Misadventures in Babysitting

Rating: R
Category: game-verse. (VERY! AU)
Pairing(s): Cloud/Reno, Cid/Vincent, Aeris/Tesng, Zack/Sephiroth, Tifa/Barret.
Warnings: Angst, mpreg, Cid’s mouth, mothers.
Summary: Cid learns something about Vincent, Vincent has a baby, and Marlene makes a friend.
Notes: Some of the info I have about Vincent and his ancestry came from official FF sites. Some of it I made up. According to the sites, however, Vincent’s arm (I couldn’t seem to find a definitive answer on whether his arm has been amputated or whether he is simply wearing a gauntlet) and signature pointy shoes are made of brass. The reason for this is, in mythology, monsters such as gorgons, of which Medusa was one, had claws and wings of brass. It represents his status of being not completely human, but rather more other-worldly. The implication seems to be that Vincent is now also a gorgon. They were quite clear on one thing, however. Vincent is indeed ageless and undead. However his aversion to drinking bathroom water can be traced directly back to the author.

December 18th, 6:30 am. Location – Zack’s Hill.

“You’ll be fine?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t like leaving you alone when you’re pregnant.” Zack cocked his head and looked Sephiroth up and down. “Allegedly.”

“I will be just fine, Zack. No offence, but a few days of silence will not be unwelcome.”

“I know, I know, but what if something happens? I mean what if the power goes out or something?”

Sephiroth stared at Zack. “Oh no,” he said in a monotone. “Whatever shall I do?”

Miki pulled at her father’s pant leg. “Daddy, come on, we told grandma we’d be there today!”

Zack relented. He stepped forward to kiss his husband, touching his face. “You know where to contact me if you need me,” he said softly.

“I will always need you.”

Miki rolled her eyes. “Can you two please be disgusting later?”

“She takes after your side of the family, you know,” said Sephiroth.

“Yeah, well, sadly I think you’re right.” Zack picked the child up, then kissed Sephiroth again. Miki next leaned forward to kiss the tall man whom she called mommy.

“We’ll be back soon, mommy.”

Sephiroth watched his child and husband leave, taking the jeep Zack had purchased not long ago. He watched them drive away, heading for Gongaga Village to spend a few days with Zack’s parents.

“Looks like it’s just you and I,” said Sephiroth to his unborn child. He smiled slightly. “Let’s go soak in the bath for four hours.”

***---***

6:45 am. Location – Kalm.

“Barret? Barret wake up.”

Barret opened one eye and stared blearily at Tifa. “What’s the matter?”

“My Aunt Merrily just called. She needs us there a day early.”

“She not feeling well?”

Tifa shook her head, the fear over her Aunt’s condition evident in her dark eyes. “She’s my only surviving relative, we have to go to her. Cloud and Reno won’t mind if we bring Marlene a day early.”

Barret sat up and drew her against his massive chest. “Don’t be crying, now, it’s okay. If she needs us, then we’ll go. There’s no need to convince me.”

“Thank you.” She kissed him. “I’ll go tell her.”

Barret watched Tifa leave the room, then forced himself out of bed.

“I suppose Reno can’t teach Marlene too many more bad habits with just an extra day,” he muttered.

Personally Barret would have rather left Marlene with Aeris and Tseng, but they were at the City of the Ancients, teaching Ifalna about her heritage. They had brought a phone in case of emergencies, but they would not be taking any calls. This was to be an intensely personal spiritual journey, and they wanted peace. Vincent was Barret’s second choice, but Vincent was three weeks passed due, and his normally even and quiet personality had evolved into something a little less than predictable. He was uncomfortable and exhausted, and even Cid was walking on eggshells these days. Not that Marlene was a difficult child, but Vincent was bed-ridden, and did not need one more stress in his environment. That only left Nanaki, and as much as Barret liked him, he just was not at ease leaving his child with a talking dog for a babysitter.

That left Cloud. And Reno.

Barret respected Reno, though he was not sure he liked him. No, that wasn’t true. He did like him; he was just uncomfortable around him. As a very definitely heterosexual male, Barret was disturbed by Reno’s languid, feline ways, his easy grace, and how every sinew in his being seemed to exude sexuality like an exotic perfume. Cloud was a lone wolf, but his mate was a panther, lean and sensual, and Barret did not like the way his little nine year old daughter looked at him. Marlene adored Vincent. But she was utterly fascinated by Reno, sensing something in him that she was too young to understand – things Barret did not want her learning about for at least another ten years.

Only one thing made Reno somewhat acceptable to Barret as a babysitter – the fact that he knew without question that anything that wanted to hurt Marlene would have to kill Reno first. Whatever faults he may have, he wasn’t about to let anything happen to the little girl he had come to consider part of the family.

Barret finished dressing and began hastily packing, hearing Marlene and Tifa talking in the next room.

“But Cloud and Reno aren’t expecting me until tomorrow!”

“I know,” said Tifa. “But Auntie needs us now.”

“Can’t I come with you?”

“Oh I wish you could, but now is not really a very good time. Auntie’s very sick, and there won’t be anyone for you to play with and nothing to do. Reno and Cloud will have more time.”

“Can I go see Vincent?”

“Better ask before you go. He’s not really well.”

“I know. He said he thought he was going to give birth to a stone elephant. Why would he have a stone elephant?”

Tifa laughed. “He’s not going to have a stone elephant. But Vincent’s only small, and Cid’s a very big man, and the baby is going to be big like Cid.”

“Well why couldn’t Vincent just make it be small like him?”

“I’m afraid Vincent doesn’t have any control over that, honey.”

“I bet he wishes he did.”

“I bet he wishes he did, too.”

Marlene was silent for a minute. “Are Cloud and Reno going to have a baby too?”

“No,” said Tifa. “Two men can’t make babies.”

“But Zack and Seph… Sephi… Baby did. And Cid and Vincent. Why can’t Reno and Cloud?”

“Well Sephiroth and Vincent are special cases. Their bodies were changed by scientists, and that’s how they can have babies. But Reno and Cloud haven’t been altered like that.”

“So Reno and Cloud can’t have babies?”

“Not with each other.”

“Then why would they try to make one?”

“I beg your pardon?” said Tifa.

Barret’s head shot up, and he listened, his left eye starting to twitch.

“The last time I was visiting, Cid came over and he asked Reno if he was pregnant yet, and Reno said no but they kept trying. So why would they try if they can’t have one?”

“Go get your coat, Marlene.”

Marlene stomped her foot. “I knew you weren’t going to tell me.”

Barret walked out of the bedroom and over to Tifa, watching his little girl go for her coat.

“I’m gonna kill Cid and Reno,” he said.

Tifa laughed. “Well we’re going to have to start telling her about the facts of life eventually.”

“Yeah we will when she’s thirty. Come on, let’s get going.”

***---***

6:50 am. Location – Costa Del Sol.

“Cid, you have to calm down,” said Cloud.

“Easy for you to say. How would you feel if it was Reno lying in bed with a baby inside of him and you had no way of knowing how it got in there?”

Cloud conceded the point. Likely he would be frantic, especially if Reno had been subjected to what Vincent had, and was also three weeks overdue.

“I’m not unsympathetic. I just don’t know what I can do to help. We’ve looked high and low for any documentation we can find and there doesn’t seem to be any. The only thing I can think of is there might be something at the old Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim.”

Cid began making coffee. “I thought that place burned down when Baby flipped out.”

“Baby got everything but the mansion. At least I’m assuming he did. I find it hard to believe they would rebuild a falling down manor house and restock it with Shinra documents.”

“Yeah well they rebuilt everything else in an attempt to cover up what happened.” Cid paused, thinking, then looked over his shoulder at Cloud. “Do you think there’s a chance?”

“I think there is just a good a chance of finding something there as anywhere. I mean we’ve exhausted all our other resources.”

“Then I’m going.”

Cloud stood up. “No, you can’t go in there. The place is falling down, and the last time I was in it, it was infested with monsters. You can’t go there alone!”

“Then someone better come with me because I’m going.”

“Cid…”

“Cloud I can’t just sit here on my ass and do nothing! Whether I like it or not, Vincent is going to have a baby, and I would feel a hell of a lot better if we had some more information. Now are you coming or not?”

Cloud sighed, then nodded. “Just let me get Reno. But we have to be back by tomorrow afternoon. I promised Tifa and Barret I would watch Marlene for the weekend.”

“Okay. I’ll go let Vincent know. You wake up the red-headed weasel.”

“That’s my husband you’re talking about!” Cloud called after Cid as he walked out the door. He sighed, then went to wake Reno.

***---***

8:03 am. Location – Costa Del Sol.

“So you have everything? Are you warm enough? It’s December, I don’t want you getting cold.”

Vincent took a deep, cleansing breath. “Cid, my love, for the fourth time, I am fine.”

“I don’t like leaving you like this. You’re due any minute.”

“All the more reason for you to go to the old mansion and find my paperwork, isn’t it?”

“Yeah I guess.” He stared at Vincent, worry in his blue eyes. “Look if anything happens or starts to happen…”

“I will call you.”

Cid wavered, looking from his husband to the door, instinct warring with need.

“Cid,” said Vincent. “Go.”

Cid went, but reluctantly, kissing Vincent before he departed, picking up his halberd as he left. Vincent waited for the sound of the door being locked, then sighed with contentment and settled into bed. Two days, all to himself. He adored Cid, but Vincent was by nature a solitary creature. A little time to himself before the baby came was most welcome. Vincent ran his non-metallic hand over his belly. At least he hoped it was a baby. It felt like a stone elephant.

“How did I get here?” he muttered. “I’d really like an answer if any gods are listening.”

Vincent snuggled into the pillows, blinking, trying to sort his life out mentally. Parts of it were blurs, other parts ragged film clips that seemed to have happened to someone else. He knew Hojo had shot him in the stomach, and he knew he had died. He had been swimming in the life stream like a seal in the current when something dragged his unwilling spirit back to earth to trap it in this not-quite-living body. He remembered Lucrecia, and his father, but in many ways it all seemed… insignificant. It had happened so long ago. Insignificant, and yet not. But it was time to let it all go. He had a new life. The past was gone. If worry and grief could change it, then things would be different, but they weren’t.

The baby shifted, and Vincent adjusted his position, trying to get comfortable. He sighed, weary and exasperated. He wondered if his mother had found him to be such a heavy burden.

Vincent did not remember his mother well, only in clips and blurs, and was not sure he was recalling her at all; it could be someone else. He seemed to call to mind a beautiful, delicate woman with long raven hair who was a dancer, and had passed her beauty and fine bone structure onto her son. Vincent was not an especially short man, but he was very small of frame, and had been reminded of it frequently, mostly by the other boys at school. That was also where Vincent discovered the advantages of being lightly built; it made him fast, and more than one bully learned the hard way that it was not wise to hurl insults within arm’s reach.

