Chapter Twenty Two
Jeanine woke up and stretched, before suddenly realizing that she'd slept all night. Beside her, the bed was empty and she grew terrified that Jaras had slipped out in the night to go on the mission and that she had missed him. Her heart raced as she regretted not saying goodbye.
Then, the bathroom door opened and he emerged, a plume of steam from the shower billowing out around him. He stood there in his newly found glory, his defined muscles standing out beneath his skin, his long hair hanging about his torso in its wet tendrils. Since they were alone, he'd dispensed with the usual towel around the waist routine and so he was completely naked.
One of his eyebrows cocked upward upon seeing his wife's stare. "You're awake?"
Jeanine crawled off the bed and went over to him, placing her arms about his shoulders. "When I woke up and you were gone…"
"The mission has been delayed. We'll be leaving shortly." He gave her a smile. "I was right next to you all night."
With as good as she'd slept, Jeanine knew that he'd been with her. When Jaras wasn't, her sleep was troubled at best. "I thought I had missed saying goodbye to you."
Jaras placed a hand beneath her chin. "There's no need to say goodbye, Jeanine. I'm coming back. You need not fear otherwise."
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At some point, Peirte had apparently noticed that Vincent had nothing on, save the blanket wrapped around him. This being the case, Dr. Methius had retrieved another of the white jumpsuits like those he'd given Vincent and Spencer after their surgeries.
Peirte had pulled the jumpsuit out of a locker in the lab, and being too afraid to go close to the cage, he'd tossed it toward the bars, and Vincent had to go over and reach out to pull it to him.
Vincent had slipped it on. He hadn't been eager to accept anything from Peirte, but clothing was just something he couldn't refuse.
So now Vincent was dressed, and sitting upon the mattress. He was silent for the time being, just being mentally cursed by Chaos for having refused Amy's attempt at rescue.
This is stupid. I would think that you would have taken ASRIO's help and gotten out of here. Yeah, I'm inside you and you think I'm dangerous, but that drug they gave you, Vincent-- it pushed me away for a while. Why didn't you just start thinking about going and getting more of it? Why? I mean, it's not that I enjoyed being torn apart by that chemical, but… Chaos was willing to do whatever he had to in order to survive on any level.
Vincent rolled his eyes and sighed. Because as soon as we would have gotten out of here, you would have taken me over and done what you could to keep me from getting that drug, Chaos. You killed my fucking brother, if you'll recall, during your previous attempt to keep me from being treated with it. I can't risk putting anyone in danger like that. Besides, even if I was given it, what would the point be? The people I love will never forgive me.
Chaos inwardly screamed in his frustration. He'd grown accustomed to getting Vincent to bend to his will when he'd been on the ferium, and this return to his adamant refusal to give in to him infuriated the demon.
Peirte looked up from the papers before him. The doctor had begun reading through some research at a nearby table as he debated over what to do with his prisoner. He noticed that Vincent's lips were moving but he was making no sound. The vacant look in his prisoner's eyes told him that Vincent was carrying on some sort of conversation with himself that his mouth was unconsciously mirroring. He set down the paper in his hand and just watched.
Vincent realized that he was being stared at and he turned his eyes over to the scientist.
"Oh, did I interrupt you?" Peirte asked snidely. "Please, go right on voicelessly ranting."
Vincent sighed again and narrowed his eyes. Why Dr. Methius wasn't just getting it over with and ending his life he had no idea. He figured that he might as well ask. "Are you going to kill me or not?"
"You know, I don't think I've ever quite faced someone so impatient to die, Mr. Valentine." Dr. Methius reached over and placed his left hand against his aching shoulder once more. "I told you that you'd get what you want. For the moment, I'm not actually feeling all that well, if you can imagine, and I was hoping just to get a few small tasks done here before moving on to that. From what I've read, I know you can understand what it's like to have your arm torn off of your body, Mr. Valentine. I would hope you would be a little more sympathetic to what I went through last night."
Sympathy? Chaos was amused by this.
On some level, so was Vincent. "Well, just be glad they were able to put it back on you. The results of my amputations were a whole lot worse."
