Chapter Twenty One: Peace
Vincent sat at the conference table with his eyes closed, trying to drown out the commotion surrounding him. How he wished other people realized just how loud they were… or at least, remembered how sensitive his hearing was and tried even a little to keep it down in his presence. It was a large part of the reason he so seldom left home unless he had to. The light, the noise, all of the various smells mixing together… it was all too much and quickly overloaded his heightened senses. When one added the fact that everyone tended to stare at him, and that he'd always been rather shy and awkward to begin with, it made the prospect of socializing more akin to torture.
At least his family understood. He took a moment to digest the thought that he actually had one now, the idea still new and strange. He'd noticed that Lucrecia's voice had steadily grown softer since she'd moved in with him, and she'd easily adapted to the dim lighting of their basement dwelling, content to read beneath the tall lamp next to the couch. She'd even been slowly adjusting her sleep schedule to become somewhat nocturnal. Sephiroth, seated to his left with his arms folded impatiently across his chest, was already extremely quiet and seemed just as prone to migraines as Vincent. And Aeris was frighteningly perceptive, knowing just how to behave to set almost anyone at ease. He had to admit that having at least a few people who partially understood him was a comfort.
And then there was everyone else.
Cid was loudly teasing Yuffie about her time spent with the refugee Turks, and she was shrieking her protest across the table. Cid smelled like a box of tobacco drenched in grease, and when it mixed with whatever perfume Tifa was wearing it began to make Vincent nauseous. He tried not to notice the slightly animalistic odor coming from Red at his right, glad he didn't eat often enough to have to worry about vomiting. Someone had a bit of body odor as well, though in the noxious mixture he couldn't quite pinpoint its location.
"I hate these meetings," Sephiroth grumbled beside him, as if reading his thoughts. Surprised, Vincent slowly opened his eyes and turned to look at him, allowing a slight smile to cross his face.
"I much agree… It's unpleasant to be crowded into a small room with so many people." He lifted his normal hand to rub his a spot at the center of his forehead, a growing ache already settling in behind his eyes.
"Guys!" Aeris exclaimed as the racket surrounding them grew steadily louder, lowering her voice to a much quieter volume once the young ninja and the pilot had closed their mouths in mid argument. "Indoor voices," she said with a smile, shifting her eyes pointedly to the right toward her unhappy companions.
"Oops, sorry!" Yuffie said with a slight blush, though her high pitched voice still tore into Vincent's brain. Cid only rolled his eyes, but he did finally stop tormenting her and instead turned and started a conversation with Barret that wasn't much quieter.
"I tried," Aeris said with a shrug, her eyes sympathetic as she leaned back in her chair to look at Vincent.
Vincent nodded his gratitude, then closed his eyes again and tried to focus on Sephiroth and Aeris' quiet conversation regarding taking his dog Blade to the beach after the meeting adjourned. He was glad to hear them speak of something so normal, and his mind immediately returned to the last time he'd been to the beach. He almost began to smile, but quickly caught himself before anyone noticed. He didn't need Yuffie telling the whole group that he'd 'gotten lucky' again.
Cloud finally entered the room, dropping a stack of papers onto the desk with an echoing crash. Vincent frowned in annoyance, the pleasurable memory he'd been enjoying interrupted. But at least now the meeting could start so he could escape from the smothering room and return home to Lucrecia. Perhaps he'd suggest they take another moonlit walk that evening…
"Sorry guys," Cloud said, and thankfully everyone finally quieted and settled into their seats. "This little old lady accosted me right as I got to the door, and she went on and on about how loud some group of kids play outside her window. Oh. My. Gods. Then she started telling me about her cat and his hairball problem…"
"Haha! Cloud has a girlfriend!" Yuffie exclaimed, giggling at his misery.
"Cloud has a wife," Tifa reminded her, grinning. "I'll have to give that old bitty a piece of my mind if she thinks she can steal him away!"
Cloud rolled his eyes, straightening his paperwork and briefly shuffling through the stack. "Okay! Let's get started, shall we?"
"Yes please…" Vincent muttered, causing Sephiroth to snicker beside him. No one else seemed to hear his frustrated comment, however, and Cloud continued with a satisfied nod when he had everyone's attention.
"All right, we have several things to go over this morning, but it shouldn't take too long," he said, running his eyes down a handwritten list on a sheet of notebook paper. "Let's start with our pet Turks. Aeris and Yuffie, how's it been going supervising them with their assignments?"
Yuffie jumped in before Aeris had a chance to even open her mouth. "I propose we give Tseng a raise out of whatever we're giving Reno, then make him clean every single toilet on this entire base!" she exclaimed, frowning. "He is such a pain in the ass, and Tseng does all the work when I have them together. Rude is okay, unless Reno gets him started. And I haven't really worked with Elena since she doesn't have to do anything physical or dirty."
