Don't just freak out, keep reading, that's all the advice I've got for this chapter.

Chapter Twenty Six

Cid finished his lunch and sat back, considering Vincent for a while. "Hey, Sue?"

He snapped out of the daydream he'd fallen into. "Yes?"

"Thanks."

"For what?" Vincent asked, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the table.

The pilot smiled shyly, looking a little embarrassed. "For cryin' this morning."

"You made fun of me for it."

"I know, but honestly, thanks." He picked up his cup and took a drink. "Back at the house a while ago, you said you might shed a tear over me when I died, and I thought you were full of shit."

Vincent cocked an eyebrow. He didn't really know what to say, as he wasn't particularly proud of his emotional outburst that morning. "You're lucky that you didn't actually end up dead for that little trick."

"Sorry, I know, and this isn't the kinda stuff we're supposed to talk about." Cid finished his coffee and set the cup back down. "We better change the subject quick, I'm starting to feel like we're fagging out here."

Again, Vincent's eyebrow raised.

Cid laughed, "You know, this emotional talk, you cuddling up to me last night, and then having to hold onto you all morning while on that bird. It's gettin' a little weird."

The former Turk couldn't help himself and he laughed. "You're not telling me that you liked any of that, did you?"

"Hell no!" Cid slammed his hand down onto the table. "And so help me God if anyone, anyone, ever finds out about any of this…"

"Then I suggest you keep your mouth shut when you get home." Vincent slumped back into his seat. "Cid?"

"Huh?"

"Why have you always been…" His words trailed off as he thought better about pressing on.

"I've always been what?" Cid asked, not willing to let it go, able to tell that whatever it was that it was important to Vincent.

"Mean to me?"

Cid leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "I dunno."

"Surely there's been a reason. You don't treat others like that all of the time. From the day I came out from that box, you've seemed to get off on harassing me." Vincent narrowed his eyes, having wanted the answer to this question for fourteen years.

Cid tersed his lips for a moment. "In the beginning? Well, all that constant moping and whiney Lucrecia crap annoyed me. I mean, you weren't exactly the epitome of manhood at that point. You should have sucked it up a little there, guy."

Vincent's lips pulled down into a frown, but he remained silent, seeing that Cid had more to say.

"Then, you seemed to completely disrespect AVALANCHE by ignoring us and refusing to be social at all. Maybe I figured that you thought you were better than the rest of us. That pissed me off, and that's when I probably really got hard on you. Then you'd do things like pop off those little snide remarks whenever I'd say something. That was just down right rude of you." Cid shook his head, remembering how much Vincent used to piss him off.

Vincent smiled. "I know, I remember the day before we went down into the crater… You were pulling your 'I'm in charge and important, listen to me' routine and I laughed at you. You kicked me in the back, remember?"

Cid reciprocated his expression. "Yeah, fucked you up, too. Of course, you damn near ripped off my arm once you got up off the floor."

"I would have, but I saw Tifa, and her expression…" Vincent slouched down, as the memory replayed itself.

The pilot leaned forward. "You tellin' me that you had the hots for her even back then?"

Vincent felt a little color come to his cheeks. "To some extent, yes. I couldn't hurt you because I saw that if I'd done so, she never would have forgiven me."

"Looks like I owe Tifa my life a few times over, then." He looked out the window. "She's the reason you didn't kill me yesterday, too, isn't she?"

"Yes," he confessed, quietly.

"I see." Cid seemed satisfied with that. "You know, though, I only kept messing with you after you got with Tifa because I liked you."

"So you tried to make me miserable when you didn't like me, and then you kept it up because you decided that you did?" Vincent cocked his head to the side.

"Come on, Sue. The way I messed with you changed. Back in the day, I was just flat out mean to you, but starting seven years ago, I just sorta started teasing you. You know, I wasn't being mean to be mean, I was being mean to get some sort of reaction out of you. You're too easy that way. And hey, I don't give pet names to and tease people that I don't really like."

"What do you do to the people that you don't really like?" Vincent asked, perplexed.

"I don't hang out with them, that's for sure. For the most part, I'd ignore you, probably refuse to be around you at all." Cid sighed, realizing that they were still in the sort of 'deep' talk that he hated. However, he owed Vincent his life at the moment and supposed he should humor him.