Vincent did not know, but he was actually the result of many generations of careful breeding. His mother had indeed been a dancer, and had come from a tiny village populated almost exclusively by artisans of one type or another. It was their craft, and their livelihood, and when entertainers were required, all knew where to find them. Vincent’s mother’s family had been dancers, very dedicated ones. They had to be; it was their bred and butter, and even marriage and family revolved around their art. The men and women both sought out spouses whose genes would not result in birth defect or unsuitably large offspring. Vincent had been bred over many generations to be a dancer. But his mother had fallen in love with a scientist, and left her family village to be with him. Still, Grimoire Valentine was hardly unattractive himself, though when Vincent was born, he did admit he had hoped for something a little, well, bigger.

“He’ll grow,” said his mother fondly.

Vincent did grow, though he never quite reached the height of the other men in his family. His mother taught him dance, his father taught him science, and his uncle taught him to use a gun. At age 21 he was hired as a Turk, and given his first, and last, assignment; guarding Shinra research scientists.

He did still recall the day he arrived at the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim, one of the few memories he had intact. He had just stepped out of the car and was waiting to be directed by a senior Turk. That was when he met Professor Gast. The scientist walked straight up to him, took his head in his hands, and began looking him over.

“Exquisite! Lucrecia come look at this young man. Lovely!” He cranked Vincent’s head back to look at his neck. “Look at the musculature. Perfect. You see, my girl, this is what a careful application of selective breeding will do.” Vincent’s head was cranked in another direction. “Not a line out of place. Absolutely beautiful. Of course people are not animals, and matters of the heart will always take precedence where breeding is concerned, but I would say this young fellow comes from a very long line of either dancers or gymnasts.”

The senior Turk started to snicker as Vincent had his shirt pulled open and Dr. Gast ran a thumb along his clavicle. “Wonderful balance, look at the length and curve of the bone. Strong tendons, light frame without being frail, and beautifully defined muscles.” Vincent’s mouth was yanked open. “Even his teeth are perfect! Gorgeous specimen, absolutely breath-taking. Tad under average height, but we can’t have everything.” Dr. Gast stepped away. “Young man, go into my office and take you clothes off, I’ll be there in a minute. Now, where is the Turk you were going to assign to look after us?”

The older Turk pointed at Vincent. Dr. Gast looked delighted. “Wonderful, so he’s all ours. Come along my boy, let’s get some pictures of you. You can go prowl the perimeter or whatever it is you security types do later.”

Vincent learned to enjoy his time at the Mansion. The work was relatively easy, and he didn’t mind the occasional times Dr. Gast would pull him off duty to run a few tests. He quickly learned the doctor’s interest in his body was purely scientific, and apart from occasionally having blood drawn, or being put through a few physical endurance tests in order to be photographed almost second by second to study the workings of his frame and muscles, Vincent was unharmed. And the rewards were well worth it. Most of the staff consisted of female research students working towards their doctorate. Usually after a few hours of watching Vincent being put through his paces, wearing very little, they felt encouraged to do some additional physical research of their own.

Dr. Gast was unconcerned with the situation; so long as his students showed up and attended to their studies, what they did on their own time was of no interest to him. Hojo meanwhile was absolutely incensed by the whole matter, and more than a few times his shrill voice was heard echoing through the house, screaming over the telephone to someone at Shinra Headquarters “to come make this fucking pocket-stallion stop leaving his DNA all over my students!”

Then Dr. Gast left to do private research, and Lucrecia and Hojo began seeing each other, discussing taking Dr. Gast’s theories to an unthinkable level. And Vincent did not know Hojo had long been looking for an excuse to put a bullet in him.

Vincent had told Cid some of his scars were from his work as a Turk, but in truth he was not really certain where they had come from. All Vincent knew was, by the time Hojo was done with him, he wasn’t a living being anymore. He wasn’t even sure he was human. He was some sort of genetically modified Frankenstein, with a body possessing capabilities he did not understand.

Still, even Hojo could not erase centuries of meticulous breeding in quest of the perfect dancer. Vincent was still beautiful, fine boned and graceful, though after he was freed from his coffin, his confidence in himself was badly shaken. He of course would not admit to such a thing. But he still remembered fondly camping on the grass with his new friends near the Nibel Mountains not long after his rescue.

It had been a warm day, and the party had agreed to forgo travel in order to rest up and tend to a few matters. Vincent had been pleased to feel the sun again after so long, and had left his heavy red cloak and head scarf in the tent, wearing only a scrap of fabric across his brow to hide the scar. He emerged from the canvas structure clad in a black shirt and a pair of form-fitting black jeans that showed off his slim hips and long legs. He shook out his hair, scratching his scalp before tossing back the lengthy, wild mane of nightmare black, then suddenly bolted like a young colt. He did not know anyone could see him, and he expressed his delight with the sun and freedom with a few perfectly executed dance moves, slowing down to a stately walk when he noticed Tifa, Aeris and Yuffie were looking. He walked across the soft mossy grass to stand where he could feel the warm breeze, his head up, pretending to be completely unconcerned others had witnessed his outburst.

Yuffie, Aeris, and Tifa just stared, jaws hanging, as they watched him, first moving with a wild grace, then finding a place to stand in the sun. Clothes hid his scars, but not the perfectly balanced and beautiful slim body. That was when Vincent learned he could hear things much more clearly than he used to be able.

“My. Gawd,” said Yuffie.

“Oh my mother would not be pleased to hear the thoughts in my head,” said Aeris.

“Mine either,” said Tifa. “What do you suppose he would cost for an afternoon?”

“More than we have,” said Aeris. “Wait, I’ve got a little jewellery.”

“I’ve got some materia I could part with,” said Yuffie.

“I’ve got seventy-five gil,” said Tifa.

They giggled. Vincent just smiled inwardly, then glanced over his shoulder at them. The women jumped when they realized they had been heard. He gazed at them with red eyes, and smiled, very faintly.

“You ladies are in luck, I’m half price today.”

Nothing came of the offer, but it was good to know he could still turn a few heads. It was a welcome feeling after so much grief.

The baby kicked, disturbing Vincent’s drowsy reverie. He clumsily adjusted himself, trying to get comfortable.

“And then I go mate with a grease monkey three times my size,” he muttered. “Oh, Mother, your son is an idiot.” He dragged a pillow close in an attempt to better distribute the burden on his middle. “Cid, only your child could weigh this much.”

He really hoped it was a baby he was carrying, not some Hojo-inspired monster. There was so much he did not know about himself. There was still no explanation for how he had even conceived in the first place. With Sephiroth, it had been a simple act of willing his body to adjust itself in order for Zack to be able to impregnate him. Vincent hadn’t willed himself to do anything. In fact with Cid’s frequent comments about how kids were just a pain in the neck, the last thing Vincent had wanted was to get pregnant. Not that it had ever occurred to him for a moment that he even could.

The phone rang, and he picked it up. “Cid if this is you I swear…”

“Just checking,” said Reno.

“Cid asked you to.”

“Uh… yeah he did. And I said I would call. And I called. Are you all right?”

“I am a one hundred and forty-five pound man carrying a three hundred pound infant; do you think I am all right?”

“Better you than me, honey. I’ll let you sleep then.”

Vincent hung up. He was about to put the phone down when a thought occurred to him. He accessed his voice mail and left a new message.

“I’m asleep. Piss off. Cid if this is you then dammit I said I would call when I went into labour. And stop bothering Reno and Cloud. And Aeris if you leave one more cute little parenting tip on my voice mail I swear I will hunt you down and shave you bald. Barret I don’t care what your mother told you, I am not eating anything made out of mushrooms and escargot. Slugs and fungus are NOT my thing. Yuffie I absolutely do NOT want to hear one more stupid pun-name for my baby or I will hurt you. Marlene, you can still call because you are the only person I know who is not currently acting like a laxative and IRRITATING THE CRAP OUT OF ME! GAWD don’t you people have LIVES?!”

Vincent hung up and put the phone down on the bedside table, sighing heavily. Cid was right. A good rant did make you feel better. He closed his eyes and sank into the bed, enjoying the cool silence of the little house. Soon he had drifted into sleep.

Three hours later Vincent awoke from a nightmare, his small body running with sweat. He had been dreaming about Hojo shooting him, and the pain had been so very real…

The pain came again, and Vincent realized he was not having a nightmare. He was having a baby. He grabbed the phone and hastily punched in Cid’s number. He listened as the device rang, and rang, and rang, then the voicemail came on.

“This is Cid, can’t you see I’m busy? Leave a message; I’ll get back to you.”

“Cid it’s Vincent. It feels like the plane is getting ready to leave the hanger, I’d really appreciate it if you were here while it’s heading down the runway.” He hung up, squeezing his eyes shut, feeling a bolt of stabbing heat shoot through his body. “Cid where are you?” he whispered.

He hung up and tried another number, this one belonging to his doctor.

“Hello?”

“Doctor Gaywell?”

“Vincent?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you having pains?”

“No I’m having agonies.”

“Get Cid to bring you in.”

“Cid’s not here, he went to Nibelheim to see if he could locate any documents.”

The woman sighed. “All right, just hang in there, I’ll send someone.”

Vincent hung up, then once more accessed his voicemail to change the message.

“Hello, it’s me, I’m going to the hospital right now.” A violent shot of sharp pain tore through him, taking him by surprise, and he gasped. “OH MY GAWD CID HIGHWIND I FUCKING HATE YOU!”

Vincent hung up, then tried to force his body off the mattress, finding himself unable to do so. He next tried to call Cloud, and received no answer.

“Wonderful. They call me every two minutes to see if I need anything, and when I do they are gone.” He dialled Tifa and Barret, knowing they were too far away to help but suddenly desperate to hear their voices. Again, there was no response.

“Where is everyone?” he asked the empty room.

He was terribly pleased to hear the door open a few minutes later. Dr. Gaywell had a key to the house for just such an emergency, and Vincent was glad that Cid’s over-anxious fretting had resulted in something useful for once. Dr. Gaywell walked into the bedroom.

“How are you feeling?”

“Is it supposed to hurt like this?” he asked through gritted teeth.

She stroked his hair. “This is nothing, honey, wait until you go into hard labour. This is just the beginning. Relax, we’ll take good care of you.”

A man walked into the room, dressed in a medical uniform. He was easily the most massive man Vincent had ever seen. He made Barret look like a playground weakling. He gently scooped up Vincent, blankets, baby and all, and carried him out of the house and to a waiting ambulance while Dr. Gaywell locked up. The man settled Vincent in the back of the ambulance, and stroked his hair.

