Tengoko: This chapter was so hard to write. After you read it, you'll know why. Just to warn you, you might want to have some tissues on hand. I'd especially like reviews for this chapter. Thank you...and enjoy...well...

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to FF7
Rated M for language and romance

Chapter 17: A Father's Tears
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Wesley fell back against the floor, his hand on his throat where Manning's had just been trying to squeeze the life out of him. His eyes were filled with tears. Fear, pain, regret, happiness, and relief were among the emotions that led to the deluge. But mostly, it was happiness. His father had come for him. Just like he knew he would.

"Don't move, Manning," he heard Rude order. And then footsteps. Hurried footsteps. His vision was still clouded, but he knew two people were hovering over him. And there was no mistaking the red hair.

"…Dad?" he asked anyway. He felt a warm hand on his forehead and another take his own hand.

"He'll be just fine," he heard the other man say. It had to have been Tseng. But Wesley had turned to face his father. "Oh Gods," he suddenly said. "Look at his back!"

He heard his father gasp and then felt his fingers on the cuts. "They're on his stomach too," Reno said. "Wesley," he finally said to him. "How much does it hurt?"

"Not too bad," he said truthfully. "To be honest, it never really bothered me. Just the fact that the scars would always be there pissed me off. But I dealt with the pain alright."

"Well, you won't have to anymore, son. I promise."

"I'll stay next to him. Go check on Lena Mae."

Reno squeezed Wesley's hand one last time before rising to his feet. He could tell just by looking at his daughter that something was wrong. She was staring off into the distance, muttering something under her breath. But it was so soft, he couldn't understand what she was saying. He hurried to her, kneeling in front of her and taking her hands.

"Lena Mae?"

What happened next startled everyone. She lost it. First a scream. A blood-curdling, fury-filled, electrifying scream. They all recognized the sound. Murder. She wanted to kill him. And she made that perfectly clear by kicking out and clawing at him. He grabbed one of her wrists before she could reach him with it, but her other hand was still free, and she dug her nails into his cheek, tearing lines into his pale skin, drawing blood. Reno caught hold of it only after the fact.

"Shit!" Rude exclaimed, almost lowering his gun. He wanted to go to Lena, to help Reno. Elena and Tseng felt the same way, but only Tseng could go to them, and he pinned Lena's shoulders to the back of the chair.

"LENA!" Reno shouted, trying to get her under control. But she wasn't listening. Actually, it was as if she couldn't hear him at all. She just kept trying to break free from their holds. She really wanted to hurt him. And that in itself hurt Reno most of all.

He turned to face Manning with a look of extreme hatred. "What did you do to her? What did you do to my daughter?"

"Whoa," Tseng yelled, grabbing his gun again and aiming it at the doorway. "Stop. Don't move." They all looked up and saw who Wesley knew to be Vermin. He was holding his hands up, his eyes looking around taking in the situation. "Slowly, I want you to walk towards Manning. Keep your hands where I can see them or I will shoot you. Do you understand?"

He didn't answer, but he complied immediately. His eyes never leaving Tseng's as he made his way towards his boss. "I came as soon as I heard the noise," he told him.

"It may be too late for both of us, Vermin," Manning said. "You see that…that's Reno Storm. And I don't think he'll be too happy once he learns the fate of his daughter." He said it so coolly, as though he'd just said hello to an old friend. But Vermin seemed to appreciate the magnitude of the words, for he took a slight step back before Elena shouted at him not to move.

"How can we make her better?" Rude demanded.

"You can't," he said matter-of-factly. She's lost. Lost forever. Hypnopaedia was an unexpected success on the girl. With only a few sessions, we had her believing everything we aimed for. That she was worthless, that her mother was a Sector Seven whore and her father was an evil, murderous bastard who could never love."

"You little fuck!" Reno shouted, getting to his feet.

"It gets worse, Mr. Storm."

"For your sake, you better hope it doesn't," he said ominously.

"My sake be damned. It won't change the fact that your daughter is going to die. Yes. Yes. Very soon in fact. Already, her soul is slipping, diminishing and filtering into the life stream. She is nothing more than a mindless corpse. A shell who is incapable of any true thought or emotion. And that, Mr. Storm, is the truth…and my perfect revenge."

"You'd better put her right," Elena ordered. "Now!"

"Calm yourself, woman. There is nothing I can do. It's far too late for intervention."

"Sir, permission to shoot him?" Rude gritted. "But not necessarily to kill?"

