Author's Note: Thanks to all who have stuck with this story from the beginning, and to all who have read and left reviews! This story has been both a challenge and an exciting project for me, and I am pleased with how it turned out. You guys are the best!

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII.

Sunlight was streaming through the window, announcing the start of a new day. The sky was clear, and a blanket of fresh snow covered the ground. All over town families were awake, opening presents and preparing the food for the Christmas feast. Vincent felt the warmth of the sun hit his face, and he blearily opened his eyes. He slowly realized that he wasn't in the mansion anymore, but in his bed at the Inn. He didn't remember it feeling this comfortable and warm. As he sat up and stretched slowly, he heard birds singing outside and the voices of people on the street. What time was it? Vincent reached for his phone, opened it and looked. It was only 9AM, December 25th.

Wait. December 25th? Vincent thought to himself, his brow furrowed. That can't be right. Each of the Spirits came at one o'clock for the past few days. It should be December 28th. Vincent turned around on the bed, opened the window beside it, and listened to the voices calling to one another outside:

"Merry Christmas!"

"Happy Holidays!"

"Have a great Christmas!"

The air outside was crisp and fresh with the feelings of festivity and cheer that only Christmas Day can bring. Men and women were smiling at one another, children were laughing, and Vincent swore he heard singing in the distance. He pulled his head back inside the room, thinking. How could Lucrecia and the Spirits do it all in one night? Well, they are Spirits, Vincent told himself with a small smile. Whatever; I guess that's how it works.

He felt...lighter. Calmer. More at peace with himself than he had been in decades. It took him aback at first, but he soon embraced the feeling. It was as if the voices in his head that had been screaming were silenced, the anchor that dragged his heart down lifted. The intense hatred and fear that he had so felt with the last Spirit had vanished, replaced by a warmth that burned in his heart. Vincent simply sat on the bed for a while, pondering what it all meant.

He recalled with perfect clarity how he didn't believe Lucrecia, how he had asked if there was any other way. Looking at it now with clearer eyes, Vincent shook his head at himself. What a fool he was! If he knew then that he would feel like he was now after it was all over, he would have taken the offer immediately!

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you." Vincent found himself saying aloud to the empty room. There was no answer, but Vincent hoped Lucrecia heard him anyways.

Memories of the Spirits passed in his mind like photographs. His father's hands on his shoulders, love in his eyes. Aerith's gentle smile and her basket of yellow lilies. Hojo's hooded face and maniacal laugh. Seeing AVALANCHE have Christmas dinner together, laughing and talking. Lucrecia's anguish over not seeing her newborn son. Visiting the Shinra mansion, forcing himself to relive what had happened to him there. Seeing what he would become if he did not change.

Vincent shuddered at the memory of his and Hojo's faces merging together in the mirror. Instead of dwelling on it, however, it filled him with determination. He was not going to be like Hojo. He would die before he found himself in that position. He would not lock people out. He would not hurt them, at least not intentionally. He would accept their help and allow them into his life.

It was almost strange, thinking so positively. But it felt strange in a good, new way.

Vincent stood up, feeling the DELAY-ESUNA Materia shift in his pocket. He pulled it out, staring at his reflection in the orb. This would surely delay Denzel's sickness. It may not stop it completely, but it would buy him some time. Hopefully by then, a cure would be available. He wasn't sure how he would explain the knowledge of Denzel's sickness to Tifa though...maybe he would just drop it off to them anonymously.

Vincent looked over at the table. Tifa's gift was still sitting there in its scarlet paper and silver bow. He picked it up, opening it as he sat down on a chair. There was a small, handwritten note lying on top of the gift inside:

Dear Vincent,

Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy this gift. I know you're not one for presents, but I wanted to get you something anyway. Well, actually, it's from both me and Cloud. We thought you would like it.

Love, Tifa

P.S. We are here for you.

