Author; :sighs and bangs her head on the desk: This sucks. Too much homework and not enough spare time to do fanfiction! Grr. If I hadn't got so many hours at work this probably would've been updated sooner so sorry to everyone for the long wait.
Sephiroth; :lounges on a couch, being fed grapes by author: Ahhhh, this is the life.
Author: Or maybe it's because I've been taking care of this whiny pansy.
Sephiroth: Hey! Just because you're sick doesn't mean you can't pamper me.
Author; :sneezes all over the grapes: Oops.
Sephiroth; :pouts and goes to find more grapes:
Author: Anyway, now that he's gone, thank you everyone for your stupendous reviews! They keep getting better and better every chapter! A lot of people had given me suggestions that really helped so keep up the wonderful reviewing. :D Here's my comments to last chapter's reviews.
Chaos Redeemer - :munches on brownies and cookies: Mmmmm, thank you. I need the sugar rush to keep me going. Gary never does seem to get a break does he? Maybe Max will eventually come around and stop being so darn stubborn. We can only hope. I would like to say that I always enjoy your kind comments and I often blush from all the unnecessary praise. Sephiroth is bouncing off the walls now thanks to that basket of cookies and I haven't been able to get him to sleep for weeks now. (Sugar has scary affects on one-winged gods :P) :huggles you: But thanks again for the awesome review and for trying to convince Sephiroth that I'm not insane... :whispers: Even though I am. lol. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the last one!
Tifa-sama - I'm glad someone appreciates my hard work and how long it took before I finally found a stupid way of dividing the fic and the authors notes. Apparently the quick edit didn't recognize the way I used to make the line in between so I MADE it work. lol. awww, I'm glad I could make you happy too. That's my main goal as a writer is to cause the enjoyment of others. It does feel good to finish a story, but do not fret because this fanfiction is far from over. ;) I'm sorry about the switching scene thing and I hope that my new way of switching scenes will help you not to experience confusion again. I put a :- and some space between each scene switch. Thanks or letting me know. :huggles: Thanks for the fantabulous review and for all the kind words. I hope to see another review for this chapter too! (Even though it took me a little while to update. :looks ashamed:) Again, thanks and I'll see you next chapter.
Katie - I guess this is the rest of the story? lol. Glad to see a new reviewer on board. HopefullyI won't scare you away like I did to the rest of them. ;) I'll finish up my typing now so you won't have to be depressed anymore and you can read the next chapter. :huggles: Thanks for your review!
Sayahiei - Your review was short, but at least it wasn't a flame. ;) Thanks for the review and I'm glad my story made a good impression on you. Here's my update, even if it isn't super soon after the last one. :huggles: Enjoy!
Raven Cactuar - :jumps up and down with you: Yay! I updated! lol. You're very welcome for the candy. In fact, have some more:showers you with chocolate hearts (leftover from Valentine's day ;P): I'm also glad that Shera's baby lived, but I wouldn't jump to conclusions about Josef finding a special someone. Who says Lynn is single:grins evilly: As I said up above, this wont be the last chapter, so don't be sad. :huggles: Be happy. Don't worry. It's a good thing you like my fanfiction or I might wonder why you were reading it. ;) Thanks for the, as usual, FANTASTIC review and I'll see you next chapter! Eat lots of candy:P
Emri - You know, I didn't even realize that Kaite wasn't in the chapter until you said that. Maybe she was...us...off playing or...something. :P I completely forgot about the poor puppy with all the other things that were going on so I'll have to try and include her in this chapter. I'm happy that Shera and her baby are all right too! I wasn't sure at first if the baby should live or not but in the end, I made sure it was fine. It made me to sad to kill him. Haha, Vincent got abandoned! I guess everyone was in such a rush they just forgot about him. He was sleeping after all. At least he got to peek at Tifa while she changing. :P That probably made up for it. You'll find out the baby's name in this chapter and I hope you like it as much as Cid and Shera do. Don't be so sure that Josef and Lynn will end up together. I don't think that he's quite done with Tifa yet... Hopefully Max and Gary will work out their differences and realize how perfect they would be for each other. Max is a little stubborn when it comes to men, as you probably realized. Ann, thank you for the wonderful review and sorry about the candy in the hug. :looks embarrassed: This time I'll just hand it to you. :passes you a bag of smarties: Jumbo size! Glad that you're enjoying my story and I hope you enjoy this chappie too :huggles: See you next chapter!