“Pretty little thing, aren’t you?”

“So they tell me,” mumbled Vincent.

“Well we’ll get you comfortable.” He smiled. “I’m assuming you’ve been modified rather extensively in order to get into this situation.”

“Considering that I’m a man, and this was an unplanned pregnancy, yes, I would say so.”

“Ouch. Bet your husband was surprised.”

“Easily as much as I was.”

The man grinned. “Well you’re in good hands, Dr. Gaywell is the best. Just relax.”

The man stroked his hair again briefly, then began attaching an IV. By the time they reached the hospital, Vincent was not very worried about much of anything.

***---***

11:13 am. Location – Costa Del Sol.

Barret watched the ambulance drive by as he, Tifa and Marlene climbed the stairs to Cloud’s villa.

“Huh. Looks like someone had an accident.”

“I’m sure they are fine,” said Tifa as she unlocked the door to Cloud’s villa. She opened it, and let Marlene scoot in ahead of her, Cait Sith hugged tightly in her arms. The child looked around.

“No one’s here!” she said.

“It’s okay baby, Cloud and Reno can’t have gone far.” Barret walked over to her to give her a hug. “You just watch a bit of television and they’ll be back very soon.”

“Okay. But I don’t like being alone.”

“I know,” said Tifa, “and we’re very sorry. But…”

“I know,” said Marlene. “It’s okay, I understand.” She looked at Tifa with worried brown eyes. “Auntie will be okay, won’t she?”

Tifa nodded, then hugged the little girl. “Stay in the house. If they are too late, just go down to Vincent and Cid’s house for a while. But remember, Vincent’s not going to be feeling very well.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know, the baby.” She sighed with exasperation, then pouted. “Stupid baby.”

Tifa looked surprised. “Why do you say that?”

“Because Vincent’s MY friend! After he has that baby he’s not going to like me anymore!”

Tifa smiled and hugged her. “Oh that’s not true, baby, not at all. He’s always going to love you. You’re just going to have to share him.”

“I already have to share him with Cid! How much more do I have to put up with?”

Barret and Tifa both laughed. “I’m afraid that’s part of growing up,” said Barret. “Sharing your friends.”

“Well it stinks.” She pouted again, then sighed. She hugged Tifa, then Barret, then watched as the pair departed. “Looks like it’s just you and me, Cait Sith. What shall we do first?”

***---***

12:18 pm. Location – Nibelheim.

Cid, Cloud and Reno walked up to the front door of the old Shinra mansion. Cloud noticed that even though it was clearly falling down and abandoned, no children had been close enough to break the windows. No child in Nibelheim would have the nerve to approach it, though several were staring at them through the rusting iron gate.

Cloud forced the door, coughing as the motion kicked up a cloud of dust, paint chips and splinters. He waved aside the dust, then stepped inside, looking around.

“Seems safe,” he muttered. Cloud was not pleased to be back in this house. He’d found a lot more than just Vincent prowling the halls the last time he was here.

“Don’t go in there!” yelled a small boy. “There are monsters in there, and a mad scientist who will eat your brains!”

“Well if we find him, we’ll bring him out and you can beat him up for us,” said Cid.

Reno stepped in after Cloud, and looked around. “Nice,” he commented. “Oh look at the stained glass windows!”

“We’re not here shopping for glass, ya faggot,” said Cid.

“Faggot? Okay, everyone here sleeping with a woman, raise your hand.”

“Can we just search the library and leave?” said Cloud. “I don’t like this place.”

“Where’s the library?” asked Cid.

“In the basement.”

“Oh, lovely,” said Reno.

“Come on,” said Cloud. “Just follow me. The faster we find Vincent’s files, the faster we get out of here.”

They followed Cloud up the curving staircase to the second floor, carefully travelling along the once-ornate walkway to a set of rooms. Cloud led them into what seemed to have been a study. A secret door to a set of downward spiralling stair had been smashed open, and a rank smell of rotted earth and mold rose up from the depths. Reno paused, looking nervously at the old wooden stairs, black with decay. Cloud noticed the look, and touched his face.

“It’ll be okay. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“And what if the stairs break?” asked Reno.

“You’re a fairy,” said Cid. “Just flutter your wings and fly.”

Reno turned to face Cid, staring at him. “You know, we are here for your husband. If you object to my company, Cloud and I can always leave. What would you like us to tell Vincent and your baby when you never come out of this house again?”

Cloud smiled to himself, turning so Cid could not see. Cid backed down.

“Okay I’m sorry. I’ll stop razzing you. Can we just go get the files now? I don’t like this place any more than you do.”

“Thank you. Apology accepted.” Reno took hold of Cloud’s arm and gently drew him away from the stairs. “I’ll go first. I’m the lightest. And the fastest. I can let you know if anything is too rotted.”

“Okay. Just be careful.”

Reno smiled and kissed him, then began carefully picking his way down the stairs, Cid and Cloud watching him.

“I’ll say this for him,” said Cid. “He’s gutsy.”

“That’s what I first fell in love with,” said Cloud. “The first time I fought him. He knew what I was; genetically modified for strength, mako-infused, and trained as a warrior. He knew he had no chance of beating me. And he just stared me right down and did not back off an inch. I’d never seen anything like it. I didn’t want to fight him.”

“So what happened?”

“He kicked me in the head while I was ogling him.”

Cid snorted in amusement, then slapped Cloud on the back. “Well it’s a good thing you snapped him up when you did. I know I razz him pretty hard, but that’s… well… I think he’s beautiful too.”

Cloud coughed in surprise, then slowly turned his head to look at Cid. “What?”

“I’m just looking! Honest. Hands off completely. I have Vincent, and believe me, I wouldn’t trade him for a hundred Renos. Besides it would make the garden parties at Zack’s a trifle uncomfortable if I was banging your guy.”

“Y’think?” said Cloud.

“Yeah. But, y’know, hey, if he ever comes up pregnant…”

Cloud punched him, sending Cid flying across the room and into a wall. Cid was more astonished than anything, Cloud having not put any real power behind the blow. But it certainly got the point across.

“Don’t make me do that again,” said Cloud.

“Damn! Jeez ya try to pay a guy a compliment…”

“How is telling me you’d like to bang my boyfriend a compliment?”

“’Cuz he’s pretty, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Fine. In that case I’d like to tie Vincent to the bed and ride him like a horse.”

Cid punched him. Cloud’s head jerked back, and he felt a small trickle of blood start to drip from one nostril. He and Cid stared at each other.

“Okay I see your point,” said Cid. “Your boyfriend is a rare beauty with a brave heart. Is that better?”

“Much. Thank you.”

“I’d still do him.”

Cloud stared at Cid, jaw hanging, trying to find the words to express the tangle of emotions he felt; humour tied up with outrage and exasperation. “Cid, you are a trip. You should get down on your knees daily and thank the gods Vincent puts up with you.”

“I do. Twice daily, actually. Can’t think for a moment what he sees in me. You want to hear something stupid?” He looked at Cloud, a strange expression in his blue eyes. “I feel guilty he’s pregnant.”

“Cid there is no way any of us could have foreseen this.”

“I know but I can’t help it. Every day it’s like he gets a little weaker and a little more tired, and I gotta tell you, if anything happens to him because of this, I don’t think I’ll survive it. I know people think I’m a lunatic spending every nickel I earn on hospital rooms and specialized doctors and private nurses I can’t possibly afford. I’ve got to be eighty thousand gil in the hole and that’s on top of the one hundred and eleven thousand I already spent. But I can’t let anything happen to him.”

Cloud stared. “Cid I had no idea…”

“No, no one does. It’s my problem, not yours. But… what can I do? This isn’t the girl next door we’re talking about, it’s my Vincent. And he’s a genetically modified male with an extremely complex and specialized anatomy. I can’t just take him to Dr. Bob down the road. Shit why am I even telling you this?”

“Because we’re family,” said Cloud. “Look, we’ll figure something out, okay? I’ll talk to Reeve about throwing some business your way. I know he’s been looking for someone to build him a prototype. Maybe it’s something up your alley. Either way it can’t hurt to ask.”

Cid nodded. “Yeah, okay. That sounds like a plan.”

Cloud smiled. “And Cid? I know why Vincent loves you.”

“Yeah? You wanna share it with me?”

“Because despite the fact you’re a smelly foul-mouthed chain-smoking asshole, he knows that underneath it all you’re pure gold.”

They stared at each other. “Is this where we hug?” asked Cid.

“I’d rather not.”

“Me either.”

Cloud looked down the stairs. “How’s it going, Reno?”

Reno was near the bottom of the winding stair case. “They seem a little soft, but if you’re careful they should hold.”

Cid and Cloud made their way carefully down the stairs, finally reaching the dirt floor of the basement. The stench was sickening, and mushrooms and mold grew in abundance along the damp corridor.

“Let’s just hurry and get out of here before we all develop a lung infection,” said Cloud. “The library is this way.

They walked down the eerie hallway quietly, all sensing a dark and unpleasant aura to the place. The monsters seemed to have moved out, but that still left any number of ghosts and spectres. They passed a small room, its door fallen off its hinges and lying on the floor. Inside the room were piled rotting coffins and skeletons, the few scraps of badly decayed flesh on their bones grown with strange fungi. In the center of the room was a cheap black coffin, the lid pushed aside, the satin lining stained with decay.

“That’s where we found Vincent,” said Cloud.

Cid halted, and looked into the room. “In there?”

Cloud nodded. “Yeah. In that center coffin. From what we’ve been able to piece together, he was there about thirty years.”

“What? Thirty?” said Cid. “How could he have survived in there thirty years?”

“I’m not sure he did,” said Cloud.

Cid leaned close and tapped him on the chest. “My Vincent is not a vampire.”

“I’m not saying he is. I’m just not sure he’s alive, either.”

“He is alive! He has a heartbeat, he has emotions! He’s not some sort of undead monster!”

“No one’s calling Vincent a monster, Cid. Come on, the library is right there.”

Cid watched Cloud walk towards a door at the end of the hall. Then he glanced back to the coffin. Slowly he walked towards it, dimly aware of Reno following after him. Cid walked up to the coffin and looked into it, drawn by some morbid curiosity. The room made him feel ill. It was like a storage shed for the dead, bodies waiting for a decent burial, or at least some basic respect. Many of them had clearly been mutilated. Cid had never been to the old mansion, and seeing the box where his lover had been trapped for so long was making him ill.

Reno tugged at his shirt. “Cid, come on.”

“In a minute. Hold this.”

He passed Reno the large and very heavy halberd, ignoring him as he stumbled under the weight. He walked over to the coffin, and scraped away some of the slime and mire coating it.

“There’s no name,” said Cid.