"You have a way of making the wrong enemies, Mr. Valentine." Peirte got up from where he was sitting and came a little closer.
Vincent faintly smiled at the idiocy of such a statement. "And whom exactly would the right enemy be?"
Peirte's physical pain got the better of him and his anger welled up. "I don't want to hear any sarcasm from you!"
"Or what? You'll kill me? Well, then do it." Vincent's smile lingered. Somehow, he was in a position of power now, controlling at least a part of the situation.
Peirte wanted him scared, but not being able to touch Vincent, he couldn't do anything to him to make him feel afraid. "Maybe I should have some guards come up here and shoot the hell out of you but no where fatal. Then you could just lie there bleeding in misery."
"And now that Chaos is part of me again, those wounds would heal within hours. Big deal." Vincent got up from the bed, pleased in the way that Dr. Methius instantly took a step back even though he was out of reach. "If you're going to shoot me and have it mean anything, then you're going to have to aim for things that are vital." Vincent's smile returned, and he pointed to the side of his ribcage. "Here, for instance. I was shot here once and it damn near killed me. Why don't you give it a try?"
Peirte scoffed, and leaned against a table. "You think you're a funny man when you're not being tortured don't you, Mr. Valentine?"
Vincent couldn't help himself. His exhaustion and stress began to make him act cocky. "I think I have my charms."
Dr. Methius snapped. He picked up a binder from the table he was leaning upon and hurled it at Vincent's cage. Needless to say, it just bounced off the bars and hit the floor. "I'm going to make you regret this! All of this!"
"Go ahead and try." Vincent stepped closer to the bars. "I fucking dare you."
"Have it your way." Peirte stormed off to his office, rustled around inside for a few moments, and then came back with his assault rifle in his hand. Using the weapon would be incredibly difficult with one hand, but he was determined to try. He wedged the gun between his body and left arm, putting his finger through the trigger guard.
Vincent turned to face Peirte square on, to give him as much of a target as possible. He held his arms out slightly from his sides and closed his eyes.
A burst of gunfire ripped through the silence, and all five bullets that Peirte had just let off flew harmlessly past Vincent, through the cage, and into an expensive lab machine onto the other side of the room. It sparked and went dead.
"God damn it! Mother fucker!" Dr. Methius ran to the other side of the lab, quickly examining his beloved analyzer, seeing that it was destroyed. "Shit!"
Vincent was confused for a moment, as he didn't feel the bullets hit him. Upon hearing Peirte's outburst, he looked to see that he'd been completely missed. Nothing ever went Vincent's way. Then again, he shouldn't have been that surprised that the aim of a one armed man with poor eyesight using a rifle like that had been so bad. However, watching Peirte come completely unglued before his machine as it sat smoking was worth it, and Vincent laughed briefly.
"That's it!" Dr. Methius threw his rifle to the floor. "You think this is funny? Are you amused, Mr. Valentine?"
And you're just going to keep pushing, aren't you, Vincent?
He just shrugged.
Peirte glared. He was at his wit's end. His arm had been ripped off, his fun of torturing Vincent was gone, and now his most used machine was destroyed. He gathered himself briefly and then smiled at Vincent. "Fine."
Vincent wasn't sure what was going on, but watched as Peirte slowly walked past him and out of the lab. Vincent was once more alone.
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The intercom within the base cracked to life at exactly eight thirteen in the morning. "All mission team members are to convene upon the airfield at once. The mission is a go."
Jaras was sitting with Jeanine on the couch in their room. He gave her a smile. "That's me."
She reciprocated his expression and nodded shallowly. "I know. Go on and get Vincent."
He gave her a lingering farewell kiss before getting up, motioning for her to stay put. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Try to relax."
Jeanine had tears in her eyes, but forced her smile to remain. "Okay, be careful."
"I will." He then turned and exited the room, picking up his sword on the way out.
Once on the airfield, Jaras found the others waiting next to the helicopter. When they saw him approaching, they all got onboard. Jaras sat next to Angel.
She examined her brother. "Ready?"
"More than you could possibly know." He scanned over the other men in the chopper. "I hope this isn't going to be in vain."
