Heh, I know the last chapter was short, so I'm going to give you a longer
one.
*****'
"He's what?" Yuffie exclaimed, staring at Vincent open-mouthed.
Her statement was echoed by everyone in the room except Sephiroth himself. He was staring at Vincent with an expression nearly identical to the one Yuffie wore, but many, many times worse. Yuffie ignored him, and went straight to asking Vincent the question that was on everyone's mind.
"But how, Vinnie?"
Vincent sighed. They all, with the exception of Sephiroth, knew him to be very secretive about his past with Lucrecia and Hojo, as he was secretive about himself even now. For him to tell any of it would be a great admission indeed.
"You all know that I had a relationship with Lucrecia, and that she left me to marry Hojo. You do not know any details, and I have deliberately kept it that way. I am not sure of how much Hojo knew, but he was aware of our relationship. He must have been, for he never left the two of us alone in a room, and if we were, he always came up with some excuse for taking her away, be it research or experiments." Here, he stopped for a moment. Anyone with eyes could see that it was hard for him to talk about this, and he refused to meet anyone's eyes.
"One night, when Lucrecia and I had finally managed to sneak off and be alone, it happened. I..I do not like to talk about it, and I will spare you from details, but it was that night Sephiroth might have been conceived. Might, mind you; Lucrecia married Hojo not a week afterwards. That night was the last I saw of her before the wedding, which Hojo so thoughtfully ordered me to attend to."
He looked around at them, pointedly not looking at Sephiroth, before continuing.
"I am aware that Hojo might be the father, as well as my evidence being very, very thin, but the possibility is still there. What of evidence, then? Firstly, I overheard a Soldier Guard at the Mansion talking to one of the servants, just after it was discovered that Lucrecia was pregnant, and they mentioned that it was odd, as it had long been a rumour that Hojo was not capable of having children. I had not been prior to this rumour, so I know not if it is true or not, but as stated earlier, the possibility still exists. Secondly, I know for a fact that they slept in separate bedrooms, and that they did not visit each other, at least that I am aware of. And that is no small evidence, considering that I had the night watch of the corridor."
This was the most anyone had ever heard him talk, and when he was finished, he was met by absolute silence. Then, Sephiroth spoke up for the first time since Vincent had started talking. He stood by the window, looking out and refusing to meet anyone's gaze. Had it not been for the fact that this whole situation was absurd, he would have killed someone by now.
"All my life, ever since I was little, I have been told that Jenova was my mother. Hojo always claimed that I was Jenova's son, and I had no reason to doubt him, although I had no idea whatsoever of whom Jenova was. Or what." He added, almost as an afterthought.
He turned to Vincent, his bright green eyes clearly showing the confusion he must no doubt be feeling.
"Now you tell me that my mother was a woman called Lucrecia. On top of that, you tell me that you might be my father, which is the most confusing revelation today, as I have been told I have no father. Of course I am not as stupid as to believe that, but how can you be my father when you look no older than me?"
Vincent sighed, and tried to answer his question in the quickest way possible.
"Appearances can be deceiving. The truth is a long story better suited for anywhere else than a hospital."
"How the bloody hells can that, be your son?" Barret demanded angrily, waving his gun arm in the direction of ´that´. Sephiroth, as it were.
"Oh, shut your mouth, Barret, can't you see this is serious?" Yuffie said, slapping his arm. Then she turned to Vincent and tilted her head to one side.
"Vinnie, go stand beside him for a moment," She said, indicating Sephiroth, who looked a bit amused at her use of Vincent's less-than-welcome nick- name.
Without a word, but with a long-suffering sigh, Vincent complied. He got up and walked over to his, possibly, son, stood beside him, and turned back to Yuffie with a quizzical expression on his face. Yuffie put on her trademark grin, and turned to the rest of Avalanche.
"See? They look so much alike, it's frightening! If you ignore Sephy's hair colour, they could be brothers!" She said, waving emphatically at the two men.
"Sephy?" Sephiroth protested; He hadn't been in their company for more than an hour, and already they were giving him nick-names. Horrible ones at that.
Yuffie shot him a look that sparkled with mischief, and grinned even broader.
"Damn straight, Sephy!"
He groaned and buried his face in his hands. Vincent put a hand on his shoulder and patted it sympathetically.
"You'll get used to it." He murmured assuring to his might-be son.
"Hey, Vinnie?"
"Or maybe not." He continued in the same soft tone before turning to Yuffie.