Vincent's heart, already softened by the visit of the Spirits, swelled at Tifa's note. He looked in the box to find a small, portable gun cleaning kit. He picked it up gingerly and set it on the nightstand next to the bed. Cerberus hadn't been cleaned for a while, so he would definitely put it to good use. The thought of seeing his friends this afternoon made him smile, whereas before it made him grimace. And there was also Reeve's party that he was invited to.

He checked the time again. Vincent still had time to do a few errands before making things right.

A few hours later…

Vincent wasn't used to having his hair pulled back and out of his face, but today was a good reason to do so. He also wasn't used to wearing some better looking clothes than what he usually wore, but he did it anyways. Of course, he still donned his usual cloak, but it felt weird looking in a mirror and almost not recognizing himself. He figured he needed to at least attempt to look nice for the dinner and Reeve's party later on. Normally he wouldn't have cared, but things had changed. He had changed. And perhaps, for the better.

The bag that Vincent had over his shoulder seemed heavier than it should have been. They were all small gifts – nothing too fancy since he was short on money – but he hoped that they meant something to his friends regardless. He wasn't one for buying gifts either, so he mainly just guessed on a lot of what he thought his friends would like. Except Yuffie, of course. He knew what she would like, and her gift was extra meaningful.

People still stared at him as he walked by, but rather than glaring back, he gave a small nod in greeting. Some of them looked rather shocked at his acknowledgment of them. Others nodded back. A few even smiled. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Maybe it would grow to something more.

Vincent stopped in front of the Seventh Heaven. It looked just as it had when Aerith took him there: the sign switched from OPEN to CLOSED, the child's note beneath it, the smell of delicious food wafting outside. Vincent glanced inside: everyone was there already, but the food hadn't been served yet. Barret had Marlene on his shoulder, Cid had an arm around Shera, Cloud was helping out Tifa in the kitchen, Yuffie was talking to Nanaki, and Denzel was sitting at the table, smiling at the company around him.

Looking at them all, Vincent suddenly felt nervous. What if they wouldn't welcome him back? What if they turned him away, just as he had to them? It would make sense. Maybe it would be better to just go back to the Inn…

But before Vincent could decide what to do, he heard Marlene's voice: "Tifa! There's a scary man looking through the window outside!"

Vincent saw Tifa glance up from her work in the kitchen and look right at Vincent. Her jaw dropped, but her shock was soon replaced by a wide smile. She quickly wiped her hands on a towel before rushing over to the front door, unlocking it and opening it wide.

"Vincent?!" she exclaimed in excitement.

"….Hi," Vincent said after a moment. He paused again before asking, in a rather quiet voice, "I changed my mind about dinner. Would you still have me?" He braced himself in case she said no.

Tifa let out a cross between a laugh and a squeak. "Have you?!" She stepped aside, allowing space for him to enter. "Of course we will have you! Come in!"

Vincent let out a small breath of relief as he stepped inside. All the other members of AVALANCHE were still talking, but they began to notice him one by one. Cid had glanced up to look at who came in, and whatever he was saying had tapered off. He walked over to Vincent with an unreadable expression on his face. Cid stood a few feet in front of him, scrutinizing Vincent carefully.

"About damn time," he finally said, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Barret and I were about to hunt you down and kick your -"

"Well, look who it is!" Barret's deep voice boomed across the room, and everyone went quiet. Barret gently set Marlene down on the floor before practically marching over to Vincent. He gave him a glare as he continued, "Do you have any idea how much we've tried to call you, and now you show up?! You're such a -"

"-A selfish, stupid, ignorant man who pushed his friends away?" Vincent finished for him, his voice sincere and, for once, not sarcastic. "Yes, I know." He paused briefly before continuing. "And...I'm sorry."

There was nothing but silence. Vincent looked at each of his friends. Cid and Barret both looked like they were struck by lightning. He could hear Tifa let out a small sigh behind him. Cloud was looking at Vincent with the smallest of possible smiles. Nanaki had trotted over during the conversation and rubbed his head against Vincent's leg. But most importantly, Vincent looked at Yuffie. Her face was red – whether with anger or embarrassment Vincent didn't know – and there was a fierceness in her eyes that he had only seen in battle.