Angel shrugged. "I know this will sound strange, but I spoke with Tifa right before leaving, and she assured me that Vincent was still alive. She said she just knew."
"Well, I hope that she's right." He rested his sword across his knees and settled in for the long haul.
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Vincent had fallen asleep after waiting for Dr. Methius to return for what seemed like an hour or so. He glanced over at the clock, seeing that it read ten thirty. If it was consistently three hours off, then that made it half past one. Where Peirte had gone in this time he could only wonder.
Peirte had, in fact gone home for a while. He'd gone up to the offices of the higher ups right after leaving Vincent to inform them that he needed a replacement for the piece of equipment that he claimed Vincent had destroyed that morning. Afterward, the pain in his shoulder had just gotten to be too much and he'd left the building. Dr. Methius had gone home, self medicated, and then he'd gone to bed for a few hours.
But eventually, Peirte had felt better. He'd since returned to the building, and had gone about doing what he had to do. Finally, the lab doors opened.
Vincent looked up and saw the doctor enter, flanked by two Turks that he'd borrowed from the executives upstairs. This should be it.
Damn you, Vincent. I hope you like hell. Chaos was furious.
"Mr. Valentine, I do believe your time has come." Peirte sauntered over to the side of the cell, still remaining out of Vincent's reach.
He slowly rose up from the bed and came over to the bars. Vincent was resigned to his fate. His hands went forward and gripped the bars, in an attempt to keep himself from falling backward after being shot. If he was going to face death, he wanted to do it standing up, not lying heaped on the floor of this miserable cage.
The two Turks pulled out their guns and came a little closer to the cell than Peirte dared to go. They took aim.
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The helicopter set down on the roof of the building directly next door to the Shinra office. Everyone exited, and the helicopter remained in place. This building was several stories taller than their objective, and no one there would be able to see the chopper if it remained.
There was an alleyway separating the two buildings and Ericson looked down, seeing that there was no one below to see them. "Clear."
Kimo and Spanky went to his side and pulled out grappling hook guns from their packs. They fired lines across the gap between the buildings, but only Kimo's took hold.
They had all donned harnesses during the flight, and once Ericson made sure that Kimo's line was safe, he hooked onto the rope and slid to the roof below them. Once he was situated, the others came across as well-- Kimo, Spanky, and Jaras.
Angel remained on the other building, positioned to keep watch for their return to the roof. Silently, she prayed.
Once everyone was over, Ericson ran to the northeast corner of the building and examined the situation. Two floors below him were the windows to the lab. He reached back and touched the submachine gun strapped to his back, reassuring himself.
The others came to his side, and Spanky got to the task of securing a rope so they could safely make their way down the side of the building to the ledge along the fifth floor.
Again, Ericson was the first one down. He made sure to stay close to the corner as he repelled down two floors, not wanting to be spotted out of any of the building's windows. He made it down to his mark in less than twenty seconds. Three minutes later, he'd been joined on the ledge by all of the others. Ericson got onto his hands and knees and crept along the ledge, toward the lab windows, staying below the window line, as to not be seen as he went. The three men behind him did the same.
Once he was below the lab windows, he carefully got onto his knees and looked in. Most of his view was blocked by some piece of equipment, but he smiled. The window in front of him was actually open. Fate seemed willing to cooperate for once. He deftly pulled the screen from the window silently, setting in on the ledge next to him, and then pushed the window open just far enough for him to get his body through.
He entered without making a sound and kept low. Ericson crept along the floor, until he was able to see around the machine blocking his view. He spotted Vincent in the cage, facing Dr. Methius and two Turks. Quickly, he got back to the window. He motioned for the others to come in, giving them hand signals to tell them that two armed Turks were present.
The four of them huddled hidden in the corner for a moment. Using sign language, they quickly came up with their plan.
Spanky, you fire at the Turk closest to us, Ericson signaled. Kimo, you take the farther one. Once they're down, Jaras, you get your father out of that cage. I'll get Dr. Methius.
Jaras nodded and accepted the key that Ericson held out to him.
Ericson faced toward their objective and held out his right hand, three fingers up. He counted down.
Three.
