AN: This is actually part of a much larger story that I'll probably never post but this segment works on its own so here it is. This has major spoilers for the new Vincent Valentine game Dirge of Cerberus DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE GAME!

I mean it!

Don't say I didn't warn you...

Absolution

They had found him, finally, and that little brat had had a good idea that he would have been in that bloody cave the whole time.
Women, he'll never understand any of them.

Cid was fuming, he hadn't gone with the others to pick him up because he didn't trust himself not to punch the gunman across the face the second he saw him.
After everything he had been though, he went to see her, when to see her before even letting anyone else know he was alive.

Why the hell did be buy that phone anyway!

It was easy enough to get out of the submarine ride, and again how the hell could Reeve afford to rent a damn sub? It was no secret how much he hated it last time.

The pilot was perched atop a cooling vent on the top of Tifa's bar.
If Vin wanted to talk to him, the gunman was going to come to him. Cid was sick of always holding his hand out and never having Vincent take him up on the offer.

Eventually the others came back, Cid could hear the party starting.
Vincent hated parties.
Cid smirked.
Good let him suffer.

It wasn't even an half hour before Cid heard the door to the roof open.

He walked right past Cid and stopped at the edge of the roof, leaning on the railing, looking up at the sun.

"I - " Vincent paused for a few seconds before starting again. "I'm sorry you lost the Shera."

"Couldn't be helped, bastard took her from the inside out and gutted the engines. Baby didn't have a chance."

"I'm still sorry."

"It's just a damn ship!"

It wasn't the first time he had shouted at Vincent. But it was the first time that Vincent had flinched because if it.

"It's not just the damn ship is it?"

"I was wrong."

"What about?"

"Chaos. Hojo. Lucreica...Everything."

The last was almost whispered.

Cid slid off the cooling vent and walked up to Vincent.
"Vin?"

When Cid got no reply he grabbed the others shoulder and spin him around. Ready to shout in his face.
Only to see tears running down his face.
"Vincent..."

"It's nothing, I was staring at the sun too long."

"Bullshit." Cid growled. "Why didn't you phone us to let us know you were okay?"

Vincent didn't answer looking away.

"Damn it Valentine! Talk to someone, anyone! Talk to the robot girl, talk to the damn ninja, talk to Reeve, talk to m - " Cid choked. "Talk to someone damn it."

"I couldn't."

"Why the hell not!"

"I had to say goodbye first, to let her know it wasn't her fault…that, I forgave her..."

"You forgave her?" Cid asked not understanding. "What for?"

Vincent didn't, couldn't answer him, but he saw the pieces fall together in Cid's eyes.

"That...that goddamn bitch!"

"Cid-"

"She did it to you! She did it and you forgave her! What the hell happened to wanting revenge!"

"Cid it was never for m - "

"Just because it was her and not Hojo, When are you going to stop worshiping her? She's dead! She's dead and the worlds better for it!"

The silence was deafening.

"Shit. Shit Vin I'm s - "

Vincent turned away walking back to the rail.
"And that is why I didn't phone."

"Vince I didn't mea-"

"Hojo shot me, killed me." Vincent talked over the pilot. "He killed me, resurrected me and experimented on me had his twisted little fun, until I died again."

Vincent turned back to face Cid "And he then left me to rot."

Vincent flexed his golden claw he took hold on the cold metal forearm and twisted. With a click and a hiss the limb was removed.
"Some parts rotted away faster than others."

Cid swallowed feeling sick.

"She saw it happen, to horrified and to afraid and ill to stop him. But when he had finished. She, she tried to make things right. I didn't remember until I fought - " Vincent stopped, he glanced at Cid for a second before reattaching his arm. "Until I fought Weiss. She spent the last few months of her life trying to save me. Eventually she...afterwards she was horrified by the results. I remember how'd she..."

Vincent paused again and took a deep breath.
"She would cry for him too, her son. Hojo never let her see him."

"Damn Vince...I"

"Cid?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind if we just go back down stairs and have a couple of cold ones?" Vincent asked. "Just like old times."

Cid smiled.
"Sure thing Vince."