(Kit Thespian enters to find a most fascinating sight. Sephiroth and Reeve are sitting on a couch, eating popcorn, watching the story unfold)
Reeve: Can't believe you thought that thing was your mom.
Sephiroth: Yeah, go figure.
Reeve (sees Lucrecia): Wow, your real mom was a babe!
Sephiroth (pulling out Masamune): You checking out my mama?
Reeve: What? No!
Sephiroth (with glare of doom): ARE YOU AFTER MY MAMA?
Reeve: Eeeek! (runs out)
(Sephiroth grins, settles back down on the couch, grabs the bowl of popcorn, and mumbles to himself)
Sephiroth: Caps always work.
Kit Thespian: Sephiroth, I never would have believed you would scare the dickens out of poor Reeve just to monopolize the popcorn.
(Startled by her sudden appearance, Sephiroth yelps and some of the popcorn goes flying)
Sephiroth: Where did you come from?
Kit Thespian: I'm the author. I come and go as I please. (notes scattered popcorn and tv) Looks like I'm giving you "Up a Treehouse" people too much of a vacation.
Sephiroth: Aww, thesp, don't take my vacation, PLEASE?
Kit Thespian: Caps won't work with me, bo-bo. But, I suppose its all right, as long as you go to Reeve right now and apologize.
Sephiroth: All right...
Kit Thespian: All right, what?
Sephiroth (forcing a smile): All right, oh mighty one!
Kit Thespian: That's better! Now, if you really want to make me happy and benevolent, you'll say the Disclaimer
Sephiroth: ...Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters therein. And she is not making any money off of this.
Chapter Nine
The Green Monster Whose Eyes Turn Red...
Hojo and Vincent never squabbled over cards again, but they would have an argument every now and then. Lucrecia didn't mind the little "discussions" as long as they didn't end in the two men rolling on the floor and pulling at each other's hair like two four-year-olds. Sometimes, though, the two brothers got along quite tolerably. The best time was one night after dinner when they discussed politics without going for each other's throats. They actually had very similar political views. They both wanted gambling for money outlawed, for one thing.
Dr. Gast got a reply from his letter to the president. The president said to proceed with the project, to find a way to produce a person with the power of the Ancients. The president even suggested that this person may be able to find the Promised Land.
After Gast had finished reading his letter to his two comrades, Hojo spoke with a dull quality to his voice, "The Promised Land? Has the president entirely lost his mind?"
"The Ancients thought the Promised Land was to be their reward after their journeys," Lucrecia said, "What use would it be to the president?"
"One of the many theories surrounding the Promised Land is that it would be a rich and fertile land," Gast explained, "and thus extremely plentiful in Mako. When the Mako resources around Midgar are dried up, there will have to be another city built, where Mako is plenty."
"You mean the president wants us to use all of our scientific knowledge and energies to whet his greed?" Hojo asked, irritated, "Is that what he's paying us to do?"
"Basically," Gast answered, "you're working in Shinra now, Dr. Hojo. You should get used to it."
Hojo grumbled, "This is just perfect; perfectly wretched. Very well, if the president wants a person with Cetra powers, then he'll get a person with Cetra powers... But the research will take us a long while."
"The president understands that, and has said that he'll be quite patient with us," Gast spoke, "Now, we will just need a volunteer to inject the serum in when we get it prepared..."
"Me," Hojo said plainly. Gast and Lucrecia looked shocked, and he continued, "If anyone will be injected with that thing's cells, I wish it to be me."
"A little heroic, aren't we, Dr. Hojo?" Gast said.
"Just curious, really." And a little selfish. He wanted to know personally what an affect that thing would have. Lucrecia put a hand on her husband's arm.
"Are you sure, Hojo?" she asked, "I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Lucrecia, by the time we get through refining the cells in a serum, they won't pose a threat to me, I assure you."
So the research began. The scientists knew that one could not simply take a sample of cells and inject it into an organism. Refinement was needed. Such a thing would take weeks, even months. During those months, life was fairly busy for the scientists, and fairly boring for the Turk. Fortunately, he liked to read, and there were more than enough fiction books in the underground library to pass his time.
But he also spent a good deal of time thinking about Lucrecia. She was still the most beautiful woman in the world. Surely she still cared for him, and surely she couldn't really be in love with Hojo. How could she? He was cold, uncaring, and not very attractive. Lucrecia was so full of compassion and laughter, and had the sweetest disposition of anyone he had ever met.
It wasn't too late, was it? He had a good deal to offer her. He still had some of his family's money and he had a great salary working with the Turks. And she had paid him a good deal of attention lately; in a friendly way, of course, but it could mean that she still liked him. As Vincent thought about this, the bolder he become in carrying out his plan. He was too enamored, though, to catch the shifty looks that Lucrecia's husband would give him. He misinterpreted Lucrecia's nervousness into being flustered.
One day, four months into the research, Vincent saw Lucrecia walking out of the mansion, telling her husband she was going to go for a stroll around the town. Hojo called that he would catch up with her later. Now was the perfect time. He followed her.
He caught up with her just as she was leaving the mansion gate.
"Hey, Lucrecia," he said, grinning.
She turned and smiled, "Hello, Vincent."
"Going for a walk?"
"Yes."
"Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all!"
"As a matter of fact, there's...um...something I wanted to talk to you about."
Lucrecia blinked, "Okay..."
Vincent paused for a moment, and said, "Matter of fact, let's go to the town gate." He gently took her arm and started to lead her away.