Vincent looked at his friends, silently pleading with them to say something. He wanted to explain it all, to say how he had changed, to tell them about the visits from the Spirits. But he figured he would have sounded crazy, so he simply waited for the silence to be broken. They were all just looking at him with wide eyes. Vincent couldn't blame them – he rarely apologized for anything. He hoped with all of his heart that they could sense his sincerity.

"...Well I'll be damned," Barret finally said, letting out a chuckle. "you can't get much better than that." Everyone laughed, except Yuffie, who had abruptly stood up and walked outside.

Tifa gave him a quick hug before rushing back to the food in the kitchen. Cid and Barret both gave him a clap on the back, their previous frustrations and anger seemingly forgotten. Cloud emerged from the kitchen and shook his hand. Vincent patted Nanaki on the head and said hello.

"Vincent?" Tifa said quietly as he walked into the kitchen. "I really think you should go talk to Yuffie. She's..." Tifa paused, trying to find the right thing to say. "She's been worried about you." Vincent nodded before making his way outside.

Yuffie had traded her usual shorts and tank top for pants and a regular t-shirt, but she still looked freezing. She was staring at the snow falling from the sky, her dark hair speckled with snowflakes. A scowl formed on her lips, and she shook her head as if having a silent argument with herself. Despite looking furious, until now Vincent had never seemed to notice just how pretty she was, with her high cheekbones and sharp Wutai features.

Yuffie was the one that Vincent wanted to apologize to the most. Not just because of her feelings for him, but because she deserved it most. She, after all, was the one that called Vincent the most and wanted to be the one to make sure he was okay. Vincent still felt guilt about what he told her on the phone, but perhaps he could make things right if she would let him.

Yuffie looked over at him at the sound of his footsteps. "What do you want?" She asked harshly.

"Yuffie-" Vincent began, but she cut him off immediately.

"You think it's okay to just come over here and act like everything is fine?!" She shouted, her hands on her hips. "After what you said to me, you think you can just waltz your emotionally constipated butt over here and try to talk to me?!"

At the words, "emotionally constipated," Vincent felt the corners of his mouth twitch in amusement. Yuffie, noticing his expression, turned only more red in the face.

"Do you think this is some kind of joke?!" She yelled. "It's not funny, Vincent! Not funny at all! After literal weeks of doing what you asked me to do and not call you, the first thing you do is laugh! Don't you know how rude that is?! Oh, wait," she said in a mocking tone as she placed a finger on her chin and looked at him in fake contemplation, "I forgot. You don't even have feelings!" She gave him a glare as she dropped her hand back to her side. "So if you're here to make fun of me, just go away and leave me alone!"

As she was talking, Vincent made his way closer to her. When he thought she was done talking, Vincent spoke, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Yuffie, please, just -"

Yuffie's left hand rose so fast Vincent didn't have time to notice. There was a loud crack in the air as her open palm collided with Vincent's right cheek. Yuffie, still glaring at him, practically shoved his hand off of her shoulder and turned, her back to him. Vincent's cheek was burning; he didn't remember the last time someone had slapped him so hard.

...Ouch. Vincent thought to himself as he touched his cheek. I guess I did deserve that, after what I said to her. But funnily enough, he wasn't mad at her. Nor was he immediately wrapped up in his usual self-loathing. He just wanted her to understand.

Vincent had thought many times on the walk over to the Seventh Heaven about what he would say to Yuffie. He knew she would need more of an explanation. But what explanation could he give her? It wasn't like he could tell her – or anyone else for that matter – what had happened with the Spirits. Not only would they most likely not believe him, it was so deeply personal that Vincent didn't really want to share it with anyone yet. Maybe in the future, but not now.

