Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII. I depend on my daughter, Angeal Valentine, and on Bjanik for all my information on the subject.

(3:30 am, Mideel--New Banora; 1:30 am, Midgar; 9:30 pm, Gongaga; 5:30 pm, Wutai)

The sound of the gun almost shimmered through the air in the corridor, some detached part of Vincent Valentine's brain noted. While Verdot fell in slow motion, the blood from the left side of his head arced and fanned everywhere and onto everything. Vincent whirled back to the target, his eyes swirling with red and gold, and fired off three blasts of Cerberus' triple barrels. Huge chunks of cement exploded from the walls, and moaning could be heard from the far end of the hall, quickly silenced.

"VERDOT!!" Vincent's scream for his friend was mental as well as audible and rang as loud as Cerberus. From far away, a voice echoed Vincent's pain and rang through his mind. He was the cause of this! Vincent had said "thank you" to the one person—the one friend!—he'd known for years, and now Verdot's blood was everywhere! Got to save him! Vincent pulled Verdot's body into cover behind the wall. Even up close, Vincent couldn't tell for certain how bad the damage was, though Verdot's eyes seemed intact. Vincent leaned close to his friend's face. Yes, there it was. He could hear air moving through Verdot's mouth—he was still alive, and there was a chance to save him. Vincent took a heal materia from his pocket. Damn it! Glancing at the orb, he instantly disliked it. He held the orb to Verdot's left temple, where most of the damage seemed concentrated. "Cure1." It was the best this piece of materia could hope to do, and its remains slithered away.

"Vi-ince?" Verdot took a shuddering breath, and his right eye slitted open. "Where…? What…?"

"I'm here, man. Don't talk. I can't tell how bad you're hurt." Vincent wiped some of the blood away from the wound. Verdot's hand wrapped around Vincent's wrist and pulled Vincent's hand away from his face.

"Hm… You think she's coming?" Verdot seemed oddly intent.

"Who?" Vincent thought for a second. "Oh. Our daughter? Well, I shouted, and Sephiroth's hearing might have... even…"

A faint smile came to Verdot's lips. "Remember Madame Elizabeth's proposal…?"

"Damn. At a time like this…" Vincent almost smiled with relief. "Well, you can't be dying if you're thinking about that episode." Vincent groaned slightly as he considered what his friend might be thinking—planning—scheming! "Sweet Shiva! Verdot, you wouldn't!"

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Kamui handed the intricately engraved shotgun to Rufus Shinra. He opened the breach and added two shells to the barrels, closed it, then clicked on the safety. "So… have you considered what you'd like to do on our date?" Something along the lines of "wildly extravagant" was forming in Rufus' mind. Of course, "wildly extravagant" was Rufus' plan for most of his dates… He did realize that this question was rather sudden, even jarringly out of place in their conversation, but he seemed to have run out of things to say that would keep him from taking another left hook to his jaw.

"Well, I haven't had a chance to think about it yet…" Kamui fell silent then lifted a hand and pressed it tightly to the left side of her head. Fear! With a howl of pain, she ran from Rufus toward a corridor opening off the far end of the mako pool landing. Have to get to him!

"… … … …" Rufus stood dumbfounded. "What's got into you?! What's wrong?!"

"It's the Boss! Da-ad!" She called over her shoulder as she rounded the corner. "Hur-ry!"

Rufus Shinra caught some of the girl's fear. He had rarely run after anyone in his life, but he ran after her, and surprised himself.

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"So you're really going to do this?" Vincent questioned his friend.

"She needs… to accept you and Sephiroth… as family… as 'our' family." Verdot's breathing was shallow.

Vincent knew Verdot needed more materia, but at least his life was no longer in danger. Hearing a shout of "Boss!" in the distance, Vincent looked over his shoulder to see a black streak with silver hair put a foot on a wall to change directions then hurtle toward him and Verdot. Trailing the girl was Rufus Shinra, very out of breath.