The Turks in front of Vincent cocked their guns.
Two.
One.
Gunshots rang out through the lab, and the Turk farthest from the windows hit the ground first, having been the object of Kimo's deadly accuracy. Spanky fired upon the other Turk, injuring him but not managing a kill shot.
Vincent looked and saw the ASRIO agents.
Yes! Chaos was ecstatic.
Shit, no! Vincent was not.
Dr. Methius shrieked in surprise and attempted to flee out of the lab, but Ericson raised his weapon and let out a burst of gunfire.
Peirte stopped running instantly and braced himself against the closest exam table. He slowly looked down, seeing that there were three bullet exit wounds upon his chest. Blood bubbled forth from them and he coughed up blood.
Jaras gave no attention to what was going on, and didn't notice as Spanky went over and fired a single round into the head of the Turk he'd failed to kill outright. He slipped the key he'd been given into the lock and threw open the cage door.
Vincent slowly turned to face Jaras. "What are you doing?"
He stepped inside the cell and neared his father. "Saving you, let's go!"
Vincent shook his head. "No…"
Jaras wasn't in the mood. He grabbed his father's right arm and pulled him along as he stepped out of the cage.
Vincent looked over, seeing that Ericson was standing over Peirte, with his weapon trained upon the scientist. The only reason that he hadn't fired and killed him yet was that Peirte had managed to turn around, raising his free hand in surrender.
When people surrender to ASRIO, ASRIO agents don't kill them.
Vincent wasn't with ASRIO. He jerked his arm from Jaras' grip and went over to the doctor's side. As he examined Peirte for a moment, he saw the three bullet wounds that he sported and Vincent knew already that he was looking at a dying man. But this wasn't the death Peirte deserved. Far from it.
Chaos couldn't pass this sort of opportunity up. Quickly, he seized control over Vincent's body, taking his form instantly, causing the jumpsuit that Vincent had been wearing to rip to shreds and fall to the floor around him.
Peirte looked up with terror in his eyes. He attempted to say something, but when he tried to speak, blood ran forth from his mouth as his lungs were quickly filling with it.
Ericson knew enough to back off quickly. He wasn't about to tangle with Vincent in this form. He looked at the others and shook his head. "Let's get out, now!"
Kimo and Spanky instantly complied and started for the doors, but Jaras didn't move. He wasn't going to just abandon his father.
Chaos stooped down and bared his teeth at the mortally wounded scientist. "How's dying?"
Dr. Methius was not capable of responding or escaping. He sank to his knees as his strength began to fade. Please just let me go in peace…
The demon laughed. This was just all too wonderful. He reached out and drove the talons upon his right hand into the doctor's midsection, then forcing him back up to his feet.
Peirte's eyes begged for mercy, but that was something that Chaos wasn't familiar with. He pushed his claws into the madman further, enjoying his reaction. Dr. Methius reached out with his functioning arm and braced himself against Chaos' chest. His world was beginning to spin from his pain and blood loss.
Chaos took his left hand and put it around back of the doctor's head, forcing it to the side, so that Peirte's neck was offered up. The demon brought his snout down against Dr. Methius' neck and opened his jaws.
A sickening crunch was heard as Chaos bit deep into this quarry's neck, snapping it. Peirte's body went limp in his hands and he let the dead man fall back to the floor.
Chaos then turned to examine the scene. The three ASRIO agents were at the lab doors begging Jaras to join them in their escape, but Vincent's son wasn't budging. He'd made a promise that he wouldn't leave the lab without his father, and he intended to stick with it.
The demon took a few slow strides over toward Jaras. "You betrayed me…"
His cat like eyes narrowed. "I had no choice."
"Everyone has a choice." Chaos grinned, exposing his blood stained fangs. "You perhaps just made the wrong one."
Jaras stood his ground and unsheathed his sword. If he had to strike his father down and carry his body back to the base, then that was what he intended to do. Surely Sephiroth could handle a creature like this.
Chaos sensed the change in the man before him. "You have a demon of your own, I see, just not one the manifests physically."
Sephiroth smiled faintly. "It would seem so."