“I don’t think it was intended for him,” said Reno. “It was just the one he ended up in.”

Cloud suddenly appeared in the doorway. “What are you two doing?”

“Oh just enjoying the ambience,” said Reno.

Cloud walked over to Cid, who was staring as if transfixed at the coffin. He seemed very shaken, and at first he did not seem to be aware of Cloud’s hand as it came to rest on his arm.

“It can’t be true,” he said in a small voice.

“Cid,” said Cloud quietly. “Does it matter?”

Cid’s head snapped up, his eyes meeting Cloud’s. “What?”

“Does it matter?”

Cid stared at him for a time, then once more looked down at the narrow box. “No. I don’t suppose it does. But… if he’s not alive, and he’s clearly not a vampire, then what is he?”

Cloud shrugged. “He’s Vincent.”

“Yeah but what the fuck is he?”

“Cid why does it matter? You love him, don’t you?”

“Yeah I love him, that’s why I want to know! He might need a completely different doctor! Then there’s child care, baby formula… what if the kid’s a vampire? I have windows to block up, you know.”

Cloud and Reno just stared at him. Then Cloud sighed. “Come along, let’s find the files before something lunges out of the dark and eats us.”

The walked into the library and looked around. Books were scattered all throughout the rooms, shelves pulled over, walls badly damaged. At once end of the room were two huge glass tubes, along with an autopsy table and assorted equipment, now rusted and dirty. A short hallway led to a second room that appeared to be a study containing a large wooden desk and chair, and a great many more books, and boxes of files. Cloud indicated the glass containers.

“That’s where they had Zack and me, until Zack broke loose.”

“Just your regular little shop of horrors, ain’t it?” said Cid.

Reno distastefully picked up a book. “This is going to take forever.”

“Well we’ll just have to be methodical,” said Cloud. “Let’s just start at one end and work our way through. This is where Hojo did his research, if there is any information on Vincent, it will be in here.”

***---***

6:03 pm. Location – Costa Del Sol.

Marlene was not a nervous child, but she had been alone for far too long for her liking. Cait Sith was a wonderful companion, but as the sun set, she very much wanted to see an adult. She knew Cloud and Reno would normally be home by now, and she could not think where they could possibly be. She sat on the couch, holding Reno’s small kitty close, looking around nervously.

“I’m sure they can’t be too much longer,” said Cait Sith.

“That’s what you said three hours ago,” she said. She hugged Goober a little more tightly. “Do you think Cid and Vincent will be home by now?”

Cait Sith crossed the living room to a large chair, climbing up onto it so he could look out the window down to the beach where Cid and Vincent’s house sat. The windows were dark, and there was no sign of life.

“I don’t think so.” Cait Sith sat down in the chair, paws clasped. “I think it’s time we started phoning people.”

“I was hoping you would say that,” she said. “Let’s start with Cid and Vincent anyway. I know the house is dark, but maybe Cid just blew a fuse again.”

Cait Sith hopped off the chair and went directly for the wall-mounted phone. He pushed a stool over to it, then hopped onto it, having to stand on his toes to reach the receiver. He punched in the number with his little paw, then held the phone up to listen. The phone rang twice, then the call was directed to the voice mail. Cait Sith heard Vincent’s soft, low voice.

“Hello, it’s me, I’m going to the hospital right now.” The soft voice suddenly became a wailing scream. “OH MY GAWD CID HIGHWIND I FUCKING HATE YOU!”

Cait Sith sighed, and hung up. “Well I think I know where everyone is. I think Vincent is having his baby.”

“Well how long can that take?” asked Marlene.

“Hard to say. It could be hours. Even days.”

“DAYS?!” Marlene’s little heart jumped with fear and worry. “I don’t want to be alone all weekend! Cloud and Reno don’t even know I’m here, what if they don’t come home?”

“I’ll call them,” said Cait Sith. Once more the small android cat dialled a number, but this time received only a curt message informing him the person he was trying to call was currently unavailable. A call to Reno’s number produced the same result. Cait Sith had no way of knowing Cloud and Reno were in the basement of an old mansion, in a town surrounded by high mountains. He simply assumed the hospital had made them turn their phones off.

“They can’t be reached. I think you have to turn your phone off in a hospital.”

“And Aeris and Tseng are gone away. But they’re too far to come get me anyway, even if they were home. And Nanaki doesn’t have a phone. And I can’t call Tifa and Daddy because they’re with Auntie and she’s sick.” She thought for a moment. “Can we call Reeve?”

Cait Sith doubted Reeve would even have a phone with him. He tended to get lost in his work, and disliked interruptions intensely. Still, the cat tried, but, as he suspected, Reeve’s phone was turned off. Reluctantly, Cait Sith hung up and shook his head. He and Marlene were silent for a while.

“There is still one more place we could try,” said Cait Sith.

Marlene shook her head. “No,” she said quietly. “If it was just Zack okay, but… I don’t like Baby. He scares me.”

“He scares me too,” said Cait Sith. They sat in silence for a little while, then Cait Sith hopped up. “Well, no sense moping. Who don’t you pick a movie, and I’ll make something for supper.”

“You can’t cook!” said Marlene.

“But that’s the beauty of it!” said Cait Sith. He leapt off the stool and caught hold of the door of the refrigerator freezer, managing to pull it open and revealing stacks of frozen dinners. “Neither can Cloud and Reno!”

“I want chicken!”

“Chicken it is!” He pulled out the appropriate dinner. “Now you find a movie and get cleaned up while I heat this.”

Marlene did, setting Goober down and running off. The little tom cat flicked his impressively fluffy tail, and strolled over to his food bowl. Cait Sith swung the door shut then dropped to the floor, walking over to Goober and patting him.

“You’re a nice little kitty, aren’t you? We little kitties must stick together.” Cait Sith

Goober smacked him with his paw. Cait Sith sighed.

“Fine, you’re a nasty little shit. Go on and stuff your face, then.” He looked up as he heard Marlene step out of the bedroom, a video cassette in her hand.

“Here’s one with Cloud and Reno in it.”

Cait Sith searched his programming for any references to Cloud and Reno having made a movie. He came up empty. “Let’s see that.”

Marlene passed him the tape, and he accepted it with his little paws. The label was written in Reno’s elegant scrawl. ‘Me and Cloud between the sheets.’

“Oh,” he said. “I’ve seen this. It’s dreadful. It’s a four hour documentary on fabric making.”

She rolled her eyes. “Cait Sith if you are going to lie to me, then at least make it good.”

“All right, in that case, I believe this is private and we shouldn’t watch it. Now go pick another movie and make sure it’s not one of the ones in the shoe box under the bed.”

The child wandered off to find another movie. Cait Sith returned the cassette to its proper place and went to heat up Marlene’s dinner.

***---***

8:40 pm. Location – Nibelheim.

The trio were becoming exhausted. For almost nine hours they had searched and sorted and read and investigated. Books they had checked were piled back onto the decaying shelves, while the ones they had yet to go through were heaped on the floor and table. Cloud and Cid turned pages, while Reno dug through boxes of files stacked in the study. There was no power in the decaying building, and they were reading by candle and flashlight.

Reno finished with yet another box, picking it up and setting it with the others he had investigated, numb by now to the sheer volume of people whose lives had been changed irreparably, if not flat out ruined, by Shinra. Most of these people had no idea they had even been subjected to any sort of test.

Reno dreaded pulling out a file and finding his name on it.

He opened another box, leaping back as a spider the size of a mouse ran out. The creature bounded off the table and hastened away, making a direct line for the door.

“Fabulous,” said Reno. “Not even the spiders want to be here.”

He turned his attention to the box once more. This box was better preserved, having sat on other boxes and thus avoiding most of the moisture. It was packed full of books, files, and albums, all clearly labelled ‘The Echidna Project’.

Reno picked up the top file and opened it, finding a few faded and damaged black and white photos. He did not recognize the young man in them, though he found something oddly familiar about him. It was not until he looked at the papers accompanying them that he realized who he was looking at.

“I found them!” he called. “I found Vincent’s files!”

Reno heard Cid leap off the table in the other room and come running down the hall into the study.

“Where were they?”

“Here, in this box. We were researching the wrong name. It’s not under ‘Valentine’ at all.” He showed Cid the file.

“‘The Echidna Project’?” said Cid. “What the hell’s an echidna?”

“I don’t know. I suggest we grab anything we can find with this labelling and drag it back to the inn down the road. I’ve had it with these spooks and spiders.”

“Sounds good to me.”

They found five boxes in all, crammed with files, photos, videos and notes. They wrestled the heavy boxes up the stairs and out of the house, then dragged them down to the inn. They walked into the tidy little establishment, dirty, stinking, and exhausted. Reno dropped his box and sat down on it, swatting at a tiny spider dangling from a web in his hair.

“We’d like a room,” said Cloud.

The man behind the counter stared at them. “Are you the guys that were digging around in the old mansion? Don’t you guys know there are monsters in there? My mother swears to this day she saw a vampire in the lower levels, clad in red and black, sleeping in a coffin.”

“He appears to have moved out,” said Reno.

The man seemed dubious, but hopeful. “Really?”

“I can promise you,” said Cloud, “the guy in the coffin is definitely no longer in the mansion.”

The innkeeper looked surprised. “Huh. I wonder where he went?”

Cid, Reno and Cloud declined mentioning that the ‘guy in the coffin’ was currently pregnant and living in Costa Del Sol with a pilot.

There was only one room available, but that was all they needed. They dragged the boxes upstairs, carried them into the room, and deposited them onto the floor. Cid locked the door, while Cloud flopped onto one of the two beds. Reno walked into the bathroom and began running water for a bath. Cid sat on the floor and began looking through one of the boxes.

“Don’t be in there all night!” he called after Reno.

“Oh, and deny myself your charming company? Oh, my, what a lovely large bath. Easily large enough for two people. Seems a shame to waste all that water bathing by myself.”

Cloud got off the bed and walked to the bathroom. Cid growled as they closed the door and locked it. He turned on the TV so he didn’t have to listen to them, then glanced at the clock. It was just after nine-thirty by now, and despite his urge to call Vincent, he didn’t want to wake him up.

“No, he said he would call if he needed me,” he told himself firmly. “There’s no use waking him up.” He took the lid off one of the boxes and began sorting through the files.

***---***

9:40 pm. Location – Costa Del Sol.

Marlene was in tears. It was late, it was dark, and a wind was coming in off the water, rattling the door and shutters. Normally she did not mind the evening winds from the ocean, finding them rather enjoyable. But that was when she was safely huddled between Reno and Cloud, having crept into their room after they were asleep, wedging herself between their sleeping forms the same way Goober did. But they were not here to keep the monsters away. She had been as brave as she was able, but she had finally reached her limit, and Goober and Cait Sith were no longer adequate company for keeping the fears and dark creatures of imagination at bay. With utmost reluctance, she picked up the phone and began dialling the last number she wanted to call. The phone rang three times, and was answered by a voice of soft velvet, oddly devoid of emotion.