"Bo-oss!" Kamui suddenly registered the blood on the walls and floor and Vincent Valentine hovering over the body of her adopted father. "Dad?!" She slid to a halt on her knees at her father's side opposite Vincent.

"Kam-mi?" Verdot weakly raised a hand in the girl's general direction. Kamui took his hand and held it in both of hers against her heart. "Kammi, dear." He coughed slightly. "There's something… I've got to tell you…. Where…?" He shook his head slightly. "Dark…" Vincent raised an eyebrow at his friend's suddenly much "weaker" condition, but tried to keep his face "worried" for the sake of his friend's performance.

"S'okay. I'm here, Dad. Don't try to talk." Kamui extended a hand and gently brushed a lock of hair from Verdot's eyes and off his forehead. "Easy, Dad. It's okay."

Verdot's eyes wandered above their heads, and he coughed again. "No… have to say it…" He closed his eyes, and his arm went limp in the girl's hand, but he took a deep breath. "Kamui, you know I found you… in Midgar?"

Kamui nodded her head vigorously. "Yeah, Dad, I remember… Kinda…"

"Well, I found out… just a little while ago… you have to know… before my time runs out… Vince here is your father." Kamui gasped, and her eyes locked on Vincent Valentine's face. "You're a clone of his son, General Sephiroth. You've got to promise me…" Verdot coughed weakly again, and Kamui's eyes returned to his face.

"What, Dad? What do I have to promise you?" The girl's voice had gained a slightly suspicious note.

More weak coughing. "Promise me… you'll help Vince and your brother, Sephiroth… You're about to become an aunt, you know… We're all family here…"

"Uh, yeah, Boss, I promise." Kamui's eyes narrowed. "Is that all you wanted, Dad?" She looked up at Vincent. "Or 'Dads,' I guess I should say." Her lips tightened into a straight line, and she shook her head slightly. When she saw his mastered materia dangling from Rufus' hand over her shoulder, Kamui took the orb, tossed it to Vincent, and glared at him. "Are you the quiet guy in my head?" Vincent nodded. "Then you heal him… He's got what he wanted from me." She stood up, stalked away, and muttered to herself.

"What was that all about?" Rufus looked between Verdot, Vincent, and his now growling, silver-haired bodyguard who was walking away throwing her hands in the air, clearly angry.

Vincent applied the materia to Verdot's temple and "Cure2."

As the radiance from the healing disappeared, Verdot opened both eyes, looked directly at Vincent, and sat up. "Think she bought it?"

"Which? Your acting or the idea she's part of our 'family'? She is stubborn like Sephiroth," and Lucrecia, Vincent's mind noted quietly. "Anyway, she promised to help me and Sephiroth when she really didn't want to have anything to do with us. Now she'll have to. It's a beginning, I suppose…" Vincent shook his head at his friend. "Death bed promises, Verdot. Yeah, that was probably the only way you could have got her to accept us. I'd forgotten that was how you got Madame Elizabeth to marry you." Vincent looked away. Maybe he should have tried that technique on Lucrecia…

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"Sneaky, low down, conniving…" Kamui both said the words and threw them mentally in the general direction of her "fathers." She had walked down the hallway and turned the corner moving in the general direction of the pool room. As she walked, she threw her hands about her as if mentally cutting Verdot to ribbons with her swords. "Now that I know the voices are real, gimme a chance to get to know 'em, would ya, Boss?! I may not like 'em, but don't force me into workin' with 'em! Malicious, manipulative, scheming, controlling…" She moved her hand up as if pulling a sword from her back scabbards, but rather than continuing smoothly over her shoulder, her fist met flesh!

"Ouch!" Kamui spun into a defensive crouch ready for an attack, but Rufus Shinra huddled bent over behind her and held a hand over his nose. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Tha hurs!" Blood welled from between his fingers! She could barely make out what he was saying. "I thin oo bro my no!"