"But...But why?" Lucrecia let herself be led, but was extremely puzzled, "Vincent? Vincent? What is it?"
They stopped at the front gate, and, placing his hands on Lucrecia's shoulders, started to spout his overture.
"Lucrecia, you know I love you..."
"I love you too, Vincent," she said, trying to sound casual.
"No, not like that. I love you. I want to be with you..."
Lucrecia's eyes widened, "Vincent..."
"After this is all over, why don't you come with me?"
"Vincent..." Lucrecia could barely make her words because of her shock, "I'm married!"
"He doesn't love you, Lucrecia."
"Yes, he does!"
"Not like I love you. Please, Lucrecia..." He took her hands.
"Vincent, stop this! I don't love you like that! Even if you were right, and he doesn't love me, I don't care because I love him!"
She yanked her hands out of his and started to run away. Vincent reached after her.
"Lucrecia!"
"No, Vincent," Lucrecia shook her head, sobs forming in her voice, "No!"
Vincent was numb with shock. He couldn't believe it. She had refused him! She couldn't really love his brother, could she? What did he have that Vincent didn't? Vincent walked towards the bushes near the city gate to wallow in his self-pity. The thought of Lucrecia being perfectly happy with Hojo was crazy. Vincent reached into his pocket and pulled out his cigarette pack. Time for a smoke.
"Lucrecia?" he heard Hojo call. Vincent rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to gag. He lit his cigarette and inhaled the nicotine in his lungs. He really needed it right now. Hojo didn't seemed to notice him as Lucrecia ran up to him and embraced his neck, planting her lips fully on his.
After she stopped kissing him, she put her head on his shoulder. Hojo was surprised, both pleasantly and puzzledly, and asked, "What is it?"
"What took you so long?" Lucrecia asked.
"...You've only been out here for five minutes."
"I don't care; it was too long..."
"Are you all right?"
"I'm all right now..." And Lucrecia wouldn't say anything else. She then clung onto Hojo's arm and they walked back into the town. He didn't pry her with questions, because he knew Lucrecia by now and if there was anything he needed to know, she would tell him.
And she did tell him, but later on that night. After Hojo was ready to go to bed, he noticed that Lucrecia, instead of being curled up in the duvet, was sitting on the bottom corner of her half of the bed, looking quite sheepish. She was dressed in her satin nightgown. She had washed her hair that night, was letting it dry naturally wavy. Even with the serious expression on her face, she looked insanely beautiful.
"What's wrong?" Hojo asked, climbing into bed.
"...Please don't get mad," she said.
Hojo was filled with concern. What could possibly be wrong that Lucrecia would think that he would be angry with her for it?
"I won't," he said.
"Vincent...talked with me today. He...said some things..." Lucrecia bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut, "He asked me to run away with him after the research was done."
Hojo was not surprised that Vincent would do something like that, but he had to know...
"And you said no?" he asked.
"Of course, I did!" Lucrecia started to cry, "How can you even think otherwise?"
Hojo found himself crawling across the bed and taking his wife in his arms to comfort her.
"I'm sorry," he said, "that was foolish of me. I'm sorry. No, I really didn't think you would run away with him. But, he can be manipulative. I didn't know."
"Well, I let him know very plainly that I would not go with him. He was acting crazy, Hojo. I was scared..."
So, that explained Lucrecia's behavior fully when he went to meet her in the town. The thought of Vincent making such offers to his wife started to boil Hojo's blood. But he could not show anger to Lucrecia; it would only pain her more. Besides, he could put aside his anger for a while and just savor the moment. Lucrecia was his, not Vincent's. And he was hers.
"Everything will be all right," he said.
"Thank you for understanding. I didn't know what to do, so I just ran away."
"You did the right thing..." Hojo then smirked and nuzzled his nose against Lucrecia's damp hair, "Why don't you come to bed?"
"We are in bed, dear," Lucrecia giggled.
"You know what I mean..."
"Of course, I do," Lucrecia kissed her husband on the lips.
"And don't worry about Vincent; I'll have a talk with him tommorrow."
"Promise me you won't get yourself into trouble."
"Trust me, Lucrecia, I won't do anything uncalled for."
Satisfied by his answer, Lucrecia smiled and kissed him again.
The next day...
Vincent thought his skull was going to crack open with the force of his entire body getting pushed onto a wall in the mansion. He also thought he was going to choke to death from the hand wrapped around his throat. It had happened in a second. It took him a moment to realize that it was Hojo who had appeared around the corner and done this.
"If I ever hear of you making advancements on my wife again or even see you cast a lustful eye on her, I will torture you so unimagineably you won't even be considered a human being after I'm through with you!" Hojo hissed, the glare on his face fit for a demon, "Do you understand that, Valentine?"
He released his grip on Vincent's throat, only to take a handful of Vincent's wild hair. Hojo knew he was playing with fire; the Turks were no weaklings. But anger at Vincent's overtures to Lucrecia fueled his courage.
"Okay, okay!" Vincent strained, amazed at Hojo's boldness, "If she's happy...then I don't mind..."
"Good... Just keep that in mind, brother." And Hojo walked towards the laboratory. It took Vincent a while to fully get over the shock of what just happened. After that, he just shook his head and went to his room to pout.
Author's note: By the way, for those who do not know, "The Green Monster Whose Eyes Turn Red" is a biblical term for jealousy.