Mr. Flames - Allrighty then...hope you didn't hurt yourself too bad when you almost fell off that chair. You'll find out what they name the baby in this chapter so quit whining and be patient. Josef might not even want to be with Lynn so everyone needs to stop jumping to conclusions. Thanks for your review and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. I'll try to keep Sephiroth from hunting you down but no guarantees. :P
Ezri-Candy - :burns document manager: There. Much better. That stupid thing can burn in hell where it belongs! I agree that it's a complete and total pain in the butt. Why do they keep having to "fix" things and make it harder for us to use them :shakes her head: Anyway, I'm glad you seem to be enjoying your starburst and that you reviewed! Your reviews always brighten my day and I hate to say this but you are one of my very few reviewers for 'Five Years Later'. I'm glad somebody likes it. You may still have to get out that pitchfork cause Josef might still want Tifa even if Lynn seems interested. :hands you a bowl of lindor chocolates: Here. These are for Vincent and Sephy. You can lure them in with chocolate and them do what you want with them... ;) Excellent review, as usual and I'll see you next chapter. :lots of huggles for you: See you next chapter:D
DragonGirl323 - I know! That login screen is very gay sometimes! I hate it when I can read fanfiction, but it won't let me log in to review with a signed review thingy. :mutters: Stupid site. (I have over 200 signed reviews! WooT :P) Wow, I'm surprised that my updating can make someone so happy. :blushes: You're too kind. I'm sure you could walk away from my story. See, watch. :walks away from computer and comes back an hour later: See, it was easy! lol. Awww, thank you for all the compliments. You guys are all too nice to me.Yay! Someone enjoys my insanity! Well you know what I have to say to your megasuperhuggles:MEGASUPERDEDUPERINFINITYHUGGLES: Yay! I win! My A/ drive isn't fixed yet but I'm typing on someone else's computer so it's all good. Anyway, thanks for your wonderful review and I'll see you next chapter.
Author: Now that that's done, I guess I'll start the chapter.
Sephiroth: What? No insanity? No random author's notes crap:eyes her suspiciously: What are you up to?
Author: What? I think I've already delayed the chapter enough. It's time we got started.
Sephiroth: AHHHH! SHE'S NORMAL AGAIN! SOMEONE SAVE ME:runs away:
Author: O.o ...um...right...
Vincent; :pops up and waves: On with the fic!
THISISTHESTUPIDLINEDIVIDINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES
Shera awoke to the sound of a baby crying and groaned loudly, waking Cid as well when she leaned over him to reach their little boy. "Shhh, shhh. Come on baby, mommy's here," Shera cooed to the infant, positioning their son so he could feed. The baby quieted again and a soft suckling noise was the only sound in the room.
"Feeling any better?" Cid asked Shera sleepily, turning sideways to gaze at his newly born son. Shera nodded slightly.
"A little. I've been better, but I think I'll be all right to go home today. If you let me spend the day in bed that is." Cid smiled and kissed her cheek, careful not to disturb the baby.
"Have you thought of any names for Cid jr.?" Cid grinned, running a hand gently over their son's tiny head. Nodding, Shera glanced down at the feeding infant.
"I like Daniel or Keith; maybe James or something for the middle name."
"My son ain't going to have no sissy name like Keith," Cid remarked, kissing Shera's cheek gently, "but I like Daniel. Hmmm...Daniel Jacob Highwind...Daniel Cid Highwind...Daniel Albert Highwind..."
"I like the last two," Shera sighed happily, cuddling into Cid's embrace, "you can choose which one." Cid wondered if Shera knew how much it meant to him that she trusted him enough to choose of their son's name. One of the most important decisions a parent has to make. His heart felt like it was bursting with love and he turned Shera slightly towards himself, conveying his thanks with a loving kiss. They both smiled down at their son, who was still feeding and apparently uninterested in the crucial process of picking out a name for him.
