suppose to be protecting them. He did get into serious trouble for it."

A/N: hehehehe, cliffhanger. Review please.