“Hello?”

Marlene squeezed her eyes shut. She had been hoping Zack would answer, but she knew the low, quiet voice was not his.

“Seph…?” She struggled with his name. For some reason it never came easily to her, and a part of her hated saying it. “Sephiroth?”

There was a pause. “Marlene?”

“Uh huh.”

“Child why are you calling?”

“Because I’m alone.”

“Alone? Where are your parents?”

“Daddy and Tifa had to go to Auntie’s a day early because she’s sick, so they brought me to Cloud and Reno’s, but they don’t know I’m here so they went somewhere, and Aeris and Tseng went to th’ Ancient City, and I can’t find Cid.”

“Where is Vincent?”

“I think Vincent’s at the hospital having a baby.” She drew a steadying breath. “Can Zack come get me?”

“Zack’s not here. He’s visiting his mother.”

“Oh,” she said in a very small voice, her heart sinking. The windows rattled, and the power flickered briefly. She squeezed her eyes shut. “Okay.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Marlene did not care for Sephiroth, but she hated the idea of hanging up even more. She finally forced herself to take a breath, and was about to say goodbye when he spoke again.

“I will come get you.”

“But you can’t come off the hill,” she said in a quavering little voice.

“I don’t think one exception will do any harm. I’ll be there by midnight.”

Marlene blinked. “Midnight? It’s a four hour drive from here to your place.”

There was a cold little chuckle. “Not the way I drive.”

“Okay,” she said. “Thank you.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

She heard him hang up, then looked at Cait Sith. “He’s coming.” She didn’t know if she was glad or not.

The hours inched by. The winds picked up, becoming a storm. Marlene had tried to take her mind off things by making sure she was ready to go when Sephiroth arrived, but that only used up a few minutes. She next tidied up from dinner, and then found another movie she thought looked interesting. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a horror movie about monsters that crept out of the basement.

Marlene turned it off and put it back, thoroughly shaken by now. The wind storm was moaning and howling, causing the small house to shiver. She was standing in the living room, a fireplace poker in her hand, keeping her eyes fixed on the steps that led to the downstairs room, when there was a massive gust of wind. It slammed the door open with a tremendous crash, and all the lights went out. Both Marlene and Cait Sith screamed for their lives and dove behind the couch.

“We need a flashlight!” she yelled.

“I don’t have a flashlight!” yelled Cait Sith.

“But if we don’t have one the monsters from the basement will get us!” She shivered, her eyes huge. “I wish Cloud was here.”

Cait Sith peered out from behind the couch. The door was wide open, and the icy wind was scattering small objects and causing the curtains to blow like the spectral hands of ghosts. He crept slowly and quietly towards the door, finally reaching it. Bracing his little paws against it, he pushed the door closed.

“There,” he said. “That’s better. Now, where do they keep the flashlight?”

“Maybe in one of the drawers in the kitchen? That’s where Daddy keeps it.”

Cait Sith searched the drawers, but did not find a flashlight. He did however find some candles, and a book of matches. He set the candles in holders and lit them. The light was weak, but it was better than the darkness. Slowly Marlene crept out from behind the couch, still clutching the poker.

“Do you think the monsters will come up now?” she asked.

“No, not a chance,” said Cait Sith. “We’ve got candles. The movie said they can’t come up where there’s light!”

The wind picked up, the door slammed open again, and the candles blew out. Marlene and Cait Sith both shrieked. The shrieks changed to outright screams of terror as both suddenly realized something extremely tall and spectral was standing in the doorway, tentacles spreading and reaching for them, its sides flapping like the flanges on some sort of alien gastropod. Child and cat raced in opposite directions, Marlene diving for the couch, Cait Sith darting under a table.

The door was closed and locked, and Marlene heard the sound of a match being lit. She dared to peek out from behind the couch, and heaved a sigh of relief as the light of the candle revealed the thing in the doorway to be Sephiroth. He was clad in a hooded cape, the tentacles becoming his long hair, the flanges nothing more than fabric. She dropped the poker and ran to him, crashing into him and wrapping her arms around his hips, which was the highest point she could reach.

“Why are you sitting in the dark?” he asked.

“The lights went out, and Cait Sith and I were hiding from the monsters in the basement.” She looked up at him. “They can’t get us, can they?”

Sephiroth stared down at the child. “Monsters. In the basement.”

“Yeah, big ones that eat your brains.”

It was at times like this Sephiroth looked to Zack for handling the situation, but Zack was currently miles away, getting drunk with his father.

“Fetch your things, child.”

Marlene reluctantly released her death grip on Sephiroth, putting on her coat and shoes before picking up her small overnight bag.

“Will Goober be safe from the brain-eating shadow monsters?”

Sephiroth reached into his sorely limited supply of reassuring things to tell to a child. He found something he was sure Zack would say.

“If they eat brains then rest assured Goober is very safe.”

Goober ignored him. He was currently curled up on Reno’s pillow, secure in the knowledge that any kitty was more than a match for a monster. Marlene picked up Cait Sith, and she and Sephiroth left the house. It was dark and windy, but there was no rain. She began walking down the stairs to the enormous black motorcycle awaiting them.

“Can we go see Vincent before we leave?” she asked, but before the words were out of her mouth, she remembered Sephiroth was not supposed to be off the hill, let alone in a public place like a hospital. “No,” she said. “It was a dumb question.”

Sephiroth paused, and considered the request. Marlene watched him, harbouring a small hope in her breast.

“For a few minutes,” he said.

“Really? Yay! I hope Cid’s there. That would be awful if Vincent’s alone.”

Marlene walked to the enormous motorcycle and stared at the machine. It was long and lean, like a great hunting cat, and painted a flat black. The gas tank was higher than she was tall, and it was easily as wide as a horse. It was an altogether daunting creature. She was almost afraid it would growl at her as she stuffed her small overnight case into the saddlebags. She watched as Sephiroth mounted the huge machine.

“Where do I sit?” she asked.

He did not answer. She expected that. He didn’t seem to ever say very much. He tucked his long white hair into the cape, and drew the cowl low down over his face. He then reached into one of the saddlebags and pulled out a child-sized helmet. He clamped it onto Marlene’s head, fastening it before picking her up and setting her on the gas tank before him.

“And what about me?” said Cait Sith.

Sephiroth picked him up and shoved him into the saddlebag, closing it after him. He then started the great motorcycle.

“Lean forward,” he said.

She did, hugging the gas tank, feeling his large body over top of hers. It was comforting somehow, to have him behind her, though she wasn’t sure why. Most times Sephiroth just frightened her. But after hours of being alone, it was kind of nice to be quasi-squashed between him and the gas tank, feeling his large heart beating in his chest. She wondered if this was what it was like to be a baby chicken.

The bike started forward, moving at a speed appropriate for a small sea side town. It took only twenty minutes to drive to the hospital, and Marlene slithered out from beneath Sephiroth the moment the bike stopped. She rescued Cait Sith from the saddle bag and hugged him. The cat coughed.

“Are we there yet?”

“We’re at the hospital.”

Marlene looked over her shoulder at Sephiroth as he dismounted the bike. He was impressively tall, and draped and hooded as he was in flowing black cloth, only the lower half of his white face showing, he looked like Death personified.

“You’re scary,” she told him.

Sephiroth said nothing in response, but Marlene thought she saw the faintest ghost of a smile cross his lips. She began walking towards the hospital, and he fell in step just behind her, his cloak blowing back like ghastly wings. Together they entered the hospital and walked up to the reception desk, Marlene having to stand on her toes to peer across it. The nurse glanced up, and smiled at the little girl in the white coat with the pink ribbon in her hair. However the smile became decidedly plastic when she noticed the tall spectre behind her, exuding power and just the smallest hint of cold malevolence.

“We’d like to see Vincent Valentine, please,” said Marlene.

The nurse stared at the cowled figure, feeling a small worm of fear squirm through her heart. “Well, it’s past visiting hours…”

“Oh please?” begged Marlene. “We just want to see him for a minute.”

The nurse backed up slightly. “Are… are you two family?”

Marlene had been raised to always tell the truth, but she had the feeling that if she said ‘no’, then they would not be allowed to see Vincent.

“Yeah, I’m his niece,” said Marlene. She pointed at the black demon behind her. “This is his son.”

The woman eyed the shaded creature. “Names?”

“Seph… Seth Valentine,” said Marlene. “I’m Marlene Valentine.” She winced, wondered if she was going to get spanked for this. The nurse noted down their names.

“Second floor, room 212.”

“Thank you,” said Marlene sweetly. She then walked away, holding Cait Sith close to her chest, Sephiroth following her like an inquisitive grim reaper.

“Nice save,” he said dryly. “Who taught you to lie like that?”

“Reno,” she said. “Daddy says he’s a bad influence but I like him. He’s the only adult who tells me stuff. I don’t understand grown-ups. Then send you to school to get an education, but when you ask questions nobody tells you stuff! It’s frustrating.”

“And what does Reno tell you?”

“Reno knows everything,” said Marlene with confidence. “He knows why the sky is blue, and why grass is green, and why chocobos stand on one leg to sleep. He even knows why dogs have cold noses.”

“Indeed. And why do dogs have cold noses?”

“It’s an idiot detector.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“It’s an idiot detector! Reno says a dog’s nose gets cold when an idiot walks by, but it happens so often their noses never get to warm up.”

Sephiroth smiled slightly. “Well Reno would know.”

“He’s smart. And he’s the only adult I know who will let me eat ice cream out of the carton and stay up late to watch old movies. And I don’t know why but I really like to watch him walk. Is that strange?”

“Confidentially, child, I like to watch Reno walk too.”

“But why?”

“You’ll know when you’re older.”

Marlene rolled her eyes and uttered a sigh of exasperation. “Gawd you’re just like all the rest! I bet you won’t tell me why Cloud and Reno would try to make a baby when they can’t have one, either.”

“I can tell you that.”

Marlene turned and looked at him, shocked at first, then excited. “You can? Really? Why?”

“Because some things have benefits aside from their practical application.”

Marlene gave him a look of pure annoyance. “It’s cheating when you use big words, you know.”

Sephiroth just smiled and tapped the button for the elevator. “Marlene, just enjoy being a little girl while you can. Enjoy the sun, enjoy the rain, enjoy the comfort of having parents who love you. Enjoy it, and hold onto it. It will all fade to grey and pain soon enough. No need to hasten the process.”