"Oh, no! Rufus! Crap!" The girl moved toward Rufus. "Here, throw your head back. You have any more materia?" Rufus nodded slightly and pointed a bloody hand toward a pocket on the left thigh of his Turk night suit. "Just lie on the floor while I fix this." Rufus sank to one knee but didn't lie on the floor; she frowned at him. When the girl reached into his pocket to feel for the materia, Rufus admitted to himself that, even with his blood flowing out of his face, he liked the feel of her hand through his rubberized suit. Kamui pulled a mastered materia orb from Rufus' pocket, nudged his fingers aside so she could hold it along his nose, focused her intent, and "Cure1." Light flared then faded. The thought that he was a rich guy with more mastered materia than anyone could possibly use flitted unkindly through Kamui's mind.

Rufus slowly tilted his head upright. He felt the remainder of the blood flow down his throat, then he took a deep breath. "Well, that was fun… Are you always that dangerous to be around?"

Kamui grimaced; while Rufus might be right that she was dangerous, she wasn't about to answer the question. "Here." She leaned forward and raised a fairly clean napkin that had somehow survived in her pocket from dinner toward Rufus' face, intent on cleaning the blood from his skin. Suddenly eye-level with her chest, Rufus abruptly realized how form-fitting the Turk night suits were! Oh, yes. Hm. He wondered what she looked like under there. Certainly not "well-endowed," but then she was a female version of the General. Rufus reminded himself to go slow—she was pretty young and maybe inexperienced—but he wasn't a man to wait very long for what he wanted… Rufus raised a bloody hand to trail a finger down her side—temptation. "He-ey! Watch it! You're makin' me smear this!"

Rufus raised his eyes to hers and grasped her napkin-wielding hand in his. "Leave it alone for a minute. It's okay." He pulled her hand down and forced the girl to lean closer to him. Seeing his intent, Kamui stiffened just an instant then let him pull her toward him and felt his lips touch hers, tentatively. Once. Again. They kept their eyes open, each wondering about the other, gauging responses, approaches, intentions… When Kamui felt Rufus' tongue seeking entrance, she opened her mouth to him and let him in. Shuffling forward, Kamui finally closed her eyes to enjoy the kiss, let the napkin slip to the floor, and slid her arms around Rufus' head to wind her fingers into his orange hair at the back of his head. Rufus smiled slightly at her reaction. Yeah, this put her breasts right by his head! A little more… He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her closer, then slowly raised a finger to feel the curve of her nipple, all the while picking up the rhythm of his tongue's exploration of her mouth. Good. She didn't pull away, even caught his rhythm, and was beginning to move a hand down his back. Yeah, baby, that's the way. Try this now… Curving his whole hand around her breast, Rufus gently began to knead the soft tissue; he so wanted them out of these suits! At his stroke, Kamui broke the kiss, threw back her head, and arched her back. Clearly she was enjoying his touch and breathing hard with his rhythm. That's it baby, go with it… Rufus looked at her throat; her skin was pale and poreless. Rufus bent his head to the side, kissed her neck, then trailed his tongue along her jaw line. He felt her hair brush his face; so unlike normal hair—more like glass filaments. His hand strayed to the globe of her bottom to feel its curve and pull her leg against his erection while his other hand's kneading became more urgent, deeper. Goddess, he wanted her now! But this was progress… Just get her back to Midgar… He was sure now there was a beautiful body in there, just waiting for his exploration. One he'd have to be careful with, too. He hadn't been with many girls who could break his nose without a thought! Rufus pulled back from Kamui's throat, put both arms around her waist, and looked at her. Rufus laughed softly.

"Wha-at?" Kamui opened her eyes at Rufus' laughter and explored his face. "Uh oh…" She laughed softly too. "Everybody's gonna know what we've been up to." Both their faces, and various other portions of their bodies, were smeared with his blood. "Seen any bathrooms around here?"