"Rude is a really good gardener," Aeris added with an amused grin. "He actually enjoys it, so with Elena helping us we've gotten a lot done making the base more pleasant and homey. And actually, on days I've had all of the boys down at the harbor cleaning, they've all been cooperative and worked really hard. Reno complains a lot, and there was the incident with that photo being sent around, but…"
She blushed, and Vincent shook his head, recalling how he'd had to talk his son out of killing both Reno and Rude, and possibly Cid as well. He couldn't say he blamed him, and knew he'd have been just as unhappy in his place.
"Da beach does look a lot better," Barret said. "I can take Marlene down dere to play in the sand and look for shells now, but I don' let her in dat water yet."
"It has improved a great deal, and should continue to keep them busy and out of trouble for a long time," Vincent agreed, briefly returning to his earlier memory. It was harder not to smirk this time, but he just managed. He had a feeling no one at the table would have ever believed he enjoyed such things. They still didn't seem able to wrap their minds around the fact that a woman was actually living with him. Whether they were shocked because of his public demeanor, or because they couldn't believe anyone would be interested in someone like him that way, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. If they only knew…
"I'm getting really positive reports from Joseph Fisher, too," Cloud said, referring to the elderly mayor of the small fishing town below the base. "He says his people are thrilled with what we're doing, and that they're starting to see birds nesting in the area and small schools of fish again."
"That's great!" Aeris exclaimed, sounding almost tearful with joy. Vincent saw Sephiroth reach out and cover one of her hands with his gloved one, quietly supporting her. "That makes it all worth it!"
Cloud grinned, nodding his agreement. "I'm really proud of everyone. Make sure you pass that on to the Turks, too. I may not be their biggest fan, but they've been really working hard and behaving themselves, too. I guess they really were being genuine…"
Vincent had a sudden immature urge to say 'I told you so,' but after his last run-in with their leader he knew it wasn't wise. He noticed the way Cloud occasionally glanced at him and quickly looked away, a visible fear in his eyes. He sighed inwardly, knowing he would have to address the situation sooner or later. He never would have laid a hand on him under normal circumstances, but with as strongly as Chaos had been influencing him as of late, he hadn't been able to help it. He'd stood by for far too long while others made disparaging remarks about his son, but that was not the way he wished he would have handled it.
"Speaking of which… Vincent, you had your meeting with Tseng and this mysterious contact of Tseng's?"
Vincent nodded, quickly pushing the troubling thoughts away and trying to focus. He shifted uncomfortably as all eyes settled upon him, hating to be stared at even when it was for a good reason. He always felt as if he was being judged, though he admitted he hadn't done a thing about his appearance to try to look more normal and likely prevent much of it. He didn't feel or act normal any more, though, so why bother?
"Yes," he began, consciously raising his voice when several people had to lean forward to hear him. "The conversation was interrupted suddenly during the discussion, but he did pass on some important information. Shin-ra is apparently still recovering from the loss of so many important employees, and Rufus left on vacation instead of dealing with it immediately. It seems we will have time before we need to worry about an attack, but he assured Tseng that is will come."
Cloud frowned and nodded, the level of tension in the room noticeably increasing. "Well, I guess we pretty much knew that… Hopefully we'll be prepared before they are."
"He also said that there is an undercover operation in effect to attempt to get into the base and disable our shield generator while they continue researching ways to break through it," Vincent continued, turning to look at Cid. "So the extreme security measures we've been taking to protect it need to continue, and perhaps even increase. They seem to have decided that it would be easier to destroy it when it's inactive than to figure out how to disarm it later."
"Hmm…" Cid twirled an unlit cigarette between his grease-stained fingers, frowning thoughtfully. "It's in a sort of predictable place, near the main generators, and people who left because we took over could have seen us installing it. It's also at the far end of the base, which makes getting to it easier. Maybe we ought to move it…"
"That would likely be wise…"
"Where do you think we should put it?" Tifa asked, leaning her chin atop her hands with her elbows resting on the table. "Somewhere still secure, but less obvious…"
"… Well, I've already got all that scanning equipment on the roof of my apartment building," Cid said, having recently built an enclosure of bullet proof glass so the instruments would be in position to get the best possible readings, but still protected from the elements. "I had to put in a huge power source down in the basement to run it all, so… What about keeping it down there? It would also take a strain off our main generators, and keep it running in the event that they and the backup should fail."
"Aren't you worried that would endanger you and Shera if they find out where it is?" Red asked, perched awkwardly in his chair so he could join the others at the table.
"Nah," Cid said with a dismissive wave. "It'll still have round the clock guards, plus we'll be right there to keep an eye on it and directly monitor the alarm system. And this way, if anything goes wrong with it that I can't handle by remote, we'll be right there to fix it as quickly as possible."