Vincent leaned forward and placed his hand over one of Cid's. "I have a confession to make."

The pilot looked at where their hands were touching, wanting to pull away but hesitating, wondering what Vincent was up to. "What's that?"

"I…" Vincent's cheeks flushed bright red. "Remember what I said last night?"

"No."

"Come on, when I laid down behind you?" Vincent met his gaze.

Cid's eyes went wide, and he felt a sweat break on his skin. "About…about you not being gay?"

Vincent nodded shallowly. "That wasn't completely honest."

The pilot swallowed hard, feeling more uncomfortable than he could ever remember feeling in his life. "Uh…"

"Maybe I am," Vincent said quietly, "and maybe…I'm in love with you, beneath it all. Maybe I have been for years."

Cid snapped and got up from the table hurriedly, almost falling in his haste. He backed away a few steps, seeing that everyone in the restaurant had their eyes upon him. "No! No, no, no! Not even! Not in a million years! I…no!"

"Come on, Cid, don't make a big scene. Sit down." Vincent motioned toward where the pilot had been sitting. "Don't be like that."

"I knew it! You are just like your fucking brother! Oh God…you…you mean you really meant it back at the house when you told me that you loved me? Oh no…no!" Cid was shaking in his disgust. He may have constantly accused Vincent of being queer, but he never really had given it any credit.

Vincent got up from the booth and grabbed his cloak. He took a few strides over to Cid and put his hand on the other man's shoulder. "Cid…"

The pilot knocked Vincent's hand away as hard as he could. "Don't you ever fucking touch me! I ain't like that!"

Vincent looked around, seeing that everyone present was now looking at the two of them, and that Cid was as embarrassed as he'd ever been in his entire life. "Are you upset?"

"Gee, you think?" Cid took a few more steps backward. Since he'd already paid for his lunch, he knew he could just turn and run out if he were so inclined.

Vincent looked hurt for a moment and hung his head. His shoulders heaved a few times, and he covered his face with his hands, muffled sounds soon emanating from him.

"Aw shit, no." Cid took one small step forward. "Look, guy, I'm sorry, but… Damn it, Sunshine, I… Come on!"

"You…you don't like me! I knew it!" Vincent cried out, still hiding behind his hands.

"Damn it, Sue! I just…I ain't like that! Now stop crying!" Cid wanted to wither up and die. The fact that he presently had an audience of about thirty people staring on at the little drama unfolding was worse than death. "Stop fuckin' cryin'!"

Vincent's hands fell away from his face, instantly revealing the fact that he hadn't been crying at all. In fact, he'd been trying hard not to laugh.

Cid was confused by this for a moment, not getting the joke.

"And you said that I was easy." Vincent smiled broadly, beginning to laugh.

"You…you weren't serious?" Cid asked, already knowing the answer.

Vincent threw his cloak around his shoulders and buckled it. "No, I wasn't, not in the least, and you just made a complete ass of yourself in front of all of these nice people. I think we should go now."

"You little fucker!" Cid had to fight his urge to haul off and hit Vincent, but the former Turk quickly turned away and started for the door. The pilot glanced around the diner for a moment, cutting through the lookers on with a glare, before following suit.

Vincent was waiting for him outside the door, the grin still on his lips. "Now, Highwind, I think we're even for your little stunt this morning."

Cid was still mad, but deep down, he had to give Vincent credit. That had taken a lot of nerve on the other man's part to pull off that little charade. "Fuck you, Sue."

"I do believe that you just made it clear that you weren't interested," Vincent laughed back as he began to untie Dirk's reins from the hitching post.

Not able to stop himself, Cid struck out and smacked Vincent as hard as he could in the back of the head.

Vincent winced at the blow and turned around, his smile refusing to fade. "See, a reaction can be gotten out of you as well."

Cid hung his head and laughed to himself. Apparently, Vincent possessed a wicked sense of humor somewhere under that façade of his. He knew at that moment exactly how much they meant to one another as friends despite everything that happened. The fact that after he left on the train in two hours he'd never see the former Turk alive again cut through him and he took a step forward and pulled Vincent to him.

Vincent was caught a little off guard by this, but submitted to the embrace. "Second thoughts?"

"No, just shut up," Cid whispered back to him, keeping him close for a moment. "I'm gonna miss you."

Vincent smiled faintly. "Thank you."