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(3:30 am, Mideel--Mideel Base; 1:30 am, Midgar; 9:30 pm, Gongaga; 5:30 pm, Wutai)

"Mom-my…? Where are you, Mommy…? An-gel…? Angel, where are you?"

A voice echoed across Tessa's mind as if from miles away… Let me sleep. "Awake" was filled with pain…

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Sephiroth carried Tessa's limp body back to the labor room, laid her on the examining table, covered her with room's single blanket, then stripped off his bloody battle coat (get the damn thing off!) and added its weight to the blanket's. Finally he laid his wing across the length of her body. Oxygen, oxygen. She needed oxygen. He scrutinized the labor room. No oxygen! Dr. Caperton entered the room in a rush.

"She's going into shock, and there's no oxygen in here!" The doctor blanched, turned on his heel, ran out the door, and began shouting orders. In seconds he was back with a mask and oxygen tank. He placed the mask over Tessa's mouth and nose and started the flow of gas.

"Pull back your wing. I need to get to her body to place the fetal monitor on her stomach." With the wing gone, the doctor lifted the blanket and coat and placed the instrument straps on Tessa's abdomen, then replaced the covers. "You can put your wing back over her."

"General?" The door opened slightly, and Cloud's voice could be heard. "There's a nurse here with an, an I.-V.?"

Dr. Caperton immediately went to the door, reached around the edge and pulled an I.V. stand with solution into the room, then prepped Tessa's arm for fluids, inserted the needle, and started the saline flow. "She has to be bleeding internally. Damn! I thought I'd caught everything. She was fine just minutes ago." Caperton clipped a temperature and pulse monitor to Tessa's finger and checked the fetal monitor. The baby's heart rate was too fast. Fetal distress!

"Could the contractions have caused her to bleed?"

"Perhaps. At this point I can't rule anything out." The doctor looked at Sephiroth. "We have to stop labor immediately. She and the baby won't survive otherwise. With her already bleeding and badly in need of fluids, I don't want to do a C-section just yet. I'll be right back with the tocolytic. Maybe we can yet give her a chance to heal." The doctor left the room.

"Tessa!" Sephiroth had been dead before—life without Tessa, though... He climbed onto the table next to Tessa and put the blanket, coat, and wing over both of them. Have to get her warm now! Save her, as he'd saved Zack. Warm. Now. Stay with me, Tessa…

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"Mommy? Mommy?! What's wrong, Mommy?!"

Tessa felt herself shaken by a small hand, and her head rolled on her neck. Slowly she opened her eyes. "Where…?" Gradually she focused on a small girl with silver hair pulled back in a pony tail and cat-slit, mako-bright, green eyes. The child's face was filled with concern. Behind the girl was a huge room with white marble floors and walls covered in portraits. Tessa could feel bumps pushing into her back and legs then realized that wooden rails upheld a staircase banister above her head. She was lying on the stairs in the entryway of Valentine Hall!

"Lucy?" Tessa reached a hand to the child's face, but the girl pouted.

"Mommy, I am five years old, and I want to be 'Lucrecia'! It's much better than dumb old 'Lucy'! Grandfather says so!"

"I'm sorry, darling. I'll try to remember, all right?"

"Mommy, where's Angel? I've looked and looked for her…"

"Who? Who was it you were looking for? Angel?" Angel?! Oh no! How could she have forgotten?! Tessa glanced around and tried to sit only to realize she was pregnant—about six months. "Did I fall, sweetheart?"

The child suddenly looked scared. "Un hunh. You told me to put my toys away, but I forgot one on the stairs, and you fell!" Lucy burst into tears. "Mommy, are you okay?!"

"I think so, but you'd better bring your father, dear."

"Okay." Lucy hit the floor in a bound, slid across the marble, and jerked on the door to the huge rec room. "Dad-dy! Mom-my wants you!"