Marlene felt mildly disturbed by the remark, and gave him a quizzical look. She remembered something she once heard Zack say; that he was ill, and he would never be completely well. Was that what life felt like for him? Just shades of grey with no real joy? It seemed a bizarre concept to her, but she knew Cloud too had trouble seeing the good in life at times. Suddenly she felt terribly guilty for fearing and disliking Sephiroth as long as she had.

“Thank you for coming for me,” she said quietly. “I was really scared.”

“Really. Apart from the screaming I thought you hid it rather well.”

“Oh fine. Make fun.” She pouted. “I’d like to see you handle brain-eating basement monsters armed only with a fireplace poker.”

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside. Sephiroth tapped the button to go to the second floor. They rose smoothly and quietly to the next floor, and the doors opened.

“Oh, great,” said Marlene. “It’s Bunny Jennings.”

“Who, or what, is a Bunny Jennings?”

“She’s a girl in my school. Her mom is a night nurse here and she sometimes comes to work with her when she visits. Normally she lives in Kalm with her dad. She thinks it makes her a big shot, but it really just makes her a pest and a bully. Reno says I shouldn’t worry about her because she will just end up fat and living in a trailer.”

Sephiroth fought back a snort of amusement. Together he and Marlene began searching for room 212. They finally located it, and stepped into the private room.

Cid had overlooked nothing.

Vincent not only had the room to himself, he had a private nurse, who discreetly left to permit the visitors talk to him in privacy. There was not a luxury a hospital had to offer that Vincent did not have access to. Currently the room was dimly lit and quiet, the bed flanked on one side by IV stands and other equipment. Vincent was not to be seen, but there was a definite lump under the covers. Together they walked over to the bed, and Marlene smiled as she saw the red eyes blink open, glowing faintly in the dark.

“Hi Vincent. We came to see you.” Marlene set Cait Sith on the bed, then glanced around. “Where’s Cid?”

Vincent blinked, attempting to engage his brain. “Nibelheim,” he finally said. “Looking for paper work.”

“Oh. Doesn’t he know you’re here?”

“No.” He raised his head, giving the tall spectre a curious look. “Sephiroth? What are you doing off the hill?”

“Well I received a phone call from Marlene. It seems fate conspired to leave her alone. Tifa and Barret had to depart a day early, Cloud, Reno and Cid went to Nibelheim, and you decided to go into labour. So we had what one might call a misadventure in babysitting. She does however appear to have bested several brain-eating basement monsters.”

“Cait Sith helped,” she said. “Did you have your baby yet?”

Vincent smiled slightly, closing his eyes. “Not yet. I’m hoping Cid gets here before then.” He struggled to a sitting position, pushing his hand through his wild, ragged hair. He glanced at the labels on the IVs, but declined commenting on them. He then looked at his water pitcher, finding it empty.

“Marlene can you fill this for me from the fountain in the hall?”

“Can’t I just fill it from the sink in the bathroom?”

“No, I have this aversion to drinking water that’s been in the same room as a toilet.”

She nodded, taking the pitcher. “I’ll be right back,” she said, and left the room.

Vincent watched her go, then glanced at Sephiroth. He indicated the bags hanging from the IV stand. “So did you happen to notice the drugs they have me on?”

“I did, actually. Why are they delaying your birthing when you are already overdue?”

“I’m not sure. But they are running a lot of tests, and everyone is being very nice, if you catch my meaning.”

“You think there is something wrong with the baby.”

“Or at the very least something that could potentially affect it.”

“Could they just be erring on the side of caution? This is a unique situation.”

“Well what did they do with you?”

“I gave birth at home, alone, peacefully, in the bath. The last thing I wanted was Zack running around in circles having hysterics. He came home, I was on the bed having a nap, and the baby was in the crib.”

“So you have significantly greater control over your physical being than I do.”

Sephiroth smiled, without humour. “Yes, well, I was bred that way.”

“Not by me you were not. I was violently opposed. It earned me a bullet in the gut.” He gazed at Sephiroth with red eyes. “I tried.”

“I know. And for that I am grateful. That is why to me you will always be my father, regardless of blood.”

The door opened, and Marlene returned, carrying the pitcher over to the bedside table. “I was looking at a poster by the nurse’s station. Did you know the world record for the largest baby ever was twenty-three pounds?”

“I really did not need to know that,” said Vincent.

Sephiroth looked around. “I see Cid had made certain you have everything you need, including a few things you don’t.”

Vincent smiled. “He’s like a barnacle. Hard and crusty on the outside, all soft in the middle.” He winced, and brought his hand up to his stomach. “I wish he would hurry up and get here. If he misses the birth he’ll never forgive himself.”

“He’ll be here,” said Marlene.

She climbed onto the bed to sit beside him. Normally she would listen to the baby, but she sensed something in Vincent that she hadn’t before. He was tired, and worried, and definitely uncomfortable. He didn’t want to be touched, and some part of her child’s instinct told her this was not the time to snuggle up to him.

They stayed with Vincent for a half hour, which was all he had strength for. Marlene climbed off the bed, watching as he eased his small body down to the mattress. He was clearly miserable, and it bothered her greatly to see him this way. She looked at Cait Sith.

“Stay with Vincent, okay? Just until Cid shows up.”

The cat nodded, and climbed onto Vincent’s hip, red-booted feet jutting out before him, his little red cape hanging down as he fiddled with a small megaphone. Marlene gave Vincent a quick hug, then stepped into the hallway to give Sephiroth a chance to say goodbye as well. She was waiting by the door when Bunny Jennings walked by. She stopped and gave Marlene a surprised look.

“Well, isn’t it passed your bed time, little girl?”

“I’m two months older than you, Bunny.”

“Yes but I have responsibilities so I am much more mature than you. I get to stay up late. What are you doing here?”

“My friend is having a baby.”

Bunny looked at the name on the door. “‘Valentine’. Oh I heard about him! He’s the pregnant guy! Boy you know some real freaks, Marlene.”

“Vincent’s not a freak. He’s nice.”

“Well he must be a freak. He’s been here for almost thirteen hours and no one has come to see him but you.”

“No one but me and Baby, you mean,” said Marlene.

“Who’s Baby?” she asked, arms crossed, a sneer on her face.

The door to the hospital room opened, and out stepped Sephiroth. He was unaware of the back-and-forth sniping between the little girls, and his timing was not at all intentional. But Marlene would forever cherish the look on Bunny’s face as he stepped out of the room, draped in black, only the lower half of his face visible. He looked down at Marlene.

“Time to go,” he said softly.

Marlene smiled and waved at Bunny, then turned and walked away, followed by what looked like phantom, his very presence smelling of darkness, and of forces best left untried. Bunny Jennings crossed her arms, chilled by his passing, and made a mental note to stop picking on Marlene.

They did not go to the hill. Sephiroth changed his mind, returning instead to the villa. Marlene was so tired she was staggering, and did not ask any questions. She washed up and brushed her teeth, then changed into her nightgown. Normally she slept on the folding couch in the living room, but when she came out of the bathroom it had not been made up. Sephiroth likely assumed she would sleep downstairs in the spare room, but since that was where the monsters were, she had no intention of going down there.

She wandered into the bedroom Cloud and Reno shared, finding him already in bed, lying on his side, eyes closed, his white hair spreading over the pillow and hanging off the edge of the bed. Marlene climbed in beside him, then squirmed backwards in the way children do, her back eventually meeting his stomach. He did not react other than to shift his position slightly, lifting his arm to let her snuggle close, then lowering it. Moments later, Goober appeared, purring noisily, stomping the pillows for some inexplicable kitty reason. Eventually he too settled down, and there was peace, the quiet broken only by the wind, and some small, strange rhythmic rattling noise. After a moment Sephiroth raised his head, tracking the sound, and realized it was the cat. He was snoring.

“Wonderful,” he muttered, and closed his eyes.

***---***

1:10 am. Location – Nibelheim.

The boxes were proving to contain research from two entirely different people, and for two entirely different reasons. The original project had been begun by Dr. Gast, who was studying the way muscles, joints, and tendons worked together to create movement. Of course any researcher involved in bio-mechanical engineering understood the relationship between the three, but Dr. Gast appeared to have a theory about the matter he was pursuing, though for what reason and to what end were questions now lost to time. He had chosen Vincent as his study subject for the simple reason that he was as close to physically perfect as an unmodified human being could be.

Hojo had taken over the project and turned it into something far darker.

Cid leafed through the stacks of black and white photos from the first box, gazing at the beautiful young man with the soft brown eyes and impish little smile, his beautiful dancer’s body unmarred. He wished Hojo was alive so he could kill him. Cloud stopped yet another tape and pulled it out of the machine.

“Okay, I think we can all safely assume that everything in box one has to do with studies of motion. What’s in box two?”

Reno flipped through a file. “It looks like plans for a prototype of some sort of prosthesis, something that would move and respond and look just like a real limb.”

“That would explain the endless hours of footage,” said Cid. He tossed the photos into the first box and opened the third. A mouse stared back at him with large, frightened eyes. Cloud snatched it up before the creature could react.

“Hold onto it,” said Cid. “If it ate holes in files we need, I’m gonna kill it.”

“Cid I’m not going to let you kill a mouse,” said Cloud. He passed it to Reno, who accepted it tentatively.

“Oh thank you, I’ve never been given vermin as a post-coital offering before.”

“Just put the poor little guy outside before Cid eats him.”

Reno carried the mouse over to the window, releasing it on a tree branch. Cid pulled out a pair of large binders, handing one to Cloud. Cid opened his, blowing away a few small spiders. He read briefly, using one hand to pull a cigarette out of the pack and put it between his lips, then flicking open his lighter to touch flame to tobacco. He snapped the lighter closed with a metallic sound.

“Oh here we go,” said Cid. “I found something about Echidna.”

“What’s it say?” asked Reno.

“It says… Echidna was a female monster spawned in a cave. Described in mythology as ‘half nymph, with glancing eyes and fair cheeks, and half again a huge snake, great and awful, with speckled skin, eating raw flesh beneath the secret parts of the holy earth. And there she has a cave deep down under a hollow rock far from the deathless gods and mortal men. There, then, did the gods appoint her a glorious house to dwell in: and she keeps guard in Arima beneath the earth, grim Echidna, a nymph who dies not nor grows old all her days.’ She is widely known as… the Mother of All Monsters.”

“Oh I don’t think I like where this is going,” said Reno.

“There’s a tape in the box,” said Cloud. He picked it up, then looked at Cid. “I don’t know what’s on this, but I somehow suspect it’s not going to be pretty.”

“Just play the damned tape,” said Cid, his tone grim.