"It ain' gonna blow up and kill everyone livin' nearby, is it?" Barret asked suspiciously, as he and Marlene lived along the same block of joined buildings.
"Hey, have some fucking faith in me, asshole," Cid snorted, causing a chastised Barret to look down at the table. Cid seemed to have become an idol of some kind to him, and he clearly hadn't meant to insult him. "Nah, man, don't worry. I built that shit with my own hands, it's not gonna blow. Your kid is safe. I don't really want to blow up my old lady, either, you know."
"I'm going to tell her you said she's old!" Yuffie said, smirking mischievously.
"And I'm going to tell Reno you think he's cute," Cid countered, causing her mouth to drop open in horror.
"I do not!" she shrieked, though her cheeks instantly colored as red as the aforementioned former Turk's hair. "Gross!"
"Guys, guys," Cloud interrupted, grinning as he held up a hand. "Okay, then. Make the arrangements to move it, Cid… and then you and Vincent can set up the security for it. Um… Do you mind helping them with that, Sephiroth?"
He sounded reluctant to have to address his former commanding officer even after so much time, but the device was so heavy that no one else had been able to handle it the last few times they'd needed to move it. Cloud's attitude caused Sephiroth to respond just as coldly, though he did nod his agreement. "Fine."
"All right… So that's settled. Did you happen to get any idea who this contact might be?" Cloud asked, turning back to Vincent.
"He seems to know Tseng rather well. They spoke as if they have known each other a long time, and he knew details about their situation and Elena's pregnancy that he must have been told before the Turks left Midgar. Other than that, all that was obvious was that he works for Shin-ra in an office of some type, is good with computers, and… their code phrases to determine each other's true identity had something to do with cats."
"Ugh, enough about cats today," Cloud said with a groan, grinning crookedly. "Hmm… Everyone pick your brains on that one, especially you former Shin-ra employees. See if anyone comes to mind. We don't really need to know who this person is right now, but it would be nice in case anything goes wrong."
There were nods all around, and Vincent relaxed a bit as the attention was finally taken off of him. Cloud shuffled through his papers and pulled out another sheet, quickly scanning it with his eyes before looking up again.
"Okay, last thing. Our military scouts have figured out where a lot of the monsters in the area are coming from. There's a huge cavern near the mountain range to the East, and they seem to be gathered in and around that general area like some kind of focal point or breeding ground. We're going to be sending out a fairly large unit to clear as many of them as we can, and then dynamite the cavern closed if possible."
Vincent saw Sephiroth tense beside him, noticing that he'd removed his hands from the tabletop and was now wringing them in his lap beneath. He frowned, filled with annoyance at Cloud once again. Sephiroth was supposed to be the head of the military, yet it seemed that he had played no part at all in the planning of this mission. He may not have even been aware that such a thing was even being discussed. But he was equally annoyed with himself, lowering his gaze in shame and wishing he'd been able to talk to Cloud more civilly. He had very likely ruined his last opportunity to improve things for his son, and he cursed himself for always failing those he loved. It hurt far deeper than any of the transformations he'd experienced, and he found himself unable to look up again.
"We're scheduled to move out in three days," Cloud continued. "I was going to lead the operation myself, but…" He paused suddenly, causing Vincent to glance up at him from beneath his bangs. "I changed my mind."
"What?" Tifa asked, staring at him in surprise. Red, too, arched a feline eyebrow, as if Cloud had neglected to inform either of his chief advisors, including his wife, of the change in plans.
He smiled a bit apologetically, though he looked distinctly uncomfortable and squirmed a bit in his seat. "Yeah… I… I'm the leader of this base, and I think it's better if I stay here since this is going to take a few days. Besides… We've already got someone more experienced in charge of our military."
Vincent's eyes widened, and Sephiroth's head snapped in Cloud's direction. The younger man was blushing, and seemed unable to look at anyone as he continued. "Are you available to handle that, Sephiroth? I'm meeting with the scouts in a few hours, so if you could along to talk with them and some of the higher ranking soldiers who are going along, that would be great."
"You want me to lead the mission?" Sephiroth asked, the disbelief in his voice and expression nearly comical. Beside him, Aeris had lifted a hand to cover her mouth, and there were already tears shining in her eyes. Everyone else was gaping at Cloud as if they weren't sure who he was.
"Well, yeah. You've led a war before, haven't you? A cave full of monsters should be easy."
"I… Of course. I will be present at the briefing."
"Great. Then that's a wrap, guys," he said, rising to his feet and beginning to gather up his paper work, trying to look busy before anyone could question him and continue the awkward moment. "We meet again next Monday, same time."