Cid stepped back after a minute, seeing that some of the patrons that had left the restaurant were now standing on the sidewalk looking on. "Get lost you nosey bastards!"

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They spent those last two hours sitting outside of the train station on a bench. The sun was out, making it warm enough for them to be comfortable despite the snow on the ground. The time had been filled with meaningless banter, as they felt that all of the important stuff had already been said. Finally, an announcement came over the station intercom, giving the boarding call for Cid's train.

The pilot stood up and pulled his ticket from his pocket. "Okay, well, I'm goin'."

Vincent got up as well. "All right. I hope it works out for you."

"Yeah." Cid gave in and embraced Vincent on more time. "Goodbye."

Vincent closed his eyes for a moment. "Bye. Remember to tell Tifa, all right? Make sure that she and the kids are taken care of."

Cid stepped back. "I will."

"Go before you miss your train."

"Okay." Cid picked his pack up off the bench and threw it over his shoulder. He gave Vincent one last smile and then boarded the train.

The former Turk watched on until Cid disappeared from view. Once he was gone, he walked over to his chocobo and got on. He reined the bird back in the direction of the cave and left town.

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Reno strolled the ASRIO base slowly, just taking in the place with his slightly new perspective on things. He'd sent Dana to go play at Jessie's for awhile, freeing him up to come here with Angel today. The thought that this wasn't his anymore bothered him beyond comprehension. Angel was doing a good enough job of running the show, but the stress it was putting on her was taking its toll. He could tell that his wife was having a hard time with things, and he didn't want her miserable.

After a while, he found himself before Tseng's door. Still having the key to the room in his possession, Reno pulled it out, unlocked the door and entered. He flipped on the light and went to the couch and settled into his usual position.

"All right, Tseng, where in the fuck is Vinny?" he asked. To his surprise, the answer came before he'd delved into his typical trance.

"You know, he hates it when you call him that."

Reno turned his head toward the bed, seeing Tseng there, seemingly in the flesh. "Oh man, I'm more messed up than I thought…"

"Yes, you are." Tseng gave him a smile. "You don't even have your eye closed."

"Yeah, I know, and there you are." Reno wasn't as shaken as he probably would have been about seeing a ghost this clearly, had it not been for his out of body experience after being taken into the infirmary. "You really have been here all of those times I came by and pretended to talk to you, huh?"

Tseng nodded. "Like I said, I couldn't just leave you in charge of this without guidance."

"Yeah well, I ain't in charge no more." Reno felt his shoulders slump.

"The rules?"

Reno nodded slowly, as to not hurt himself. "Yeah, and they're some lame ass rules."

"You know why they were put in place, Reno." Tseng folded his hands upon his lap.

"I know, but I ain't that fucked up."

"You just sat here and told me you were more messed up than you thought." Tseng's tone indicated that he was joking.

"Yeah, but Angel's miserable running this thing. She was great as second, but I can't help but think that she's hatin' life at the moment." He thought briefly about how down his wife had been recently. "Of course, part of her problem is Vinny going off like he did."

"Yes, well, she loves him." Tseng gave a faint smile.

"He shot me in the fuckin' face, and I sat there and promised Tifa that I'd find him. Crazy, huh?" Reno laughed a little to himself.

"Well, you were shot in the head."

Reno scowled and gave his old partner a glare. "Yeah, I'm aware. So, do you know where he is or not?"

"On the subject of Tsuvatai, what would you say to him to get him to come back with you in the first place?" Tseng asked.

"Well, I figured I'd take that fuckin' dart gun with me and shoot his ass and drag him back here." Reno smiled at the thought.

"He'd just run away again," the former ASRIO leader replied.

Tseng had a point. "Yeah, that's probably true."

"Why do you think he ran away?"

"Chaos."

"But for what purpose?" Tseng narrowed his eyes.

Reno thought for a moment. "To keep him from hurting anyone, which means… oh, he probably went somewhere to be alone. Maybe he went to…damn it, that thing when you..." He brought up his right hand and feigned shooting himself in the head.

"Suicide." Tseng nodded. "So if you found him, how would you change his mind?"

"I don't know. He knows we have the drug we gave him before, so that's not the answer." He ran his left hand through his hair. "Tifa still loves him, that could do it."

"How about telling him he can't break a promise?" he asked.