Yuffie still had her back turned on him, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. She was visibly shivering. Without another thought Vincent set the bag down, took of his cloak and draped it over her shoulders. Yuffie didn't acknowledge this, but she did wrap the cloak tight around her shoulders. Vincent took that as a good sign.

Vincent began talking slowly, gathering his thoughts together. "I know hearing me talk is probably the last thing you want right now. And I know that you probably don't want to talk to me ever again. But at least hear me out, just this once." Yuffie let out a small grunt, which Vincent took as a sign to continue. At least she wasn't screaming at him anymore.

"Yuffie...I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I pushed you away, that I pushed everyone away. I guess I was just...scared." At this, Yuffie looked over her shoulder at him in surprise.

Vincent continued: "There were some...things that happened to me a long time ago. Horrible things. Things I still don't want to talk about out loud." He took a deep breath, hushing his rising anxiety at confessing these fears. "I was so angry about it all. That anger ate away at me for decades. I...I didn't want to get close to anyone because I didn't want to hurt anyone."

At this point, Yuffie had fully turned towards him, hugging his cloak around her small frame. She looked a bit confused, but her dark eyes shone with what Vincent hoped was understanding.

"At least, that was my original purpose," Vincent said to her. He felt so emotionally exposed right then that he wanted to look away from her. But he wouldn't let himself do that this time. "but over time it just turned into not wanting to deal with anyone or anything. So I shut myself off from you and everyone else." He hastened to add, "I know that's not an excuse for treating you and everyone else the way I did. I'm not trying to excuse myself. I'm just...trying to explain." He finished lamely.

For a while there was nothing but the muted sound of the talking from inside the bar. Yuffie looked at Vincent curiously. Anger wasn't prevalent on her face anymore; if anything, she looked like she understood.

"Vincent," she finally said, her voice much softer than before, "why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?"

Vincent sighed. "Because I didn't want to." After a moment he added softly, "But I'm willing to now." And that was the truth of it all: where once Vincent didn't want to talk about anything, he wanted to now. He knew he couldn't tell Yuffie or his friends everything. Not yet, anyways. That would come with time, and Vincent hoped that they understood that.

It was a small step, but it was a start. That was better than nothing.

"I don't think I've ever heard you sound so sincere before," Yuffie joked. "it's a nice change. And I gotta admit, your hair looks nicer like that." Her voice turned serious as she added, "But...I do appreciate your apology. And while I don't know everything, it's nice to know that we're friends again." she smiled up at him. "I've missed you, Vinnie."

Whereas the nickname Yuffie once gave Vincent bothered him, it made him smile now. "The feeling's mutual." Vincent picked up the bag from the ground and reached inside of it. Once his fingers wrapped around Yuffie's boxed present, he pulled it out and held it in front of her.

Yuffie's eyes widened. "For me?" she asked, dumbfounded. Upon seeing Vincent's nod she gently took it from his fingers. She carefully opened the lid to the small box and gasped.

"Vinnie, this is amazing!" she exclaimed, pulling out the scarlet SHIVA Materia and holding it up. "Where the heck did you find this?!" Before Vincent could reply, she had wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "I've been looking for this for forever! Thank you!"

It was a total reversal of what had happened earlier: instead of slapping Vincent and shouting at him, she was hugging him and saying thank you. Well, that's Yuffie – up and down as ever, Vincent thought to himself. Hesitantly he wrapped his arms around her small form. How long had it been since he had had a hug? Vincent didn't remember, but it felt nice.

Neither of them broke the embrace for a moment. When Yuffie finally pulled away, Vincent saw that her cheeks were pink. "Sorry," she said in an awkward tone of voice. She looked at the Seventh Heaven and said, "Looks like they're ready to eat. Let's go! I'm starving." She took a few steps forward, stopped and looked back at him. With the snowflakes coating her hair, his cape on her shoulders, and a smile that lit up her whole face, Yuffie didn't just look pretty.

She looked beautiful.

