A/N: and here's chapter nine, which i wasn't sure was even going to get posted before i moved into my own place. the origonal draft of the chapter is in my storage unit, since i don't have space to keep all my work here at mom and dad's house. but, i decided to go ahead with it anyway, since i wasn't happy with the first draft at all. hopefully, it looks good to you all, because i have my doubts about it. its really just a filler chapter anyway.

DISCLAIMER: (since i think i've forgotten it for a couple of chapters) ff7 isn't mine. i'm not making money here, not planning to either. please see chapter one for full disclaimer.

Chapter 9

The elevator ride back downstairs was as tense as it could be without Faerin having told Val that he was cheating on him on top of all his other secrets. He wished that he could go back and re-write the last five years, and be completely honest with his lover from the beginning. And he wished that he could find a way to apologize to him for withholding information.

"I understand why you did it," Valentine said, startling him out of his thoughts.

"What? You do?"

The prince nodded. "I don't like that you hid things from me, but I understand why you did it. When we met, I was too young to understand what you did--so you didn't tell me you were a Turk, no matter how close our friendship might have been. And after we became lovers, it could have been dangerous. It hurts, but I understand.

"And I understand why you didn't tell me about Vincent. If you had told me that you knew he was here, I probably would have gotten scared and not come. And finding him is something that I need to do."

Faerin nodded. "Thanks for understanding."

"But we're not done discussing this."

The Turk gave his lover a half grin. "Of course not. But I don't feel so much like you're going to skin me as soon as we get to my house."

"Don't be too sure of that," Val said as the door slid open on the lobby. "I'm still pretty mad at you."

Faerin took the lead when they stepped back onto the sidewalk outside. Valentine gave a token resistance when the brunette took his hand and laced his fingers around the prince's. The Turk gave his lover a grin and told him, "No one will care. Not in this part of town, anyway."

After the initial protest, valentine bowed to his lover's judgment. Having lived here, Faerin was in a much better position to judge the public's reaction to their relationship than he was.

"Its not far," the older man added. "Just a little over two blocks. Mom's gonna be thrilled to meet you finally."

"You talk about me a lot?" Val gave him an amused look.

"Yeah." Faerin didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed. "I do. So does Vincent."

"How can he? He doesn't even know me."

"Don't be like that, baby. He knows you through everything we've all told him since you were little. You should see his office--pictures of you and your mom everywhere. He may not know your voice, but he does know you--and he loves you." Turk looked deeply into the prince's eyes, assessing the bitterness he saw there. "He never wanted to leave you guys alone, he just never knew he could go home."

Valentine was quiet for a long time, digesting Faerin's words. If his lover was right, his biological father really had wanted his son--he had just never been able to come back and claim him.