Tessa lay back on the stairs mumbling. "Too soon. It's all too soon… Pain… It hurts too much… Too much pain…"

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"Lucrecia Crescent! Mother! I don't know if I can do this awake! You said… you said you and Angel were watching over us. You have to help us now! There's nothing I can do!"

Sephiroth?! What's happened?! It was Vincent's mental voice. Sephiroth could see Verdot through Vincent's eyes. Both men were reloading firearms as they stood in a cement-walled corridor. They'd been in a firefight but seemed safe enough for the moment, though there was blood on much of Verdot.

Vincent, you have to help me! Tessa's gone into shock—she's bleeding internally. If labor doesn't stop, she could die!

Help you? Of course! How?

When I was dead, I met Mother in the Lifestream! Sephiroth heard a mental gasp from Vincent. She has to get the baby to stop coming. As I understand it, the baby's body initiates labor. Lucy has to want to not come out!

You're not making sense.

No, I'm probably not, but you have to help me pull in Mother's spirit! Call to her! Lucrecia Crescent, you have to help!

…

Vincent!!

This is insane. She won't answer me! You don't know what happened between us!

I don't care what happened between you!! Who do you think told me about the Fountain of Chaos? She said once we find it you may understand! Does that sound like someone who doesn't care about you?!

…

VINCENT!!

… Lucrecia… Dearest…

You too, 'baby sister.' You've got to call for Mother, too!

Who, me?!

Suddenly Sephiroth caught a picture of Rufus Shinra washing blood from his face in a laboratory sink… What happened, anyway? No. Never mind. I don't think I want to know… Yes, you! Arg, aggravating! Call for Lucrecia Crescent! Now!

Well, what's she like anyway? I've never met her!

Of course not. She's dead.

Hu-unh?!

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Sephiroth came into the entryway of Valentine Hall at his daughter's call. He was dressed in padded work-out clothes with the Masamune in his hand. "What is it, sweetheart?" Tessa saw him scoop the child up one-handed into his unencumbered arm.

"Mommy fell." Lucy swung an arm in the general direction of the stairs then squirmed to be set down. She ran to the big outside doors to the front drive and yanked them open. "Angel! Angel, where are you?..." She ran outside.

"What?!" Sephiroth spotted Tessa and was up the stairs at her side with a jump. "Tessa!"

Behind Sephiroth came Zack… and a silver-haired woman, Kamui. Zack seemed broader, thicker, more muscled. Older. The girl's hair was very long—as long as her brother's! Both were covered in sweat, and also wore padded workout clothes and carried swords. They'd been practicing with live steel—again! Trailing them were Vincent Valentine—with no claws on the end of his left arm!—and Verdot. Both men carried pistols in their hands and ear protectors around their necks as if they'd just been shooting.

"Sephiroth!" Tessa sighed. "It's too soon! It hurts…"

Sephiroth laid his hand on her stomach and watched it bounce. "Vincent! Get the car! Zack, call Caperton!"

"Too soon!" Tessa's head rolled to the side, and she closed her eyes.

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Suddenly the air before Sephiroth shimmered. A woman Sephiroth had seen only once before, and never in real life, appeared before him surrounded by sparks. "I know, my son. I'm here." Lucrecia Crescent reached out her hands—one she placed on Sephiroth's head and the other on Tessa's stomach. "Be quiet, Lucrecia, little Lucy. You must let your mother rest. She's very tired. Be quiet and sleep. Wait. Angel is fine. She is here with me. Sleep."

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When Doctor Caperton reentered the room with the loaded syringe on a tray, the sense of panic was gone. The General was asleep on the table with his head next to Tessa's. The temperature and blood pressure monitor showed "normal" readings. Half the saline solution was gone. The fetal monitor showed the baby's heart rate to be normal, and no contractions were showing on the paper printouts. It was as if nothing were wrong… What had happened?! Well… Even if a miracle had occurred—and around the General, Caperton had learned, anything was possible—he would have to examine Dr. Romera thoroughly, in just a little while. The doctor turned off the lights and left the room to let the couple sleep. He could use some sleep himself, but first he needed to check on that prisoner so he could be taken to the brig. The doctor sighed; if there were no rest for the wicked, then he must be evil indeed…

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Always look on the bright side of life.