Reno thought hard. "A promise? About not killing himself?"

"Think, Reno." Tseng smiled again. "You know this one."

"Killing himself…he did that before, or tried to. You told me he almost shot himself when you caught up with him in Rocket all those years back." His mind was struggling for traction.

"Yes, and?"

"Tifa was there…oh," Reno's eye widened in his sudden burst of insight. "Tifa was there, she probably got mad that he tried to kill himself, especially with what happened to Cloud and all. I bet she made him promise he wouldn't kill himself, right?"

"And maybe he needs to be reminded of that." Tseng got up and came over, sitting on the opposite end of the couch. "So, that's what you have to do."

"Yeah, but where is he?" Reno asked, wanting the answer.

"I'm just a figment of your imagination, Reno. I can't pull answers from the air for you." Tseng leaned back.

"No, you're a ghost, you're really here." Reno pointed at him. "I'm seeing you for real right there."

"Maybe you're delusional."

Reno got mad. "I'm not fuckin' hallucinating! You're real, Tseng! You're here, you've been here all along, you were the one that convinced me to live from this injury!"

"You seem fairly convinced that you're completely mentally competent." Tseng cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I am!"

"Then fuck the rules, Reno." Tseng got up and gave him a smile. "Fuck them."

Reno went to say something in return, but when he looked over at where Tseng had walked to, there was nothing. "All right then. Let's get this show on the road."

He got up from the couch and left the room. Reno walked straight to the control room and found Angel sitting at his desk.

She was absorbed in something and didn't notice him until he whacked the side of the desk with his cane. "Reno? What are you doing?"

"I'm taking over," he said with absolute confidence.

"Reno, I'd let you but the ru--" She found herself cut off as he leaned over the desk.

"Fuck the rules, Babe." Reno smiled. "I'm the boss, I make the rules. So I got shot in the head. So what? So I can't remember sometimes those words…that…stand for things that I want to describe."

"Nouns?" Angel asked sarcastically.

Reno nodded at her. "Yeah, those. So what if I can't say all of those? What does it matter? I'm otherwise fine, and I'm taking over!"

Angel didn't want to be in charge, and she was willing to make a compromise. "All right, you go talk to Janice. See if there are some tests she can give you to assess your mental abilities. If you can pass, and by pass I mean do very, very well, then fine, we can change the rules."

Reno straightened up. "That's right, Babe. Let's go see the doc. I'm getting my job back."

"There's a catch, though." Angel stood up.

"What's that?"

"Porter stays as second." She dropped her gaze to the desk before her.

He didn't understand. Angel had been second since he'd been promoted. "Why?"

"Well, because…I need some time off." Her cheeks flushed red.

Reno suddenly got a very strange feeling. "Why?"

"I guess there's something in the water…" She looked away, remembering the last time she'd given him big news and his reaction.

"Babe?"

"Jeanine's not the only one." She looked up slowly and met his gaze.

"You're fucking me, right?"

"No, that's how we got in this situation to begin with. I found out yesterday. Dana's going to have a brother or sister." Angel smiled, hoping that he'd take this well.

"No shit?"

Mocking his expression, she replied, "None whatsoever."

Reno quickly went around the desk and took her into his arms. "That's the best news I've gotten in a while! Babe, thanks!"

Angel held him tightly. He'd brought up his wish of having another child several times over the last few months, and two months ago they'd started trying or at least, they were no longer not trying. She knew that she had literally dodged the bullet by not having him die. "No, thank you, Reno. You've been the best father Dana could have ever had, and I know you'll do just as well with this one."

Reno felt tears trail down his cheek. He was happy.

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Cid watched the winter scenery roll by, as the train made its way from the mountains and to the coast. It stopped in a town, several passengers getting off and others boarding, one of whom landed in the seat that faced his.

The woman gave him a faint smile as she settled back. "Hello."

The pilot examined her. She was cute, if not a little heavy. Her face betrayed that she had serious things on her mind, but it didn't take away from the fact that he wouldn't mind looking at her for the next several hours. "Hey."

Deciding to make small talk, she asked, "Where are you headed?"

"Costa, and you?" Cid replied.

"Same here." Her bright eyes reflected the smile she gave him. "Tourist?"

Cid shook his head. "Naw, goin' for medical treatment."

"I see."

"And you?"