"Daniel Cid Highwind, it is," Cid whispered to the baby, proud to share his name with his son. A soft knock at the door cause them both to look up as Lynn poked her head inside and smiled warmly at them.
"How's my favourite family doing?" she asked with a grin, fully entering the room.
"They're ready to go home and rest," Cid replied. Lynn frowned thoughtfully and studied them for a moment.
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea. I'd like to keep Shera and the baby under observation for a little bit longer."
"Daniel," Shera corrected.
"Hmmm?"
"His name is Daniel," Shera smiled proudly, "Daniel Cid Highwind."
"That's beautiful," Lynn grinned, "I'll make his certificate of birth and have it ready for you in a few days." She came over to the bed and tucked the blanket around Shera, winking at Cid. "Come on, daddy, time to let Shera and Daniel get some rest."
"I'll come check on you later," Cid promised as he followed Lynn out the door.
:-
Tifa awoke when a furry, wiggly bundle jumped on her stomach and began frantically licking her face. "Kaite!" she giggled, pushing at the puppy to try and make her stop, "Kaite, stop it! Your breath stinks!" Finally giving up on Tifa, Kaite attacked Vincent and barked excitedly.
"Stupid mutt," Vincent mumbled, covering his head with his pillow. Tifa suppressed a laugh and peered sideways under Vincent's pillow, poking him until he finally ripped it off his head and glared at her.
"WHAT!"
Leaning forward, she kissed him softly and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. His good arm slid around her waist and pulled her in closer. "Oh my," Vincent panted once they separated, "I think you've sufficiently turned me on. Now how am I supposed to get back to sleep?"
"Who said anything about sleeping?" Tifa asked, running a hand along Vincent's inner thigh.
"Tifa...," Vincent groaned, unable to stop her and unable to want to stop her. Biting his lip harshly to stop himself from pouncing on her, he slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her lips to his again. Helping Tifa out of her shirt, he kissed down her stomach, smirking at her ticklish giggling. Tugging his shirt insistently, Tifa finally managed to get Vincent to lift his arms so she could relieve him of his shirt as well.
Both continued kissing each other fiercely as slowly but surely, the rest of their clothing ended up abandoned beside the bed. "W-wait," Vincent gasped, as Tifa's hand moved to the edge of his boxers, "Cid and Shera...they wouldn't..." He couldn't seem to find the words in his foggy mind to complete the sentence as Tifa kissed his jawbone and moved slowly downward. He winced as her elbow leaned on a sore rib and knew that he wasn't going to be able to stop her once she knew what she wanted anyway. Giving up on protesting, he allowed Tifa to have her way and hoped Cid and Shera could forgive them for desecrating their guestroom.
:-
"I hope Vincent and Tifa are all right by themselves," Shera commented to Cid, who was holding the baby while she ate her lunch, "there's not much to do at our house besides playing board games."
"I'm sure they'll manage until we get back," Cid smiled, rocking baby Daniel gently. The small boy was dressed in pale blue footie pajamas and squealed happily in his father's arms. Josef came in a moment later and smiled at the happy couple.
"Hey, you two," he greeted them, coming over to sit on the bed. "How are you feeling Shera?"
"Like I just gave birth," she groaned, poking Cid's back to get his attention. "Don't you ever do this to me again Cid Highwind or they'll be hell to pay."
"It's not my fault you can't stay out of my pants," Cid grinned, winking at his wife.
"To much info," Josef flinched, shaking his head to clear it of disturbing thoughts.
"Where's Tifa and Vincent?" Shera asked, straining to sit all the way up, "did they come with you?" Cid slid an arm behind her to help and propped a few pillows behind her back.
Josef shook his head and blushed slightly. "Nope, just me. I wanted to come and see how you were all doing before I got back to work on Tiny Bronco 2. I figured Cid's going to be busy for a while and we might as well keep working so it's done in time for the competitions in Wutai."
"Smart thinking," Cid agreed, "we're going to kick-ass again. It's sad to see what pathetic excuses for airplanes people build every year." Shera rolled her eyes and took Daniel back from Cid again, whispering softly to the tiny boy and rocking him to sleep. "Just don't start any of the painting 'til I get back," Cid warned, "or they'll be hell to pay."