Cloud put the tape in. They hadn’t been expecting anything good, and they were not disappointed. The tape began with Hojo wrestling something onto the table, dropping it there like so much meat, then stepping aside to reveal a limp body, head resting at an unnatural angle, eyes glazed, a massive hole in his stomach. Hojo was covered in blood, and it dripped from a corner of the autopsy table. He stuck a pan beneath the corner to collect the falling drops before calling an orderly to mop up the floor, then departed to change.

Cloud glanced at Cid. He had his hand over his mouth, and looked as though he did not know if he wanted to vomit or scream.

“Just keep telling yourself he’s safe now,” said Cloud quietly.

Cid shook his head, saying nothing, unable to take his eyes off the limp form. It was definitely Vincent, and he was definitely dead. Cloud could hear a shiver in Cid’s breathing, and put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, feeling ill and saddened himself as he gazed at the thirty-year-old image.

The experiment took many, many hours; more than they could watch. They sorted tapes according to notes, finally arriving at the one that concerned them the most at the moment; reproduction. Cloud put the tape in, and they watched as Hojo continued rearranging Vincent’s insides.

“The sound quality is horrible,” said Cloud.

“Probably just as well,” said Reno. He had one of the large binders on his lap, and he briefly filched Cid’s cigarette to have a puff. “Well according to the notes that go here, Hojo is putting the finishing touch on his creation, a being he calls a gorgon. It’s a monster with claws of brass, and… the ink’s smeared here. Anyway, it’s a monster with claws of brass. Hojo’s basic idea seemed to be to create the ultimate guardian, a creature that did not need to eat or drink, or leave its post for any reason, a creature of fear and darkness that could produce its own minions. Hah! Victory. There’s a diagram.”

He passed the book to Cid, who had no experience with biology, but he knew how to read a schematic just fine. He traced over the complex drawings and diagrams with calloused fingers, matching them with the notes and legends.

“Okay, what have we got here. That’s a uterus. And those are ovaries. And where’s the birth canal, people? I don’t see an entrance or an exit. How did Vincent get pregnant if there is no way for the fish to get into the lake? What’s that there? Small intestine. That’s no help. Wait, why the hell is it there? Fuck you’d think if the asshole could pull Vincent’s guts out then the least he could do was put them back where he found them.” He spread the complex diagrams and legends on the floor and carefully followed the reconstructed inner workings. “There are two wombs in here. Why the hell would he need two?”

“Why would he need one?” said Reno.

“Because this one is occupied,” said Cloud. “Look, there. The first one contains eighteen genetically engineered creatures in a dormant state. The second one is unoccupied, and has attached to it a device capable of harvesting genetic material from Vincent’s own body to create eggs.” Cloud looked at Reno. “What was it you said to me once, regarding Vincent? ‘Considering how devastated Vincent was over Lucrecia and her baby, Hojo might think implanting ovaries or something in Vincent was a hilarious idea’?”

“But still no answer to the question we have all had from the beginning. How did he get pregnant in the first place?” said Cid.

“It could be one of the monsters reaching full gestation,” said Reno.

“I’d really rather try to think happy thoughts right now, if ya don’t fucking mind,” said Cid.

The three sat around the diagrams, flipping pages, craning their necks, moving closer, moving back, peering at the drawing like a trio of chocobos studying the slow passage of something they’d never seen before. Then Reno leaned down and tapped the paper with his finger.

“There. Right there. You tell me that’s not what we’re looking for.”

“It can’t be,” said Cid. “There’s no external…”

He fell silent, thinking back to a very drunken romp he and Vincent had when first they moved in together. They awoke the next morning to a substantial amount of blood on the sheets, and Vincent was in so much pain he was virtually paralyzed from the waist down. At the time, they had absolutely no idea what had happened, but the longer Cid looked at the diagram, the more sense it made.

“That’s what happened,” he said quietly, more to himself than anyone. “Poor baby, it must have hurt like hell.”

“What happened?” asked Reno.

Cid glanced at Reno. “None of your business. Help me gather this crap up, we have to get to Costa Del Sol and show it to Dr. Gaywell.”

Reno almost said something cutting, but Cloud gently silenced him. He knew Cid better than Reno, and recognized the look of guilt and anger.

“Whatever it was,” said Cloud. “You know Vincent doesn’t blame you.”

“Yeah well I blame me. I should have noticed something was off.” He dropped the binder and journals back into the box and closed the lid, turning to face them. “There is an entrance there. But it’s not open. It has some sort of protective membrane over it, so it doesn’t look like there’s anything there. And of course since Vincent is a guy, we didn’t go looking for it. Until one night we were both too pissed to pay attention to what we were doing and I tore it open. As if that was not bad enough, the passage is too short so I can now live with the guilt of knowing I probably ripped him to shreds. Anyway I guess during the night the membrane regenerated. Vincent couldn’t get out of bed for two days. Christ in a sidecar I am SUCH an ASSHOLE!”

“Oh how could you know?” said Reno. “Really. Ask yourself. Anyway you are missing the point. You now know how he became pregnant.”

“Yeah, I guess,” muttered Cid. He looked at his watch. “Let’s get a move on.”

Neither Cloud nor Cid noticed as Reno quickly and delicately picked an envelope out of the box and pocketed it.

They took the boxes back to the airship, and as soon as they were on board and away from the blocking effect of the mountains, Cid heard his phone make a soft trilling sound, informing him that he had a message. He yanked the device out of his pocket, turning it on and playing the message. His eyes grew large and the cigarette tumbled from his lips as he heard Vincent’s voice.

“Cid, it’s Vincent. It feels like the plane is getting ready to leave the hanger, I’d really appreciate it if you were here while it’s heading down the runway.”

“Fuck.” He turned to his friends. “Hurry your asses up, Vincent’s having a baby. SHIT! SHIT SHIT SHIT! He called just after eleven, why didn’t I get the damn message?”

“It’s the mountains,” said Reno. “The signals don’t get through.”

“Well hang onto your nuts, because I’m not making him wait any longer.”

***---***

6:17 am. Location – Costa Del Sol.

Vincent was sitting up, his back against a pile of pillows, his hair lank and damp. He clutched the sheets, exhausted and wanting only for the ordeal to be over. He looked at the private nurse, none other than the gentle giant who had carried him out of the house. Vincent closed his eyes and swallowed, gritting his teeth.

“What’s wrong?” asked Vincent. “Why is Dr. Gaywell giving me drugs to slow the contractions?”

“Well for one thing, you don’t have the means to push this baby out on your own. For another she saw something on the sonogram she doesn’t like and she wants to find out what it is before she tries cutting you open.”

Vincent lowered his head, panting like a dog in the sun, hoping she figured it out soon. Suddenly his head shot up as the door flung open and in walked Cid. He strode up to the bed, seating himself on the edge and pulling Vincent close, holding him tightly, stroking his hair.

“Vincent I am so sorry, the signal was blocked by the mountains, I came as soon as I got your message.” He kissed his head. “I’m here now.”

“Tell me you at least found something?”

“Yeah, we did. Five boxes of it, and turned them all over to Dr. Gaywell.”

The woman strolled in just as Cid uttered her name, clad in her white coat, hair up in a bun. She was reading the journal, the diagrams held in one hand.

“Okay, let’s have a baby,” she said. “And according to this, you should be just fine on your own; we won’t have to cut you open. We’ll give you something to help with the pain and let you get to work.”

Vincent heaved a sigh of relief, sinking back to the pillows and closing his eyes. He felt Cid lie down beside him, holding his hand, pressing close. Seconds later he was dead asleep. Vincent, Dr. Gaywell and the nurse just stared at him.

“He must be such a comfort and support to you,” said the nurse dryly.

Vincent sighed, then rest his brow against Cid’s, closing his eyes.

***---***

6:30 am. Location – Costa Del Sol.

Reno knew something was wrong the moment they reached the door. Cloud watched him pause, and begin looking around, examining the door frame.

“What is it?” asked Cloud.

“I think the door has been forced,” said Reno.

“Great. What next?” muttered Cloud. He gently edged Reno to one side, and tried the knob. “Well whoever broke in locked up again.”

He pulled the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door, pushing it open slowly, peering inside. The place was a mess. Pictures and mail were scattered across the floor, overturned candles lay on the counter, and the fireplace poker was in the middle of the floor. A great black cape was lying on the floor, pulled down from the hook by Goober, who was sleeping on it. In the chair beside the fallen cape were a little white coat and a small pink overnight case with chocobos all over it.

“Oh this can’t be good,” said Reno.

“You check downstairs,” said Cloud.

Reno did, while Cloud checked the other rooms in the house. Finally he reached the bedroom, noticing the door was partly opened. Cloud and Reno never left the bedroom door open when they were not in the house because Goober liked to climb the clothes hanging in the closet. Cloud drew his sword, then carefully pushed the door open.

There was someone in the bed. Cloud tried desperately to think who it could possibly be, and the only person he could think of who would break into his house, make a mess, then have the gall to climb into his bed was Zack. However he couldn’t think for one minute why Zack would be there, unless Baby had come apart again.

Cloud offered a silent prayer for Sephiroth’s mental health and walked over to the bed. He had almost reached it when a small head looked up, brown eyes blinking sleepily. Cloud set his sword aside and walked over to her.

“Marlene what are you doing here? You were not supposed to be here until this afternoon!”

“I know, but Tifa and Daddy had to leave early, and Vincent started to have a baby and I didn’t know where you and Reno were, and…”

The thing in the bed moved. Cloud picked up Marlene and the two left the bedroom, closing the door. He set the child down and began tidying up.

“Okay, from the beginning.”

Marlene began making breakfast for herself, telling him the whole story, including the brain-eating basement monsters.

“Well hang on,” said Reno. “If Tifa and Barret are out of town, and Aeris and Tseng are at the City of the Ancients, and Cloud, Cid and I were in Nibelheim, Vincent was at the hospital, and Zack is visiting his parents, then who’s in the bedroom?”

Marlene was about to add her fifth heaping tablespoon of cocoa to her milk when Cloud took the can away. “Baby,” she said.

“Baby?” said Cloud and Reno in unison.

She nodded. “Yeah, I told you, I called Zack but he wasn’t home. So Baby came instead and we went to the hospital to see Vincent and then we went to bed.”

“So that big lump in our bed is…”

“Baby.”

Cloud and Reno exchanged glances, then immediately looked towards the black cloak on the floor, liberally covered in long grey cat hairs and one small grey cat with a mask of black. Reno snapped up Goober while Cloud grabbed up the cloak and took it outside to shake off the hair.

“Can we go see Vincent?” asked Marlene.

“Sure,” said Reno, “what’s another twenty-four hours without sleep?”