Most everyone rose and rushed for the door as if they couldn't wait to be free to go about their day, but Sephiroth remained seated as if still stunned by what had just happened. Aeris finally reached out and tugged on his arm, grinning widely as she led him toward the door. As she passed Cloud with Sephiroth ahead of her, she stopped and threw her arms around him in a fierce hug. Tifa laughed at her husband's surprised expression, though she still looked a bit miffed that he hadn't told her what he was going to do before the meeting.
Vincent lingered in the room when everyone had gone but Cloud and Tifa, and when Cloud finally noticed him he visibly swallowed before nervously clearing his throat. "Is something wrong, Vincent?"
"I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment…"
"Uh… yeah. Yeah, okay," Cloud stammered nervously, and now Tifa looked alarmed. Vincent briefly closed his eyes, realizing he certainly would have told her what had happened between them earlier in the week. Not that he had told Lucrecia…
"Should I…?" Tifa asked, placing a protective hand on her husband's upper arm and biting her lip.
"No, no… You go ahead. I'll be along soon."
"Okay…" she said, reluctantly leaving the room and throwing one last worried glance over her shoulder. He had a feeling she wasn't going to go far. Vincent sighed, keeping his distance as so not to make Cloud any more nervous than he already was. He had definitely not done anything to improve what the others thought of him, and Cloud had never liked or trusted him to begin with. But perhaps it was not too late to salvage some of his reputation.
"I wanted… to thank you," Vincent said quietly, feeling very self conscious as he forced himself to meet Cloud's blue Mako eyes. "I appreciate what you've done today."
Cloud shrugged awkwardly, holding his stack of papers against his chest almost like a shield. "It's nothing. He really should be the one leading things like that, after all. And… you were right." Vincent raised an eyebrow as Cloud's cheeks flushed, and the younger man quickly looked away. "He's been a very valuable member of the team, and I haven't given him enough credit. It's not easy, but I'm going to work on that…"
"That is very big of you," Vincent said, surprised by his words and realizing how hard it was for Cloud to admit. "I am sure it means a lot to him, too, even if he is unable to express himself."
Cloud nodded and started for the door, assuming the conversation was over. Vincent almost let him go, but his conscience wouldn't allow it. There was something else he needed to say even more.
"Cloud, wait…"
The younger man paused in mid step, turning to face him again. He seemed much more at ease than before, though his eyes were still wary. "Yeah?"
"I… also wanted to… apologize. For the way I behaved at our meeting. I was out of line." Vincent looked down at his boots, but he knew it was the right thing to do. The guilt over how he'd assaulted Cloud had been eating at him ever since that morning, but he hadn't felt strong enough to approach him about it. Now, with his mind more at ease about his relationship, and after Cloud had taken an important step to improve his treatment of Sephiroth, he knew it was past time. This time, Vincent was firmly in control, Chaos' influence but a distance whisper at the back of his mind.
"Hey, don't worry about it," Cloud said to his surprise, and when Vincent looked up he saw that he was actually smiling crookedly. "I'm sorry as well… I was out of line, too. I really didn't think about the actual meaning of that word when I said it, but I shouldn't be insulting him at all. Especially not in front of you. Heh, I still forget you're his father sometimes…"
"So do I," Vincent admitted. He finally approached Cloud and held out his hand, relieved when the young man accepted it and shook it firmly. A feeling of relief washed over him, and he finally felt as if he'd mostly managed to regain control of his life. He knew it would be a continuing battle, but it was one he was more determined than ever to fight with everything he had.
"I better go find Tifa, so I can try to explain why I 'forgot' to tell her about that little change in plans," Cloud said with a guilty grin and a touch of trepidation. "She hates surprises! Especially when it's something I've kept from her."
Vincent nodded as they left the room together, thinking of all the things he still kept from Lucrecia and feeling the guilt rise up within him once more. He was improving in that area, he tried to console himself, but it was difficult when so much of what he needed to tell her was painful and disturbing. In time he would be able to share more, he promised himself as he stepped outside and headed for home. Now that they were together as it always should have been, time was something they finally had.
((Author's Notes: I freaking love it when I sit down, something hits me, and I just write and write with almost no effort. That's been hard to come by lately with my health and so much on my mind, but man. I sat down yesterday morning around 7, and by 9 I had this entire chapter finished and ready for editing and beta approval. Sorry, had to get that off my chest, lol. This was more fun to write than I thought a group meeting was going to be. I decided to continue the theme of how much Vincent hates these things, and why. Got in some humorous moments, took care of business, then got to the main reason for this scene. Seems Cloud has made some progress after all, and poor Seph is beside himself. And Vincent did the honorable thing by thanking him and apologizing. Seems all is well for our team. But is all well for Vincent and his little semi-dysfunctional family? Also, thank you all for helping me reach 200 reviews! I'm still shocked I made it to 100, so this is a real honor. I'm honestly still deciding exactly what to include in the next chapter (though I have some decent ideas), so we can all be surprised together! ~ JenesisX ))