"I won't," Josef promised, "and I'll see you guys later." Bending down, he hugged Shera and smiled at Daniel. "Come home soon you two."
"We'll try," Shera nodded, still rocking the baby. "Good luck with the plane."
"Thanks." Josef gave a small wave to the baby and finished his good-byes, exiting the room. Now came the hard part.
Asking the nurse at the front desk, Josef got directions to Lynn's office and nervously headed down the specified hallway, hoping the pretty doctor wouldn't object to having lunch with him. Arriving at the door the nurse had told him about, he quickly read the name panel to make sure it was Lynn's. Well, here goes nothing.
He took a deep breath and knocked on her door, clenching his fists to hide his shaking hands. "Breathe Josef, breathe," he whispered to himself. The door opened slightly and a tall, attractive man poked his head out, frowning down at Josef.
"Can I help you?" he asked, his tone bordering between suspicious and downright hostility.
"I'm looking for Dr. Frensin?" Josef blushed, asking, more then telling, the large man his purpose for standing stupidly outside the door.
"She's not here right now. Can I give her a message for you?" Shaking his head quickly, Josef tried to peer around the man's bulk and see inside the office.
"I'd really rather talk to her myself, if that's not a problem."
"I'm her boyfriend," the man sneered, blocking Josef's view, "so you can tell me whatever you need to say." Boyfriend! Josef could feel his jaw hanging open and quickly closed his mouth.
"Um, thanks. I'll just talk to her later." Confusion clouded his thoughts as the man closed the door again and he went back to the waiting room, slumping down into a chair. She had a boyfriend! What exactly had she thought he meant when he said that he wanted to get to know her better? That he just wanted to be friends while she got busy with some guy in her office? He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his dark hair. Love was never fair to him. Anytime a chance seemed to come along, the object of his affection was taken by another guy.
:-
Lynn put the finishing touches on her hair and exited the bathroom, tuning off the light as she came out. "Who was that, Carter?" she inquired with a yawn. The large man eyed her carefully as she flopped onto her small couch and kicked off her shoes.
"A young man was here to see you," he spoke slowly, waiting to gauge her reaction.
"Really?" she smiled, sitting up, "did he say his name?" Carter shook his head. "Well, what did he look like?" she demanded impatiently.
"Average height, black spiked hair, nervous and jittery when he was talking to me, cute I guess, from a girl's perspective."
Lynn groaned and leaned her forehead on a hand.
"Look, I'm not sure I approve of you hanging out with this guy," he sighed, sitting on the couch next to her, "what if he's just another disappointment?" Letting out an exasperated sigh, Lynn whacked his shoulder.
"You scared him away, didn't you! What did you tell him? That I have the bubonic plague?"
"I'm your boyfriend."
"What?" Lynn asked in a confused and slightly miffed tone.
Carter smiled in satisfaction and leaned back against the couch cushions. "I told him that I'm your boyfriend." Lynn stared at him in disgust for a few moments before punching his arm again.
"Do you have any idea how wrong that is!" she exclaimed, "mom and dad would beat you senseless if they found out that you were trying to date your sister."
"Hey, you're hot enough," he grinned, winking at her.
"Stop it!" she laughed, shaking her head, "I'm not joking. You can't keep interfering with my personal life just because you don't have one."
"Ouch," Carter winced, "low blow."
"Go and find him! I mean it! Go explain everything and invite him back here for lunch, right now!"
"Fine, fine," he grumbled as Lynn pushed him out the door. "This is the thanks I get for protecting my family."
"GO!" Lynn ordered, shutting the door loudly.
:-
Josef sighed again. He didn't know why he was sitting here. He should just face the facts that he was a loser and go home and chow down on some rocky road ice cream. Making up his mind at last, he stood to leave and jumped at the sound of a deep voice behind him.
"Hey buddy! Wait up!"
Josef turned slowly and paled at the sight of the large man he had met earlier running down the hall towards him. He stopped in front of Josef and leaned his palms on his legs, bending over to catch his breath.
"Lynn……wanted me….to tell you……," he wheezed out.
"Yes?"
"She wanted me……to tell you…….," he took a deep breath and straightened, "I just…..broke up with her…….. She's free now if you're……..interested." Josef eyed him suspiciously. This guy could be telling him complete lies to get him to make a fool of himself in front of Lynn.