"Business." Again she gave him a smile before leaning forward and extending her hand. "Name's Amy."

He accepted her handshake. "Cid."

Her eyes narrowed in thought. "You're Cid Highwind?"

"Heard of me, huh?"

"Everyone has, and I bet I know where you're really going. I work there, or at least, I did." She sighed heavily and looked out the window.

"You did? Then why are you going there if you don't now?" he asked, honestly curious.

"Because I need to talk to the boss about a few things. I might take a desk job. I was in the field, but I went through some things recently that…that were pretty rough and I don't ever want to be in those sorts of situations again." Amy forced a faint smile as she looked at him.

Cid locked into her dark blue eyes. "Bad stuff, huh?"

Amy nodded, running a hand through her dark hair. "Very."

The pilot felt bad for her and figuring that he'd had enough practice with this sort of thing with Tifa, he offered, "If you need to talk about it, you can. I won't mind."

Amy looked around, seeing that the seats around them for a few rows were vacant, meaning that they had a little privacy. "Well, I was sent in as a plant in a lab facility, but that was never really my job. I was just a handler for other plants, but something happened and they needed me."
He nodded, understanding well enough.

"I was assigned to be with a certain doctor there, in order to watch out for someone, someone that I do believe you know." Amy knew that Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind had both been members of AVALANCHE as well as both having had dealings with ASRIO over the years.

Cid was already onboard. "Yeah, Vince, right?"

"Mr. Valentine, yes."

The pilot had wondered about this but hadn't dared ask Vincent himself for the short while they'd been together. "What happened?"

"Well, Mr. Valentine came to the building of his own free will and gave over a disc to the doctor, apparently to sell out ASRIO, but the disc proved to be blank, earning Mr. Valentine…a terrible punishment." She hung her head.

"What did they do to him?" Cid felt an uncomfortable knot form within him.

"The doctor first beat the living daylights out of him, and then he decided to try doing some inhumane experiments on him after forcing Mr. Valentine through ferium withdrawal." Amy shook her head and looked out the window again. "The doctor injected Mr. Valentine with something and then started to burn him to see if the drug he gave him made a difference, but it didn't. It was the most awful thing I've ever seen someone do to another person. I…I ran out. It literally made me sick."

Cid tensed his jaw upon hearing this. "Damn…"

Amy opted to leave out some things. "A little while later, I was back in the lab, and Mr. Valentine managed to break his restraints and come after the doctor and he turned into this…thing."

"Right, Chaos."

"Whatever it was, it tore off the doctor's arm, which was…not as bad a thing as the son of a bitch deserved." She shrugged. "After that, I tried to get Mr. Valentine to leave with me, but he refused. He didn't want to get out."

He nodded, knowing the rest of the story. "But ASRIO went and got him out anyway."

"They did?" Her whole face brightened.

"Yeah, and he ran off afterward." Knowing that he had sworn not to reveal Vincent's location, he left it at that.

"I'm just so glad he got out of there." Amy slouched back into her seat. "Really glad."

"Thanks for caring about him," Cid said, almost feeling a little strange about it. Knowing that it would be better for the both of them to leave the subject of Vincent for awhile, he turned to other things. "So you're thinkin' about taking a less exciting position?"

She huffed. "If I stay on at all. I don't know right now, I'm a little…confused. Doesn't help that I haven't had a cigarette in four days, either."

"Those things'll kill you," he replied under his breath.

"Yeah," Amy met his gaze again, "but I still could use one."

Not having any need for them, Cid reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the pack he'd brought with him on his intended suicide mission. He handed them over along with his old lighter. "Here, take 'em. I don't need them anymore."

Amy instantly pulled one out and put it to her lips, quickly lighting it. After her first drag, she held the lighter back out to him. "Here."

Cid shook his head and raised a hand. "Naw, you keep it. I don't smoke anymore."

Amy considered the small chrome object in her hand for a moment. It was an expensive lighter, if not well used. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, think of it as a souvenir. Tell your grandkids about how you got it from Cid Highwind someday." He offered her a faint smile before turning toward the window.

"Wow, thanks." She slipped it into her pocket. Amy stared at him as he continued to gaze out at the scenery. Although she'd seen plenty of pictures of him over the years, there was something different about being with him in person. The pilot had a definite presence, and immediately she knew that she was with someone who was unwaveringly confident in everything he did. His features screamed stereotypical pilot in every way, and a faint blush came to her cheeks when she realized her attraction to him.