"I see." Chaos prepared to lunge, but Vincent was fighting as hard as he could to come back out and save his son from such a fight.
Sephiroth held his blade out before him, ready to do whatever he had to.
Seeing his son there, about to be the subject of his attack gave Vincent the strength he needed to push the demon from his mind and body if just for a moment. He took back his own form quickly and knelt down on the floor, gasping for breath.
Jaras sighed in profound relief and resheathed his sword. He looked around quickly, spotting Vincent's cloak lying upon a nearby counter. After retrieving it hastily, he went to his father's side and threw it around him. "Now, let's go."
Vincent rose to his feet, shaking in his exhaustion. He pointed over at a table close to the cage. "Get that laptop."
Jaras looked over his shoulder and spotted the small computer. He knew that Vincent must have a good reason for wanting it and so he hastily retrieved it, tucking it under his left arm. He placed his right arm around his father's shoulders and led him toward the lab doors.
Up in the security room, the guard on duty was asleep in front of the monitors. The events in the lab had unfolded without his notice and the alarm had never been sounded.
The five of them got out of the lab and to the elevators. They opted not to push their luck and took the stairs instead, heading up toward the roof. As they stepped out into the afternoon sun, Angel spotted them from the roof next door and she ran back to the chopper. Within a minute, the helicopter descended toward them and they all boarded.
Vincent collapsed into a corner seat, keeping his cloak pulled around him.
Angel landed at his side and embraced him. Tears filled her eyes. "God, I thought I'd never see you again!"
The fact that his daughter would throw herself at him like this in light of all he'd done touched him on some level and he looked at her, his eyes narrowed. "Why? Why do you still care?"
She shook her head and sat back. "Because I know that what you did was the fault of Shinra and the ferium!"
Vincent, so programmed not to trust anyone, couldn't just accept that. His expression remained doubtful.
"We didn't just write you off as evil!" Angel was hurt by his less than warm reaction.
He looked away from her. "You might as well have. I've got Chaos again, I can't be near any of you."
"We can give you the drug! I have some now!" Angel pointed over at her medical bag.
Vincent knew the outcome of any attempt she would make to dose him. "If anyone goes near that bag, Chaos will take me over again and kill everyone in this chopper, Angel. Don't even think about trying it."
She was hit hard by this, but realized that it was the truth. "I won't."
"Good." Vincent tensed his jaw and pulled his cloak around himself tighter.
"There's a spare set of clothes over in that pack. Can I at least get those for you?" Angel asked, motioning toward the item in question.
Again, the offer of clothing was something that Vincent couldn't refuse. "Yes."
Angel slid from the seat and retrieved the pack. She handed it to her father, not wanting him to become suspicious of anything.
Vincent managed to dress, although it was an awkward proposition as he felt the need to do it with his cloak covering his body. The last thing he wanted was his daughter seeing him naked.
Jaras moved from the seat that he'd taken and knelt before his father, with the computer he'd brought in his hands. "What's on here?"
Vincent scoffed. "The cure for cancer."
"No, really, what's on here that's important?" Jaras asked again, thinking that Vincent was being sarcastic.
He locked gazes with his son and scowled. "The cure for fucking cancer, okay? Need I spell it out for you?"
Jaras was taken aback by his father's tone, but then again, he'd been through a lot and was entitled to some measure of moodiness. "Really?"
Vincent dropped his eyes away, not thrilled that he might be saving Cid's life. "Yes, really. The kind of cancer that Cid's got, in fact."
Angel was speechless for a moment. "There's a cure for cancer and no one knows about it?"
"As Peirte explained it, letting the world know that there was a cure was 'wholly irresponsible'." Vincent felt no need to go into it further than that. "There's a formulation on there, and I'm guessing that your man Quigley will be able to figure it out."
The fact that her father had killed the man in question's brother made the color drain from Angel's cheeks and she sat back in her seat. "If anyone can, it'll be him."
"Then he can get it to Cid." Vincent hung his head and clenched his teeth. "He doesn't deserve it, but if I can spare Tifa the pain of her best friend dying, then so be it."
Angel forced herself past what she was thinking about Spencer. "That you thought to have that computer brought along because of what's on it will mean a lot to Tifa. Cid got married yesterday."