Sephiroth watched as the man who might be his father tried to answer the ninja's veritable arsenal of questions. The rest of Avalanche seemed a bit apprehensive about the whole thing, and kept in the background, unlike the ninja who seemed to take it all in a stride. Not that he could blame them; he was supposed to be their arch enemy, and dead, on top of that.
Quietly, as to not disturb them, he slipped into Tifa's room again. He wanted to let them sort out their thoughts by themselves, as he was going to do now. She was still asleep, and he walked up to the bed and sat down on it, beside her. He had a lot to think about, and not just about Vincent.
Over the last few weeks, his life had changed dramatically. He was alive, first of all. He had become, if not exactly friends, then at least friendly with, Tifa Lockheart, his former enemy. Then, he had become the cause of abuse of her by her fiancé, who by chance wasn't Strife. And he had cared about that. He, the great General Sephiroth, who wasn't even supposed to feel. He had cared about what happened to a woman who was, or at least should be, of no importance to him.
He looked down on her face, marvelling at how beautiful she really was. Somehow, this slip of a girl had wormed her way through his defences without even trying. He had found himself caring more and more about her, even though he knew he shouldn't. That could be dangerous, not only for himself, but for her too. But against whatever rules there were, he found himself getting closer to her, until at last he could talk to her about anything.
Still, she was just a friend. It wasn't like he was in love with her, so there wasn't really any danger. He just enjoyed her company, her jokes, which made him laugh more frequently than any one else's, and spent more time with her than anyone else. He wasn't in love with her; that would be ridiculous. Or was it?
It wasn't like he was a homicidal maniac anymore. Tifa had told him about what had happened to her father, but hadn't accused him of anything. It had been the same night that he had told her about how it had been like, being trapped in his own mind, with Jenova controlling his body. But Shin-Ra could still try to assassinate him, should they ever find out he was alive, and that would put her in danger. Danger meaning dead. If Tifa died, he wouldn't know what to do with himself.
He stared down at her, the last thought running rampant through his mind. She shifted slightly and reached out a small hand, which he took in his large one. Her hands were so small that they nearly disappeared in his, yet they were capable of crushing a mans jaw without much trouble. As Vincent had said; appearances can be deceiving. Finally, he realized what exactly he had thought, and went as white as the sheets on the hospital bed.
Gods help the Planet; he was falling in love with Tifa Lockheart.
******'
*****'
"He's what?" Yuffie exclaimed, staring at Vincent open-mouthed.
Her statement was echoed by everyone in the room except Sephiroth himself. He was staring at Vincent with an expression nearly identical to the one Yuffie wore, but many, many times worse. Yuffie ignored him, and went straight to asking Vincent the question that was on everyone's mind.
"But how, Vinnie?"
Vincent sighed. They all, with the exception of Sephiroth, knew him to be very secretive about his past with Lucrecia and Hojo, as he was secretive about himself even now. For him to tell any of it would be a great admission indeed.
"You all know that I had a relationship with Lucrecia, and that she left me to marry Hojo. You do not know any details, and I have deliberately kept it that way. I am not sure of how much Hojo knew, but he was aware of our relationship. He must have been, for he never left the two of us alone in a room, and if we were, he always came up with some excuse for taking her away, be it research or experiments." Here, he stopped for a moment. Anyone with eyes could see that it was hard for him to talk about this, and he refused to meet anyone's eyes.
"One night, when Lucrecia and I had finally managed to sneak off and be alone, it happened. I..I do not like to talk about it, and I will spare you from details, but it was that night Sephiroth might have been conceived. Might, mind you; Lucrecia married Hojo not a week afterwards. That night was the last I saw of her before the wedding, which Hojo so thoughtfully ordered me to attend to."
He looked around at them, pointedly not looking at Sephiroth, before continuing.
"I am aware that Hojo might be the father, as well as my evidence being very, very thin, but the possibility is still there. What of evidence, then? Firstly, I overheard a Soldier Guard at the Mansion talking to one of the servants, just after it was discovered that Lucrecia was pregnant, and they mentioned that it was odd, as it had long been a rumour that Hojo was not capable of having children. I had not been prior to this rumour, so I know not if it is true or not, but as stated earlier, the possibility still exists. Secondly, I know for a fact that they slept in separate bedrooms, and that they did not visit each other, at least that I am aware of. And that is no small evidence, considering that I had the night watch of the corridor."
This was the most anyone had ever heard him talk, and when he was finished, he was met by absolute silence. Then, Sephiroth spoke up for the first time since Vincent had started talking. He stood by the window, looking out and refusing to meet anyone's gaze. Had it not been for the fact that this whole situation was absurd, he would have killed someone by now.
