Chapter One: Secrets

The next morning, Lucrecia was busying herself around the apartment, trying to take her mind off of how worried she was. It was after ten already, and Vincent still had not returned. He'd been gone since some time prior to three thirty a.m. the previous night, and by now she was extremely concerned. For a man who seemed pained any time they had to be apart, his sudden disappearance was extremely alarming.

As she moved about the basement, doing her best to concentrate on dusting and organizing the bookcase in the main living area, her mind continued to race with terrifying possibilities. Had something happened to him that was preventing him from getting home? If so, why had he left in the first place? And why hadn't he let her know he was leaving? It seemed obvious to her that he'd left so quietly on purpose, as if he didn't want her to know. She longed to be able to contact him, but his PHS remained in the bedroom with his gun. She briefly considered using it to call Aeris, but didn't want to bother her daughter-in-law, afraid she was overreacting. Surely there was a simple explanation, Lucrecia told herself repeatedly as she cleaned. Vincent would explain everything as soon as he returned. She could not help but glance at the door every few minutes as if willing him to appear, desperate to see him again and know he was safe.

She was sick to her stomach as she absently rearranged a few of his books, her heart not really in her housekeeping efforts. The basement apartment really did need a more thorough cleaning than what she'd been able to accomplish since moving in, though, cobwebs adorning the corners she couldn't reach and the odor of dust and dampness clinging to the air. It was dark and depressing, and Vincent had made no effort whatsoever to make it a home before her arrival. Lucrecia had been trying to change that, but she had little to work with and hadn't found the nerve to address the subject with him. She knew there were plenty of regular apartments throughout the base that had been abandoned after Avalanche removed Shin-ra from Junon Harbor… Someday, she intended to ask him if they could consider moving into one of the empty units. Every time she tried to broach the subject, however, she felt terrible for complaining and lost her nerve. He seemed comfortable in their dwelling, and though he expressed concern about her happiness with it on occasion, he himself did not seem bothered by the conditions in the least. She supposed it didn't really matter where they lived, feeling guilty for being so shallow when simply being reunited with her soul mate should have been enough. At least they hadfinally gotten a bed frame for the bare mattress they'd been sleeping on.

She was studying the cement floor, wondering if it would be possible to locate a nice throw rug to help with the chill and bland décor, when she heard the floorboards in the vacant room directly above begin to creak. She paused and listened as soft footsteps crossed the floor and continued down the stairway to the basement. Her heart began to race as she turned and faced the door, desperately hoping her lover had finally come home.

Sure enough, when the door opened a moment later, Vincent quietly slipped into the room as if trying not to be seen. She noticed that it was unlocked, alarmed that it had been that way since whenever he left the night before. He softly closed and locked it behind him before slowly turning to face her. He appeared a bit surprised to find her standing there waiting for him, quickly lowering his eyes to the floor. He looked guilty and ashamed of himself, an expression that furthered Lucrecia's fears. He was wearing only a black t-shirt and long black pants, and she noted that both knees were torn. His feet were bare aside from a pair of very dirty white socks, and his hair was even more unruly than usual. Lucrecia studied him wordlessly, noticing the way he stood slouched as if he were very tired or uncomfortable. His arms hung limp as his sides, and he didn't lift his head even though she knew he could feel the way she was scrutinizing him.

"Where have you been?" she finally asked, unable to keep her voice from trembling. "You were gone most of the night… I've been really worried." She cringed at the slightly demanding, irritated tone behind her words, but knew that anyone reasonable would have felt the same way in her position.

Vincent hesitantly lifted his head and met her gaze, and she had to suppress a gasp when he did so. His red eyes were heavy and tired, and appeared to be bloodshot though it was a bit difficult to tell. There were dark circles beneath them as if he hadn't sleep in a very long time. There was a deep weariness behind those eyes, along with an emptiness that alarmed her. Even when she'd first come back into his life, she had never seen him look so terrible, so full of despair and exhaustion. It twisted her insides into knots as she fought not to break down and cry, filled with confusion and a rising dread she couldn't explain.

"I was… out…" he said quietly, nearly inaudible. He had always spoken softly despite his deep voice, but since the alterations he'd undergone it had taken on a nearly whispered quality. Lucrecia had always loved his voice and still found it attractive even though it was different than she remembered, but at times it gave his words a haunted tone that nearly made her shiver.