"Thank you again for this, Vinnie," she said, holding up the Materia. "Thank you so much."

Vincent smiled as he followed her back inside. The warmth of the bar was pleasant on his cold skin. He quietly slipped through the crowd, towards the back of the bar. At the foot of the steps leading upstairs, Vincent drew the DELAY-ESUNA, now wrapped in a small box, on the bottom step. A simple tag on it read, Use it well. And there he left it, hoping that Tifa, Cloud, or Denzel would take notice of it.

Christmas dinner at the Seventh Heaven was a simple yet welcoming affair. Everything was delicious, and Vincent found himself engaging in small conversation with his friends. He congratulated Shera when she informed him of her pregnancy (despite him already knowing), felt himself smile at the stories Cid told, and even interacted a little bit with Denzel and Marlene. Marlene, who once thought Vincent as a "scary man" chatted with him happily about various things. Whenever he caught one of his friends alone he gave them his small gift. Their reactions were all the same: shock, followed by gratitude. When they said, "Thank you," Vincent knew they meant it.

Upon putting his dishes in the sink, Vincent heard a voice behind him. "What made you change your mind?" Vincent turned to see Cloud standing there, looking at him in interest. "I mean, usually your mind is set when you make a decision. What happened?"

Vincent simply shrugged and said, "It was time to make up for lost time, I guess." Cloud gave Vincent a small smile before returning to the table for some pie.

After the last of the pie had been eaten and the majority of the dishes were done, Vincent bid them all goodbye and made his way to Reeve's Christmas party. He assumed it would be in the Shinra building, and he soon found out he was correct: there were lots of cars in the parking lot, and even outside Vincent could hear music playing.

If there was anything that Reeve, the Turks and Rufus Shinra knew how to do well, it was parties. Even as a former Turk a long time ago, Vincent remembered the elaborate parties and get-togethers they would hold. As Vincent walked inside, he saw a small string quartet in the corner playing Christmas carols. There were numerous tables of sweets and slices of different pies, and endless glasses of champagne. The crystal chandelier above them glistened in the light. Garland, lit candles and holly were covering nearly every surface. There was even some mistletoe hanging over a few doorways.

Vincent immediately began searching for Reeve. There were so many people, however, that it was nearly impossible to tell where his friend was. "Excuse me," he asked a waitress going by carrying some plates of pie on a tray, "Where is Reeve at?"

"Mr. Tuesti?" the girl said, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "I just saw him a moment ago. Let's see..." she glanced around before pointing to the right. "He's just over there, talking with Mr. Shinra."

"Thank you," Vincent replied.

"No problem!" The waitress said cheerfully as she continued across the floor.

"Hey there, sweet thang!" Vincent heard a drunken voice say. He looked over his shoulder to see Reno following the waitress. "Ya got some more pie for me?" The waitress simply rolled her eyes and made her way through the crowd.

The closer Vincent approached Reeve, the more his anxiety grew. It was true that none of his other friends had turned him away, but how would Reeve react? Reeve was one of his oldest friends, and perhaps the one that knew Vincent the best. Would he be mad at Vincent, too? Despite these worrying thoughts, Vincent continued forward towards him.

Reeve had just taken a sip of the glass of champagne he held in his hand when he noticed Vincent. He lowered his glass in surprise before smiling widely. He set the glass down on a table while walking towards Vincent.

"Vincent!" He said exuberantly. "So good to see you! I thought you told me you weren't coming!"

Vincent shrugged. "I changed my mind."

"Well, I'm glad you did." Reeve said with clear sincerity.

"Vincent Valentine," a smooth voice said from behind Reeve. Rufus Shinra emerged from the crowd towards them. He lifted his own glass of champagne. "Always good to see a former employee." When Rufus wasn't looking, Vincent could see Reeve roll his eyes slightly.

"We've gotta do something about Reno," a new voice said from behind Vincent. Vincent turned to see Rude, his usual cool demeanor replaced by a frustrated one.