Vincent turned to face her. "Did he?"
"Yeah, to Jin." Angel frowned. "Otherwise we would have been here to pick you up last night, but Brad was gone to attend."
The fact that Cid had, in a way, been responsible for the delay in his rescue, wanted or not, somehow didn't surprise Vincent in the least. "Figures."
Jaras, not wanting to be responsible for something as important as was on the computer, handed it over to his sister. "I think you should hold on to this."
She accepted it from him and set it in her lap. "All right."
Seeing that his father was in no mood to talk, Jaras went back over to his seat and rummaged through his pack, coming up with his reading glasses and his book. Within minutes, he had the outside world completely blocked from his notice.
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It was close to seven when the chopper set back down in Costa del Sol. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, casting the airfield into darkness.
Angel hadn't radioed ahead, since she wanted there to be no fuss made over their return. She knew that Vincent would want it as low key as possible.
Ericson opened the door on the side of the chopper as the engines were cut and he hopped out. The other's soon followed, Vincent being the last, but when he got to the door, he hesitated in getting out and to the ground. He'd seen a glint in the moonlight of something dangling behind Spanky's back, and realized that he was holding a pair of cuffs. Vincent turned his expressionless gaze to his daughter. "Angel, if he tries to restrain me, Chaos will come out and kill him. You are aware of that, right?"
She quickly motioned over for Spanky to drop the restraints, and a clank was heard as they hit the tarmac. A second sound echoed when Ericson dropped the pair he was holding as well. The plan had been to restrain Vincent upon landing, but that suddenly didn't seem like a reasonable idea.
Vincent glared at everyone as they waited for him to make some kind of move. He wasn't trying to be unpleasant, but he knew what was at stake and he couldn't risk hurting anyone. "I want everyone to step back from this helicopter. Once I'm on the ground, no one moves."
All those present obliged and took several steps backward. It was clear that Vincent was not to be messed with for the time being.
With everyone what he felt to be a safe distance away, Vincent slowly got to the ground, keeping a watchful eye. Within him, Chaos was poised for action if he felt threatened. Vincent couldn't let that happen. He began to back away from the group. "I'm going, and no one follows. Understood?"
"Tifa's down in the base, don't you want to at least see her and the baby?" Angel asked, not willing to let her father just vanish into the night.
His expression softened, betraying the depth of emotion he was feeling at the moment. "Angel, there's nothing that I want more, but I'm too dangerous. If I hurt anyone, I… Just let me go."
A painful wave of helplessness came over her and she tried to take a step forward, but her brother grasped her arm and kept her at his side. She looked at him with tearful eyes. "Jaras!"
He just shook his head a little. "We have to do what he asks. Maybe later we can do something for him, but for now, if he needs to leave, then we have no choice."
Vincent, seeing that Angel was being held back by his son, turned and in a flash he ran off, disappearing into the night. Tears marked his cheeks as he went. He'd seen that his family was willing to take him back, but Chaos made that reunion impossible. Vincent hated the demon that much more. He knew of a place he could go to hide where no one would ever find him and that's where he chose to go. It would take some time to get there, but at least he knew where there was.
Angel turned to her brother and fell into his arms. "Damn it, Jaras…"
He held her tightly as he stared off toward where Vincent had run. "I know, but this is the way it has to be. He's just protecting us, and he's doing it because he loves us, Angel. I don't think we ever need to doubt that."
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Tifa looked up from the baby in her arms and saw Angel and Jaras come toward her. The expressions they wore scared her. "What happened?"
Angel came over and sat at Tifa's side. "We went and got Vincent out of the lab, he was still alive."
She smiled. "Oh God, where is he?"
"Well, that's the thing." Angel hung her head. "Chaos has him scared to be around anyone, for fear that he'll hurt someone. So, after we landed, he ran away."
Tifa closed her eyes and sighed. She could take some comfort in knowing that her husband was alive, but that he wasn't here, that she couldn't see him hurt her. Tifa hung her head and cried.
Aaron, sitting in his cell had put his game to the side for a moment and listened. He got up and came over toward the bars. "So, he's not coming?"