"All my life, ever since I was little, I have been told that Jenova was my mother. Hojo always claimed that I was Jenova's son, and I had no reason to doubt him, although I had no idea whatsoever of whom Jenova was. Or what." He added, almost as an afterthought.
He turned to Vincent, his bright green eyes clearly showing the confusion he must no doubt be feeling.
"Now you tell me that my mother was a woman called Lucrecia. On top of that, you tell me that you might be my father, which is the most confusing revelation today, as I have been told I have no father. Of course I am not as stupid as to believe that, but how can you be my father when you look no older than me?"
Vincent sighed, and tried to answer his question in the quickest way possible.
"Appearances can be deceiving. The truth is a long story better suited for anywhere else than a hospital."
"How the bloody hells can that, be your son?" Barret demanded angrily, waving his gun arm in the direction of ´that´. Sephiroth, as it were.
"Oh, shut your mouth, Barret, can't you see this is serious?" Yuffie said, slapping his arm. Then she turned to Vincent and tilted her head to one side.
"Vinnie, go stand beside him for a moment," She said, indicating Sephiroth, who looked a bit amused at her use of Vincent's less-than-welcome nick- name.
Without a word, but with a long-suffering sigh, Vincent complied. He got up and walked over to his, possibly, son, stood beside him, and turned back to Yuffie with a quizzical expression on his face. Yuffie put on her trademark grin, and turned to the rest of Avalanche.
"See? They look so much alike, it's frightening! If you ignore Sephy's hair colour, they could be brothers!" She said, waving emphatically at the two men.
"Sephy?" Sephiroth protested; He hadn't been in their company for more than an hour, and already they were giving him nick-names. Horrible ones at that.
Yuffie shot him a look that sparkled with mischief, and grinned even broader.
"Damn straight, Sephy!"
He groaned and buried his face in his hands. Vincent put a hand on his shoulder and patted it sympathetically.
"You'll get used to it." He murmured assuring to his might-be son.
"Hey, Vinnie?"
"Or maybe not." He continued in the same soft tone before turning to Yuffie.
Sephiroth watched as the man who might be his father tried to answer the ninja's veritable arsenal of questions. The rest of Avalanche seemed a bit apprehensive about the whole thing, and kept in the background, unlike the ninja who seemed to take it all in a stride. Not that he could blame them; he was supposed to be their arch enemy, and dead, on top of that.
Quietly, as to not disturb them, he slipped into Tifa's room again. He wanted to let them sort out their thoughts by themselves, as he was going to do now. She was still asleep, and he walked up to the bed and sat down on it, beside her. He had a lot to think about, and not just about Vincent.
Over the last few weeks, his life had changed dramatically. He was alive, first of all. He had become, if not exactly friends, then at least friendly with, Tifa Lockheart, his former enemy. Then, he had become the cause of abuse of her by her fiancé, who by chance wasn't Strife. And he had cared about that. He, the great General Sephiroth, who wasn't even supposed to feel. He had cared about what happened to a woman who was, or at least should be, of no importance to him.
He looked down on her face, marvelling at how beautiful she really was. Somehow, this slip of a girl had wormed her way through his defences without even trying. He had found himself caring more and more about her, even though he knew he shouldn't. That could be dangerous, not only for himself, but for her too. But against whatever rules there were, he found himself getting closer to her, until at last he could talk to her about anything.
Still, she was just a friend. It wasn't like he was in love with her, so there wasn't really any danger. He just enjoyed her company, her jokes, which made him laugh more frequently than any one else's, and spent more time with her than anyone else. He wasn't in love with her; that would be ridiculous. Or was it?
It wasn't like he was a homicidal maniac anymore. Tifa had told him about what had happened to her father, but hadn't accused him of anything. It had been the same night that he had told her about how it had been like, being trapped in his own mind, with Jenova controlling his body. But Shin-Ra could still try to assassinate him, should they ever find out he was alive, and that would put her in danger. Danger meaning dead. If Tifa died, he wouldn't know what to do with himself.
He stared down at her, the last thought running rampant through his mind. She shifted slightly and reached out a small hand, which he took in his large one. Her hands were so small that they nearly disappeared in his, yet they were capable of crushing a mans jaw without much trouble. As Vincent had said; appearances can be deceiving. Finally, he realized what exactly he had thought, and went as white as the sheets on the hospital bed.
Gods help the Planet; he was falling in love with Tifa Lockheart.
******'