Cid saw her quickly look away out of the corner of his eye, and he faced her again, seeing that she looked a little embarrassed. Being somewhat of a celebrity, he was used to this to some degree, but it always amused him to see a female have such a reaction to him. It was good for the ego, and that was not something he really needed any help with. He decided to give her a hard time for it. "Sorry kid, I'm too old for you, and I got married the other day."

Amy's blush deepened, and she laughed nervously. "I'm that easy to read, huh?"

"Yeah, probably not real becoming qualities of a secret agent." Cid gave her a smile.

"No, well, like I said, I was supposed to just be a handler." She flicked some of her ashes into the small tray embedded into the arm of her seat. Amy continued to stare at him, noticing that his complexion wasn't quite as dark as it had always seemed in the pictures of him she'd lain eyes upon. The pilot also looked a little drawn, and at first she was inclined to write it off to the fact that most of the photos of him that she'd seen were about fifteen years old. As she kept studying him though, it was obvious that it was more than that. He looked sick. "You said you were going for medical treatment?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Supposedly your guys have something that can help me."

"Can I ask what's wrong?" Amy extinguished her spent cigarette in the ashtray.

Cid looked into her eyes for a moment. "Cancer, from smoking."

"Oh God, I'm really sorry to hear that." Amy suddenly felt terrible for having smoked in his presence.

"Not your fault, in fact, it's no one's fault but mine. I ain't one of these pathetic fucks who pushes the responsibility for my actions upon the companies that make those things. No one held a gun to my head and made me smoke. I did it to myself. Reap what you sew or whatever, right?" Once more he looked out the window. "But, I was told that there might be a cure back at the base, so that's where I'm heading."

"Really? A cure for cancer?" Amy was intrigued.

"Well, like I said, that's what I've been told. I guess Vince had some computer snagged from the lab on his way out that had it on there. We'll see if it's a load of crap or not soon enough." The pilot grinned faintly. "Better hope it's not if you're gonna keep smokin'."

"Yeah." Amy gave him a small laugh. Mr. Highwind seemed like a decent guy to spend the trip with, and she felt a little better about everything. They filled the travel time with small talk, harmlessly flirting.

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Reno had been subjected to about six hours worth of testing up in an office in Costa del Sol. He was being tested by a doctor who specialized in cognitive dysfunction and he was not having a good time.

"Damn it, I'm sick of this! I don't see what solving these stupid puzzles is proving. I think I've done enough." Reno pushed back the paper before him and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I need you to just finish these last few and we'll be done," the doctor shot back, wondering why he'd been willing to do this favor for Janice.

"You said that an hour ago." He just wanted to go home at this point.

"Well, if you don't finish the testing, then you fail. Period."

Reno scowled. This was just an incredible pain in the ass, and he had a screaming headache not from his injury but from having been focusing on the problems for so long. "These are the last ones, right? You're not gonna whip out another paper after I finish this one?"

"No, we'll call it quits after this." Seeing that he was going to get his subject to cooperate, the doctor relaxed a little.

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It was late but Jaras found it hard to sleep. His mind was tormenting him with thoughts about his father and all of the unrest in his family. Not wanting to disturb Jeanine as he tossed in the bed, Jaras finally gave up and got dressed, before stepping out of his room. He paced the halls, seeking some way to calm his state of mind.

Angel was sitting at her desk, trying to finish just a few more things before going home to Reno and Dana. She wasn't yet far enough along in her pregnancy to feel poorly, and she was doing her best to burn the midnight oil. When she heard someone approach, she looked up. "Oh, hey Jaras. Couldn't sleep?"

He shook his head. "No, I keep wondering about Dad."

"Yeah, I've been having the same problem." Angel looked at the remaining work on her desk and made a choice. "Hey, do you want to go have something? I'm starving."

Jaras was game for anything. "Let's go."

They walked together out of the base and to a nearby diner that was open all night. After being seated, Angel ordered both of them pieces of cheesecake. She'd been thinking about this particular dessert for the last several hours and opted to indulge herself.

The waitress brought them their plates and cups of tea. Angel dove right in, making a pleased sound with her first bite.