"Why? What's wrong?" Reeve asked, concerned.

"He's drunk and won't stop hitting on that one waitress," Rude explained, gesturing to his left. Sure enough, the redhead was still following the brunette waitress around like a lost puppy. By the clench of her jaw Vincent could tell she was getting annoyed.

"She looks like she can handle herself," Reeve said, although his voice did show concern. "If things get too out of hand I'll take care of it."

Rude, upon noticing that Vincent was there, simply gave him a nod in greeting. Vincent nodded back politely as Rude took off, hoping to get his partner into shape.

"Oh, look over there!" Reeve suddenly said excitedly. Vincent looked to where Reeve was looking at to see Elena and Tseng chatting while sipping champagne. Both were smiling, and neither of them seemed to notice the mistletoe hanging above their heads.

"About time." Rufus said with a slightly annoyed sigh.

"The mistletoe was my idea," Reeve said proudly. "Those two have been dancing around each other for too long, although Rufus said no at first."

"There's no relationships allowed within the company, you know that." Rufus said defensively.

"What kind of relationships?" Reeve asked.

Rufus seemed unprepared, like he didn't have time to come up with a snappy comeback. "Relationships I don't know about." Vincent swore he heard someone snicker at his comment.

"But I did it anyways," Reeve said, completely ignoring Rufus' comment. Vincent knew what Reeve was discreetly trying to say by telling him all these details: he had missed him and was glad to have him back. Vincent felt the same.

There was a sudden outbreak of laughter from the crowd. Reeve, Rufus and Vincent looked towards the dessert table to see Reno, his face completely covered in berries, whipped cream, and pie crust. The waitress he had been so avidly chasing, it seemed, had finally snapped. She held an empty plate in her hand.

Upon seeing Reeve and Rufus looking at her, she went pale. "I'm so sorry!" she shouted over the laughter. "I just—I was just-"

"You're fine," Rufus said with a wave of his hand. "It's Christmas."

"He did deserve it," Reeve added thoughtfully. Vincent watched as Reno tried to wipe off the pie, only to end up licking it off of his fingers.

He and Reeve talked well into the night, and even Tseng stopped by to say hello. Reno, even in his drunken state, seemed to recognize Vincent. After a while, Vincent bade them goodbye as well and made his way back to the Seventh Heaven, where Tifa said she had set up a place for him to sleep earlier. She wouldn't take no for an answer, and Vincent finally relented to her offer.

As he walked back, fresh snow began to fall. For the first time in years – decades, even – Vincent Valentine felt content. And he somehow knew that the feeling would last. Thanks to the visits from his father, Aerith, and even Hojo, he knew and felt that he was a changed man. Where there was once a hard, bitter, frozen heart, it was now soft and warm. He knew now that the past didn't matter, the present was a gift, and that the future was hopeful. And yes, there surely would be hard times ahead...but this time around, Vincent was ready for them.

Authors Note: And there you have it! Fun fact: that brown haired waitress that had a few lines that Reno was chasing? That was me! I thought it would be fun to do a little author cameo. Seriously, thank you all so much for reading this, and thank you for the constructive advice! I'm so glad you all enjoyed it. There will be more stories coming, I just need to get a few more details fleshed out.

On a more personal note, this story is also about my own personal journey with healing. I too was once bitter, sad, and so angry and hurt that it scared me. I wasn't exactly visited by three Spirits, but I found my way out of it. And I am never going back to how I once was. Through rigorous counseling and forms of therapy, I was able to move past those things that hurt me. Was it hard? Heck yes! I wanted to give up so many times. But seeing where I am now, it was so worth it. Guys, healing IS possible. Becoming whole again IS possible and very real. That's the whole point I was trying to tell with this story about Vincent, because Vincent is someone who has been through so much (like me) and just needs to heal and move on from the past.

Anyways, I'll get off my soapbox now, lol. Love you all!