"Why would I be interested in dating her? If you just dumped her she probably feels horrible. She'd need a good friend, not another guy trying to get in her pants."
The man laughed and clapped Josef on the back. "Good man. Come have some lunch."
"What?" Josef asked, looking very lost and confused.
"My name's Carter. And I'm inviting you to have lunch with me and Lynn."
"Why?"
Carter smiled. "Because she asked me too, stupid. Now get moving." Josef was still confused, but followed him down the hall anyway.
Carter walked into the office with Josef behind him and stepped to the side to let him pass. "How are you feeling?" Josef asked gently, a little confused that Lynn was smiling.
"Um……great. Why wouldn't I be?"
Josef frowned and glanced at Carter. "But I thought-"
"Well I gotta get going," Carter interrupted, giving Lynn a quick hug, "see you guys later."
As her brother made a fast exit, Lynn looked at Josef's puzzled expression and groaned. "Josef? What exactly did Carter say to you?"
"That he…..well..," he cleared his throat, "that he…..broke up with you….and he said you were really upset. I was coming to make sure you were all right."
"That jerk! He is so dead!"
"I'm sorry," Josef apologized, backing up, "was I not supposed to know? I'll go if you want me to."
"No. No," she sighed, gesturing for him to sit down, "Josef, that conniving little creep was my brother. He was supposed to apologize and explain everything before bringing you back here. I'm sorry."
"So…….he's not your boyfriend?" Josef clarified, sitting on the couch.
"Nope," she smiled, "just some stupid ass who's related to me. And if you don't mind me saying so, you look awfully relieved." Blushing, Josef shrugged and leaned back with a smile of his own.
"Have you had lunch yet?" Lynn asked, checking her watch.
"I was actually coming to invite you to have lunch myself, before your bodyguard chased me away."
"How does hospital cafeteria food sound to you?" she grinned, grabbing her purse.
"Great."
:-
Tifa shifted in Vincent's embrace and opened her eyes, smiling when she saw he was asleep. She quietly slipped out of bed and went to the washroom, finding a couple towels and turning on the water to have a shower. The warm water rinsed her body of the lovely sweat it had acquired during their morning activities.
"Shit!" she groaned, banging back against the wall and biting her lip. They hadn't used protection again! At this rate she was going to get……..no…..better not to worry about things like that until, in a very highly unlikely situation, it happened. She needed to stop losing control and forgetting things that were that important. Vincent should know better as well. Had the thought even crossed his mind?
She finishing washing up shakily and toweled herself dry. Entering back into the bedroom, Tifa pulled on a comfy sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. Soft sunlight shone through the windows and filled the room with a soft glow.
Gazing at Vincent's sleeping form with adoration, she went over to the bed and crept onto it carefully, kissing his cheek. He murmured something quietly and she smiled and kissed his lips. His hand slipped out from under the covers and rose to caress her cheek.
"My love," he whispered sleepily against her lips.
"I'm right here, Vincent," she whispered back, running a hand through his hair.
"Lucretia….."
Tifa jerked back in horror and backed into the dresser. What had he just called her!
"Lucretia?" his quiet voice spoke from the bed.
"Oh my god," she choked, covering her face in shame. He thought she was another woman. Her heart wrenched painfully and she stood silently, watching Vincent fall back asleep. She couldn't stay here. She didn't know if she could bare the thought that he saw someone else every time he looked at her.
Packing up her small bag of things quickly, she fled from the room and down the stairs, right into Josef who was coming in the front door.
"Tif? Are you okay?" he asked worriedly, taking in her flustered appearance.
"Let me go!" she ordered, holding back tears, "I'm going home. Let me go."
"What? Tifa, why are you leaving? Shera's not even home yet. What's wrong?" Gently leading the protesting woman over to an armchair, Josef sat her down and knelt in front of her, taking her bag from her hand and placing it on the floor.
"Please, just let me leave," she pleaded, not looking at him.
"Can't you at least tell me what's the matter first?" he asked gently, placing a hand on her arm. Tifa shook her head. "Oh, come on, Tif. Please? Something's clearly bothering you."