Jaras just watched his sister, amused that she was getting so much out of a food item. "Is it really that good?"

She met his gaze for a moment. "Yes, aren't you going to eat yours?"

He shrugged. "Honestly? I've never had this."

Angel's eyes went wide. She'd only been out of the lab for three days before Reno introduced her to the joy that was cheesecake. "That's unbelievable. You've got to try it."

Jaras gave her a small laugh and picked up his fork. He put a small bite in his mouth and looked thoughtful as he considered it. Then his eyes flashed with some expression, and one of his eyebrows rose. "Oh…you know, that is good, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Angel giggled to herself. "I ate this everyday the first time I was pregnant."

"What?" Jaras leaned forward, having caught her meaning. "You're going to have another?"

Angel smiled widely and nodded. "Yes, Reno and I are going to have a second baby. I found out yesterday. Besides Reno and Janice, you're the only one who knows for the moment."

"That's wonderful." Jaras managed a grin of his own. "But you know, if you're pregnant, you shouldn't be having this."

Angel smacked his hand as he attempted to pull her plate toward him. "Lesson one of living with a pregnant woman, Jaras, is never come between her and her food."

"I see," he said, shoveling another bite into his mouth. "I'll keep that in mind."

"So, is Jeanine doing all right?" Angel asked, before taking a sip of her tea.

"She's been very tired, actually. I'd say she's sleeping a good twelve hours a day right now." Jaras smiled at the thought of his wife.

"That's normal. I got pretty wiped out during the first three months of being pregnant with Dana. I'm guessing I'll do the same thing this time. Expect her to be a little moody, too. Being pregnant isn't all that fun." She had her piece half finished already.

"Jeanine is never moody, Angel. She's been perfect."

Angel pointed her fork at him. "She's never been pregnant before. Get ready, Brother, you're in for the ride of your life."

Jaras outright laughed at her.

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Vincent made it back to the cave and took the saddle and bridle from the chocobo. He let these things fall to the ground, not intending to use them again. With the bird freed of all the trappings of domestication, Vincent decided it was time to get the animal to leave. He feared that if it stayed any longer, that Chaos would put Dirk on the menu.

The former Turk turned to walk into the cave, and to his dismay, the chocobo simply attempted to follow him. Vincent spun around and stroked the bird's chest a few times. "Go on, go do whatever it is that you guys do when free."

Dirk just made a quiet warbling sound but continued to stand before Vincent. It didn't understand the concept of freedom, having been born in captivity and raised by humans. Chocobos were social animals, and lived in flocks and Dirk had already decided that his flock consisted of Vincent.

Vincent forced himself to sound a little harsher. "Go on! Get out of here!"

Again, Dirk just trilled and lingered before him.

"Damn it!" He raised his voice and waved his arms. "Go! Get the fuck away! Do you want to be my next victim? Leave!"

Dirk took one step back, but didn't take Vincent's angry tone as serious. He, like most animals, put a lot more credit into body language than words, and although Vincent was yelling, the bird could see that he wasn't really mad.

Vincent sighed and hung his head. He'd gotten attached to the chocobo in the few days that they'd been together and wasn't that thrilled with the situation, but he knew that if he awoke to find that he'd turned into Chaos and had eaten Dirk, that he'd feel terrible. "Please, just go away."

Chocobos are stubborn. The bird would not leave.

Not willing to strike the animal in order to get him to run, Vincent gave up and went into the cave. He got to the task of lighting a fire and once that was done, he lay down beside it, realizing that it was going to be just as cold tonight as it had been the night before and this time, he had to suffer through it alone.

He'd been lying on the ground for a while when Dirk wandered over. Vincent found himself looking up as the eight-foot tall bird loomed over him. "You know, if you just gave me one good peck to the head you could end all of this, Dirk."

The bird raised the crest on the top of its head for a moment. Then it lowered its head so that its beak was right before Vincent's face, blasting him with its hot breath.

Vincent wondered for a moment if the bird was actually going to do it, but that notion instantly faded when the bird fluffed his body and then lay down directly beside him.

Dirk settled down into his spot and then extended his right wing, covering Vincent with it before tucking his head back in the typical bird-sleeping pose.

Vincent laughed a little to himself at the bird's actions. He had to admit that it was warm against the chocobo and opted not to move. "Goodnight, Dirk. I really hope I don't eat you."