Always look on the right side of life.

Life is quite absurd, and death's the final word.

You must always face the curtain with a bow...

Singing? Vincent shook his head. No singing allowed! His new "daughter" was going to take some getting used to… Seemed she liked to sing absurdities…

'Allowed'? Don't you mean 'aloud'?! You should try it sometime! Vincent rather thought she was also tap dancing… … …Damn. Catchy tune…

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(3:30 am, Mideel--Apple Town; 1:30 am, Midgar; 9:30 pm, Gongaga; 5:30 pm, Wutai)

Reno glanced at his watch and lit its face briefly to check the time. There had been no resistance, no alarms, at their entry into the Apple Town administration building. That was the problem, wasn't it? It had been too easy. Something was making the skin between Reno's shoulder blades itch. He just couldn't put his finger on it. Lando and Gonzo were going through the secretary's station. Reno had already checked the area for traps and opened a pair of locks. No problems there at all… Reno had just received a call from Tseng that a truck from Mideel Base was near. In minutes his back-up would be here. They could load the files and computers into the truck and be gone in, maybe twenty minutes. Excellent. Out of here shortly.

As he stood at the door between the reception room and Lynette Hiland's office, Reno's unease increased. Something was wrong. It wasn't Hiland's office though; the lady had good taste. Two heavy, overstuffed chairs stood before a hardwood, very executive, desk in front of a large picture window; the scene outside was only faintly illuminated by the moon. The walls were lined with tastefully filled bookcases, though the sight was rather oppressive at night. Reno knew he'd have to check all the bookcases soon, but he wanted to start with the desk. He walked behind it, sat in the dark, padded chair, and briefly shown his small flashlight along the desk's surfaces and edges. Nothing obvious—normal desk stuff, though too neat and tidy for Reno's taste. A small laptop computer lay closed near his left hand. Nice and convenient. Easily portable. Better make sure it didn't get lost in the coming shuffle… Turning off the light, Reno ran his fingers along the edges of the desk's surface and let them feel for locks or traps that his eyes couldn't see. Hm. Again nothing. Suddenly a slight noise came to Reno from his left, near the corner of the room. Reno jerked his head in its direction. Damn. It seemed he'd waited too long to check the bookcases…

"Well, well, Mr. Sinclair… This time I'll make sure you're disposed of, personally…" A bookcase had rotated, and Lynette Hiland, again with pistol in hand, had the drop on him. Reno knew he couldn't be around the desk before she could kill him. He was surprised that even in the darkness he could tell Vanessa-0's face was unlined, "unweathered." Although she'd been "aged," she hadn't lived the years of the original Lynette Hiland, dead in the ground in Banora. "Good-bye, Mr. Sinclair." The sound of gunfire filled the room.

A/N—The song lyric is from Monty Python's Life of Brian and also Spamalot—AV found the Holy Grail at Spamalot with Bjanik!

A/N—There's a saying that trouble comes in threes: first, about three weeks ago, my mother-in-law fell, broke her hip, and had hip-replacement surgery; second, my father had a seizure associated with his advanced Alzheimer's and was hospitalized; third, my mother-in-law was found to have lung cancer that has spread to her liver and an adrenal gland. Our family will be spending this coming week in the Midwest with her as she begins chemotherapy. If you include my mother's heart bypass surgery last summer, we may be up to four! Anyway, I don't know about postings for a while, so please bear with me; after mom's surgery, I had a burst of inspiration that lead to much of the Wutai plotline. Here's hoping for their speedy recoveries and the appearance of herds of plot bunnies (is there a term for a group of bunnies?). Thanks for reading!