Jaras went over to his little brother and placed a hand upon his shoulder through the bars. "Not right now. His demon has him afraid that he'll hurt someone, but we'll figure out what to do."
"Do you know where he went?" Aaron asked, looking hopefully into Jaras' eyes.
He had to be honest. "No, I don't."
No one had any idea where Vincent would go to hide.
"I'll figure it out," came a voice from the entry to the cellblock.
Everyone turned upon hearing the familiar voice, spotting Reno leaning heavily upon the wall a way off.
"Reno!" Angel got up and ran over to his side, putting her arms around him. "What are you doing up?"
"I told you, I was bored in that infirmary. I was thinkin' I'd come down here and see Tifa and Mini Vinny, I didn't know you guys were back yet." Reno gave her a smile, leaning onto his wife for support.
"You shouldn't be walking around!" She held him tightly.
"Yeah, I realized that about half way here, but you know, I was already up and all." He wavered in her arms. The pain he was in didn't help the fact that he had little sense of balance.
Angel led him over to a chair and had him sit down. "You idiot, if you'd fallen, you could have killed yourself!"
"I didn't fall." Reno placed his hand against the side of his head as it pounded with each beat of his heart.
She could see the pain he was in. "Let me get you something to help you feel better."
"I'll feel better when I'm in my own fucking bed." Reno gave her a smile. "Where I belong with my wife."
"Janice will not let you out of this base yet!" Angel knelt before him, holding onto his hands.
"Well, unless she plans to chain me to the bed, I'm leaving, and I don't think she's that kinky." Reno grinned a little wider, showing his teeth.
"Damn it, Reno. You just can't listen!" Angel stood back up.
"Go get the car and pull it up to the entry, Babe. We're going home. There's nothing more for us to do here tonight. We'll think of what to do about Vinny in the morning." Reno looked over at Aaron. "Besides, that kid's been kicking my ass at the game all day. I don't wanna be here."
Aaron was paying no attention to this at all, he'd gone back to talking to his brother who was bent down to his level. "So, my dad's demon…he's that scared of it?"
Jaras nodded. "Yes."
The boy sighed. "I see."
"Porter and Quigley are doing everything they can to try and help the two of you, though. Just give it some time, little brother. All will work out as it's meant to." Jaras gave him a faint smile. The fact that Vincent had run away was hurting him, too.
Aaron had to put all of his hope into his brother's words. "Okay."
Janice came running in after noticing that Reno's bed was empty. When she spotted him sitting in the chair with Angel before him, she quickly came over. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?"
Reno looked up at her. "Getting ready to go home, that's what."
"You can't go home yet! Are you insane?" Janice frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Probably, what with half my brain stuck to the ground out by the hangers." Reno couldn't help himself and he smiled. "Get this fucking bandage off of me."
Janice was not in the mood to argue. Reno would get his way, but on her terms. "Let's go back to the infirmary and I'll get you ready to go. I see that you already took your I.V. line out."
Reno glanced down at the bruise on his left arm from where he'd torn the catheter out. "Yeah well, that was buggin' me."
Janice and Angel supported Reno as he rose unsteadily and they took him back to the infirmary.
Jaras looked over his shoulder and watched them retreat for a moment, before looking at his little brother. "I'm going to go see Jeanine for a little while, but then I'll come back down and spend the night with you, okay?"
This made Aaron feel infinitely better and his face brightened. "Okay."
Jaras got up and went over to Tifa. "Are you going to be all right?"
She brought her bloodshot eyes up to him. "I just wanted to see him so badly."
"I know." Jaras gave her a smile. "But you know Angel and her men will do everything they can, and it will probably go a lot more smoothly with her in charge, now."
Tifa laughed a little at the truth behind his words. "Probably."
"I just told Aaron that I'm going to go see Jeanine for a while, and then I'll come back down and spend the night here. Jeanine will probably come down too, although I don't want her to have to sleep in here, but it's her choice."
"Thanks, Jaras. I know Aaron really appreciates it." Tifa forced a smile for him.
"I'm glad to do it." Jaras turned and walked out.