Gazing into his worried eyes, Tifa sighed and gave in. "If I tell you, will you let me go?"
"Maybe."
"Fine," she said, taking a deep breath, "I was upstairs, in my room, and Vincent was sleeping while I had a shower and got dressed and stuff and when I went to wake him up he whispered, 'my love……Lucretia' and…..," Tifa took a shaky breath and was grateful for Josef's reassuring squeeze on her arm. "I kind of got freaked out and then when I moved away, he started calling for her. I just couldn't handle it. I don't know who the hell that is or why he was calling me by her name, but I'm not ready to be hurt again. I'm absolutely sick of it."
"So, that's it then?" Josef asked quietly, "you're just going to take off and not give him a chance to explain himself or tell anyone where you're going?"
She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes as she realized what he was saying was right. She was being irrational and childish. Even though her fears often clouded her judgement, she had to at least talk to him first. That didn't mean that she wasn't still afraid though. "I'm sorry, Josef. I was scared and I wasn't thinking straight. You know I'm an overly emotional person."
"Sometimes you have to put emotions aside for a moment and think before you act," he smiled, "not that I blame you for being upset."
Tifa hugged the dark-haired man gratefully. "Thanks. This almost makes up for you blowing me off yesterday."
"Yah," he grinned awkwardly, "Sorry 'bout that."
"Forget it."
He felt Tifa sigh and rubbed her back gently, hoping that Vincent wasn't thinking about hurting her. She did tend to overreact sometimes, but Cloud had messed her up pretty badly when he left to find Aeris. He remembered how hard it was for her to trust his friendship when he had first met her.
"You should relax for a bit before you go talk to him," Josef commented softly, still holding her in his arms, "give yourself time to calm down and think about what you're going to say. Knowing you though, you'll just blurt out the first irrational thing that comes to mind anyway."
"It's nice to know you think so highly of me," she smiled. They fell silent and Josef shifted slightly, catching a whiff of her wonderfully unique scent. He inhaled deeply and sighed, wondering what it would've been like if he was the man she had chosen to let hold her and love her and kiss her…...
He pulled back a little and gazed at her soft, full lips, starting to slowly lean forward. Catching himself, he fell back quickly with a forlorn sigh. Tifa had made a decision and he had to respect that. "Feeling any better?" he asked, smiling as she tucked her head just under his chin, leaning on him.
"I'll have to help myself to Cid's stash before I'm brave enough to confront Vincent," she moaned hopelessly.
"You're braver then you think," he noted, "and you shouldn't always have such a hard time believing that." Tifa rolled her eyes and sighed.
"I just don't know what to say to him. How do I confront him about this without seeming silly and jealous?"
"Aren't you jealous?" Josef smiled.
"Shut-up," she said, frowning playfully, "you're not helping."
"The only real advice I have to offer is go talk to him now, while this is fresh on your mind. It doesn't seem like you're going to be able to stay still until you get this off your chest." Tifa nodded and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you so much. I'm glad you stopped me from running off."
"Just let me know how it goes," Josef nodded, standing from the chair, "I'm rooting for you. Watch what you say."
"I'll try." Grimacing, Tifa made her way back up the stairs and slowly entered the room. Kaite peeked out from under the bed and panted happily. "Here puppy," she called quietly, scooping the small dog into her arms when she came over. She rocked Kaite in her arms nervously, wanting to wake Vincent and at the same time wanting to just forget what she had heard. Could she ever fully trust Vincent if this small nagging idea was in the back of her mind?
The dark haired man stirred in bed, rolling onto his side. This wasn't fair to her or Vincent. She needed to get this thought uprooted and get it out in the open. Surely, there was some explanation that would calm her mind and they could carry on as they were.
Her feet dragged as she worriedly made her way to the bed and placed Kaite down and her side. "Vincent?" she whispered, shaking his arm gently, "Vincent, wake up."
"Hmm, mmph?" he murmured, his eyes slowly opening. "What?"
"I wanted to talk to you about something," Tifa explained, hoping her expression wasn't too grim.
"What is it?" Vincent yawned, turning towards her and propping himself up on his elbow.
"Who……."
"Yes?"