"Oh trust me," Tseng said. "I want just was much as you do to cause this bastard pain. Which is why we are going to hand him over to Shin-Ra. I'm sure Rufus, in his sadistic ways could think of something to do with him. After all, he had been rather fond of Lena."

"No…this can't be the way it is…" Reno stammered. "She can't die. I won't let her. Manning, you find a way to fix this. You save her."

"I can't…" he said drolly.

"Damn it!" he shouted, pointing his gun at him. "You'd better damn well try!"

"Why waste my time?"

"…daddy?" Her quiet voice made the room fall silent. Reno whirled around and fell back to his knees in front of her. Blue eyes met blue eyes. And Reno was happy to see life behind them. She was crying, but at least it was a sign of humanity. "…I'm…scared."

"I'm here now, baby," he said, his own tears beginning to fall. "There is nothing to be afraid of. I'm going to protect you. Nobody's ever going to hurt you again."

"…It's…so dark…" she whispered. "…I can't…can't see." She took a labored breath before saying, "…am I…going to…die?"

"No, sweetheart," he managed to say steadily. "You're going to be fine. We're here to take you home. Your mommy's been so worried about you."

"…mommy?" she whimpered. "…daddy…I feel…cold." Reno instantly removed his jacket and wrapped it around her, pulling her into his arms. He felt her heartbeat. Slow. Too slow. It made his quicken. He knew this moment could very well be his last with his daughter. And that scared him more than anything in the world.

"Is this better, baby?" he asked, his voice no longer his as the sorrow and the tears transformed it into a sound so heartbreaking, so gut wrenching, that even Rude had to look away. She'd nodded.

"…Wesley?"

"I'm right here, Lena," he said, his voice stronger than before. He'd approached slowly, unnoticed, and was now at her side. "I'm not leaving, okay?" She nodded again.

"…I don't…blame you," she said. Wesley's heart broke at that. He knew it was her way of saying her good-bye to him. And now his tears were flowing freely.

"You are such a good person, Lena," Wesley said. "I love you so much." His words made her smile, her first smile. It only made him cry harder. And suddenly, she was in his arms. Reno had handed her to him, and he was now on his feet.

"Manning, I'm begging you. Make her better. I can't lose her."

"Even if there was something I could do…I wouldn't do it." His voice was so cruel. So cold. And yet…so smug. It was finally what pushed Reno over the edge. And now his gun was aimed right at Manning's head.

"If she dies…you die too." And then he pulled the trigger.

"What the-" Vermin exclaimed as Manning's fingers dug into his shoulders, and he was wrenched in front of him. The bullet struck firmly in his head, killing him. But, it gave Manning the opportunity to dive passed Elena and Rude and dash down the hallway, attempting to make his escape. In response, however, Rude and Tseng practically flew out of the room after him.

Elena remained behind, and she silently walked up to Reno and put a hand on his shoulder. "They'll get him. They never fail."

But Reno was somewhere else. Turning away from her, he crouched in front of Lena again. He took her from Wesley and held her against his chest, his fingers running down the plait of red hair. "Lena?"

"…daddy?"

"I love you. No matter what anybody else has told you…I love you. And I will always love you. It's a love that will last forever. Daddy's just don't stop loving their daughters."

"…I love…you…daddy. Forever."

"He got away," Rude said, walking back into the room. "But don't worry, Reno. Tseng's just called Rufus. They're going to close the perimeter around Midgar. Nobody's getting out. He couldn't have gotten too far."

"I don't care about Manning right now," Reno said softly, holding his daughter tighter.

"…daddy…" Lena began. "…don't be…mad…for me. Forgive…him…like I…have."

"You have?" Wesley asked. How could she have possibly done that? At this point, he didn't think he could ever find it in his heart to forgive him. In fact, if Shin-Ra failed to find him, he intended to keep his promise. He intended to one day find him himself.

"Why waste…energy on…hate…when there's…so many things…and people…to love?" She smiled for a moment, but then her body went rigid. "…daddy…I think…"

"Lena?"

"…tell mommy…that I love her."

She didn't say a word after that. Just closed her eyes and put her arms around her father. She stopped crying after a minute or so. Reno didn't. He held her tightly, praying, hoping that through some miracle, his daughter would be alright. But…they'd just been delaying the inevitable. And it did come. Slowly. Her last breath was the loudest. Reno actually felt life leave her. And then she was still. Her arms had fallen to her side, but Reno wasn't letting go. He couldn't.