"Out where? And from three in the morning until now?" she asked, tilting her head and trying not to make the questions sound like an accusation. "Without your gun, your PHS, your cloak… or even your boots. Vincent…" She shook her head and frowned, trying to maintain eye contact, but he quickly lowered his head to avoid her stare.

"Out… for a walk. I needed some fresh air…"

Vincent began to cross the room toward the bedroom as if the conversation was over and the situation resolved. Lucrecia's frown deepened, and she began to tremble with a strange mixture of fear and annoyance at the way he was trying to dismiss her inquiries. She was relieved he had finally come home, but he was acting so strangely it gave her chills. She knew there was more to his disappearance than he was saying, but she could not fathom why he wouldn't simply tell her the truth unless he had something very serious to hide…

"An eight hour walk in the middle of the night, without anything on your feet," she said doubtfully, letting the disbelief slip into her voice. She was beginning to lose her patience as her emotions got the better of her. "Vincent, what's going on? This is so unlike you…"

He paused for a moment, sighing heavily as his shoulders slumped forward. She watched as he closed his eyes tightly, the pain and fatigue written across his face. He looked so burdened that she almost forgot her irritation, filled with pity for the man she loved. Lucrecia approached him and placed a gentle hand upon his shoulder, still upset and curious but wanting to comfort him more than anything else. Something was troubling him and she badly wanted to be able to take the pain away. He would have done no less for her.

To her hurt and great surprise, he shrugged away from her touch and continued toward the bedroom without another word. Lucrecia stood frozen in shock, staring after him as her eyes filled with tears. Now she knew for certain that something terrible had happened during the night. Vincent had never rejected her in such a way before, and combined with his strange actions and evasive manner, Lucrecia suddenly felt as if her entire world had been shaken to its core.

"Vincent, please…" she said, her voice strained with emotion. "Talk to me…"

She cautiously came to stand in the doorway, watching as Vincent quietly removed his socks and torn pants until he was left in just his t-shirt and boxers. Without looking at her again, he climbed into bed and laid down, turning away to face the wall. He pulled the comforter up over his head before going completely still, as if he was instantly asleep. Lucrecia knew he wasn't, but had no idea what to do. She stood there for what felt like hours, staring at the unmoving lump with tears trailing down her cheeks. She was trembling so violently that she had to lean against the doorframe to support herself, her pulse pounding in her head so loudly she could hear nothing else.

This was not the man she knew and loved… This was not the devoted and protective partner she had come to depend upon so much in the last two months. Somehow, she had gone to bed with the Vincent she knew and loved the night before, and he'd since been replaced with someone she didn't know at all. She swallowed hard, fighting the panic that continued to rise within her. She wanted so badly to talk to him, to look into his eyes and see that he still loved her, to hear him promise that everything would be okay. But as had happened so many times during her first life, she was too frightened and upset to find her voice.

She took several clumsy steps backward until she had retreated to the living room. She did her best to muffle her sobs as more tears began to fall, lifting a shaking hand to her forehead and standing paralyzed in the middle of the room. Yes, Vincent had changed since they were together thirty years before, and things had often been awkward and difficult to get used to. But Lucrecia had thought their relationship was going so well, that they were adapting and learning to live together without any serious problems. They were engaged to be married, they got along well and had improved their communication, and they had an amazing sex life. What had happened in the last few hours to change all of that? Suddenly he couldn't even look at her…

Unable to make sense of the situation and filled with grief and worry, Lucrecia curled up on the couch and wrapped a blanket around herself, feeling more chilled and unsettled than she could remember. Exhausted from the long, lonely night before, she soon cried herself to sleep.


((Author's Notes: Aww, how sad. Also, Vincent is a terrible liar! Anyway... a big THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed thus far and added this story to their favorites and/or alerts. It means the world to me and has only motivated me to work harder on it. I updated after only two days, after all, haha. I very much cherish and appreciate the support and help getting the word out that I am actively writing again! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next, find out what happens when Vincent wakes up and tries to get himself out of this mess. If you want to read more about Vincent and Lucrecia in the mean time, I have several short stories posted for them in addition to the multis I mentioned before (Life After Death and On My Honor). Go ahead and take a look at my profile, there's quite a few by now. Cheers for now! ~ JenesisX ))