Tifa forced out her question, barely above a whisper. "Who is Lucretia?"
"How do you know that name!" Vincent demanded, sitting straight up.
Tifa tried to get out everything she had been thinking, but the words seemed strange and wrong to her now. "I…I….I'm…."
"Tell me," Vincent said intensely, grabbing her shoulders.
"Y-You said it."
His hands pulled away from her as though he'd been burnt. "I what?"
"You said it," she confirmed, her words becoming more confident, "when I tried to wake you up with a kiss. You said her name and called her your love. Who is she?" Vincent had a horrified expression on his face as he reached out and gently touched Tifa's cheek.
"I said that? I called you Lucretia? Oh my lord, I am so sorry Tifa. I never meant-"
"Who is she?" Tifa asked with more force, cutting him off.
"She was my angel," Vincent sighed softly, knowing he had to tell her, "I loved her more then life itself. It was years ago, when I was still in the Turks. I met her, a research scientist for Shinra, and fell in love with her mind and her beauty and everything about her. I asked her out a few times before she finally believed I wasn't just going to use her as a one night stand and we fell in love. Or at least I did. I was never really certain exactly how she felt. At first, we were happy and she greeted me lovingly each time I returned from a mission." He paused and shuddered. "But…..things went sour…..and…..I just couldn't bare losing her….."
Tifa watched his expression become heartbroken and humiliated and was almost sorry she had brought this up.
"She met another scientist that she greatly admired," he continued, regaining his composure. "He was working on the Jenova project with her and told her that they only needed a human specimen to test the cells on and then their research might finally pay off." His eyes filled with tears. "She loved her work more then her own life. She offered herself and her un-born child to science and they injected her with Jenova cells. I was so angry. I wanted to just kill Hojo and save that poor woman from her own stupidity. She didn't want my help though. Said I was lovesick and too much of a monster for anyone to ever love. I've done some things I'm not very proud of but to have someone you love say that to you……" He took a shuddering breath and closed his eyes.
"Vincent……" Tifa trailed off, unsure what to say, but wanting him to stop.
"Let me finish. I owe you that much at least," he said firmly. "Her child was born. A super soldier. Better then any other manufactured mako soldier ever made. Hojo murdered my love, having no other use for her, and kept the baby for himself to continue his horrific experiments. I tried to seek revenge upon him and he shot me……..…did things to me that………oh Tifa! I cannot burden you with this! Please……..you know now about Lucretia. I don't need to go on any longer….."
"Don't," she whispered, holding him close, "please. I don't want to think of you suffering."
"I'm sorry….," Vincent breathed, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "My nightmares force me to relive my life over and over again. Sometimes I'm not sure which is real, my dreams or my waking hours."
"Don't say that!" Tifa cried, placing a hand on either side of his face, "I love you and no one is going to hurt you anymore!" She kissed him tearfully and laid her head of his chest, hearing the slow comforting beat of his heart. "No one else will hurt you……"
"You're not Lucretia," Vincent assured her fiercely, "you never will be and I never want you to be. I love only you. I love you. It was only a nightmare. I promise you….." Tifa's lips turned up in a slight smiled and she tightened her grip on Vincent. God willing, she was going to stay with this man forever.
THISISTHESTUPIDLINEDIVIDINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTESAuthor: Wow. Finally. I actually got this chapter typed. :sighs with relief: Thank god for spares or I'd never have a chance to do anything. :growls at school: Grrrr. You give me too much work and then I don't get to update my fanfictions! If only the school burnt down for real. But then I wouldn't get to graduate. Ahh, whatever. At least I'm updating now.
Sephiroth; :skips through the page waving a bouquet of daisies and singing 'Oh what a beautiful morning':
Author; :looks disturbed: I think everyone has gone psycho but me.
Pink Elephant: Nope. You're gone too!
Author: Right….Anywho. I'm gonna make this short so I can go post. Thanks for the wonderful reviews, please review more, and EAT PIE! Ha! So there. Now my friend can't say I haven't said that in a long time. :waves goodbye and throws gummy worms to the readers: See you next chapter:fic fades out with author singing: NOBODY LIKES ME, EVERYBODY HATES ME, GUESS I'LL GO EAT WORMS!