Cloud walked back into the house, carrying the long black coat, now free of most of the cat hair. He hung it out of the reach of tiny paws, then picked up the phone, ignoring Goober as he climbed up his leg, onto his shirt and finally reached his shoulder. He dialled Tifa’s cell phone, and after a few rings heard her sleepy voice.

“Hello?”

In the background Cloud heard Barret mutter; “Who ever it is, tell him he’s going to die, slowly and painfully.”

“Tifa?” said Cloud.

“Mph. Cloud? Why are you calling so early?”

“Vincent’s having a baby.”

“He is? How soon?”

“I don’t know. We dropped Cid off at the hospital, then came home just a few minutes ago. We were going to get cleaned up and go there in about an hour.”

Tifa gasped. “Oh no. You were out ALL NIGHT?!”

“Well we had no idea you were bringing Marlene over early, and Cid wanted to go to Nibelheim to check for any records on Vincent…”

Cloud listened to Tifa and Barret begin to have a mutual meltdown over the thought that Marlene had been alone all night. Grinning, Cloud passed the phone to the little girl. She took it, and promptly turned into a miniature Reno.

“You people are in very, big, trouble,” she said.

Cloud grinned, hearing the hysterical parents apologize profusely. Marlene listened, then said; “Not good enough.” She glanced up as she saw Reno hastily write something on a piece of paper then hold it up. She grinned broadly. “I want the red bracelet we saw in the store.”

Cloud snorted with laughter as Barret’s voice bellowed; “WHAT?!”

“You heard me.” Marlene’s voice became a remarkable imitation of Reno’s. “And pierced ears.”

Cloud and Reno were nearly dying with suppressed laughter. Barret could be heard as if he was in the room.

“PIERCED EARS?!”

“Well, father,” she said, “It certainly wasn’t MY fault I had to spend the night alone in a house with the lights out and a storm brewing and brain-eating basement monsters. And jewellery does make up for a myriad of sins.”

She and Reno high-fived each other. Barret conceded defeat. He and Marlene spoke for a little while longer, then she hung up the phone.

“Daddy says he’ll be here about noon. Auntie’s friends are going to visit with her for a little while. And I’m getting a pretty red bracelet with matching earrings.”

“Barret’s right about you,” said Cloud to Reno. “You are a bad influence.”

“Not bad enough,” said Reno. “Where’s my red bracelet?”

“Jewellery would only mar your perfection,” said Cloud, and kissed him.

“You are so full of shit,” said Reno.

Cloud called Yuffie, finding her wide awake and eating.

“What’s up?” she asked, her mouth full.

“Vincent’s having a baby,” said Cloud.

“And you expect me to come see that?! GROSS-NESS!”

“Just thought you should know,” he said.

“Yeah well if he pops out twenty pounds of materia, let me know. No, wait, that would mean it’s been in his… GROOOOOOOOOOSS!”

“So are you coming?”

“Yeah why not. See you soon. I’ll bring Nanaki, he’s always fascinated by the stupid stuff humans do.”

Cloud hung up, and almost instantly the phone rang. He answered it.

“I bet I know who this is,” he said.

Aeris laughed. “I had the oddest feeling last night that Vincent went into labour.”

“Yeah he did.”

“Oh he did? Really? Did we miss it?”

“Not as far as I know. Cid’s with him.”

“Well tell him to hold on until about three pm.”

“YOU tell him.”

She laughed. “Okay we are on our way. We’ll just have to come back here another day.”

Could hung up, then went into the bedroom, wondering if he should wake Sephiroth. He was currently asleep face down in the pillows, one arm hanging off the side of the bed. Deciding the last thing he wanted to do was get anywhere near Sephiroth while he was sleeping, Cloud instead left him a note and quietly closed the door.

***---***

8:27 am. Location – Costa Del Sol.

Cloud, Reno and Marlene walked into the room, finding Vincent haggard but awake. Cid was dead asleep, Cait Sith using him as a lounge.

“You’ll have to excuse Cid, he was up all night angsting,” said Cloud.

“I thought that was your job,” said Vincent. “I’ll make him pay for it later.” He winced. “Pay heavily.”

Reno sat down on the bed. “You look like crap.”

Vincent gave Reno a look that would have made a concrete wall back up. Marlene climbed onto the bed as well.

“You do look a little tired,” she said.

Vincent said nothing, but Cloud could read the weariness in his eyes. After a moment Vincent nudged Cid awake.

“What?” said Cid.

“If I can’t rest you’re not either,” said Vincent.

The hours passed, and slowly the room filled, Aeris and Tseng showing up last. Vincent was miserable and in a great deal of pain, but he didn’t say a word. Despite his naturally solitary nature, he seemed very appreciative of the company, even though he was becoming increasingly restless and uncomfortable. Cloud just hoped he didn’t suddenly turn into something and kill them all.

Yuffie looked through the stack of music Vincent had asked for, finding all of it wanting.

“No death metal?” she said.

“You can have death metal when you’re having a baby,” said Tifa.

“Are you kidding? I’m not having a baby. Uh-uh. I’ve got plans for my life.”

“We’ll be sure to come visit you in the penitentiary,” said Cid.

The door opened, and in walked a tall figure, draped in black, hood drawn over his face.

“The Grim Reaper’s here,” said Yuffie. “Hey I have an idea! Let’s give him a scythe and then stand him in the geriatric ward.”

Sephiroth completely ignored her. He walked over to the bed, seating himself on the side opposite Cid and lowered his hood.

“You didn’t think I would miss this, did you?” he asked. He looked at the garment Vincent had on. “Where did you find a red and black nightshirt?”

“I made it for him,” said Aeris.

“I wasn’t about to wear one of those things with no back,” said Vincent. “My dignity is fractured enough.”

“I wanted to make him a little matching headscarf with flowers on it but he wouldn’t let me,” pouted Aeris.

“And this came as a surprise to you?” said Barret.

Dr. Gaywell walked in, and surveyed the crowd, which included a massive red dog-like creature at the end of the bed, Cid on one side, and what looked like Death personified on the other.

“We’re family,” said Barret. “All of us.”

Dr. Gaywell pointed at Nanaki with her pen. “Him too?”

“That’s Uncle Fluffy,” said Yuffie. “He got caught in a terrible mako reactor accident.”

She didn’t believe them, but her patient seemed content, which was all she cared about. She was about to ask them to leave briefly while she checked him over, when Vincent gasped, and suddenly the bed was covered in fluid. Vincent didn’t make a sound, but the look in his eyes was expression enough. He reached out without looking and grabbed Cid by the collar, dragging him close. He turned his head so he could stare into his eyes. Cloud had never seen Cid cringe before.

“I’ll… I’ll just be in the hallway,” said Cid.

Vincent’s eyes glowed like the coals of hell. “Oh no. You’re not going anywhere, fly boy.”

Dr. Gaywell shooed most of the crowd out, though Sephiroth refused to move, and Dr. Gaywell didn’t force the issue.

“Never been so glad to get kicked out of a place,” said Barret. He looked around, not seeing Marlene. “Did she stay in the room?”

Tifa shrugged. “She wanted to.”

“Aw she shouldn’t be seeing that!”

“Well then go in and get her,” said Tifa.

“Can’t you?” said Barret, looking mournful.

Tifa crossed her arms and stood her ground. Barret sank down into a chair.

“Fine. But if she has nightmares then you have to sit up with her.”

No one noticed the very small and very elderly woman until she walked up to them, peering nervously at the mismatched group. Cloud noticed her first, and rose to his feet.

“Can we help you?” he asked.

The small woman eyed him nervously. “I had a phone call from someone here,” she said. Her voice held traces of an accent he could not place, but it called to mind distant times, and elderly mystic women, predicting futures seen in crystal.

Reno stood up. “That would have been me.”

Cloud looked from the woman to Reno and back again, then glanced at Tifa, who just shook her head, equally puzzled. The elderly woman walked up to Reno.

“You said you had news about my Vincent.”

The shock and surprise was almost audible. “Mrs. Valentine?” said Tifa.

The woman nodded. “That’s right.” She looked at the crowd gathering around her. “I thought he was dead. It’s been over thirty years, I haven’t heard a thing, and then this nice young man called and said Vincent was here.”

The collective gaze of the group shifted from Vincent’s mother to Reno, who blinked back at them innocently.

“Hey, I figure there are just times in life when a guy needs his mom.”

Barret just stared. “You couldn’t sugar-coat it, could you? Just had to give the poor woman the whole pile at once.”

“Is Vincent okay?” she asked, looking desperate and frightened.

Aeris came to the rescue. “He’s just fine, Mrs. Valentine. Really. He’s just… changed a bit since last you saw him.”

“I don’t care how he looks, I just want to see him. Where is he?”

The group pointed to the door. Mrs. Valentine turned to look. “What’s he doing in the maternity wing?” She suddenly looked excited. “Is his wife having a baby? I bet he married that nice Angeline. No, but wait… wouldn’t she be a bit old for that now?”

Vincent had held his peace admirably, but the last few contractions were more than he was prepared for. He let loose a scream that could cut glass, followed by a string of words and suggestions he could have only learned from Cid. The old woman’s jaw dropped.

“Vincent! Who taught you to swear like that? If your father were here…” She walked into the room.

Tifa gave Cloud a nudge. “Go with her!”

“Me? Why me?”

“Just go!”

Cloud growled and followed after the elderly little woman, muttering.

“Save me from the Turks, Cloud. Give the kid CPR, Cloud. Climb the high voltage tower, Cloud. Go see if that’s Sephiroth in the bottom of the ship, Cloud. Steal the damned sub even though you have claustrophobia, Cloud…”

He smiled slightly as he heard the giggles and laughs from behind him. He entered the room, and walked up beside Mrs. Valentine. She was too stunned to say anything, and Vincent was far too busy to notice her.

“Well, we did tell you he’d… changed… a bit…” he said clumsily.

The woman just stared, trying to take it all in. She glanced at Cloud, an unreadable expression in her eyes as Vincent struggled through his labour pain. The contraction ended, and Vincent collapsed to the bed. Cid was right beside him, holding his hand.

“You’re doing great, Vince, it’s almost over…”

“Oh fuck off and die.”

“VINCENT!” said the old woman sternly, stamping one foot.

Vincent’s head snapped up. “MOM?!”

She walked over to the bed. “Who taught you to swear like that?”

Cloud and Marlene pointed at Cid. Sephiroth just watched the whole thing with silent, aloof amusement. Marlene motioned for Cloud to come over.

“Come watch!” she said.

Cloud would have rather reached up his own ass to pull his colon out, but instead walked over to Marlene, sitting in the chair with her. He was relieved to notice that he couldn’t actually see anything. Cid meanwhile suddenly found himself being looked over like the unworthy specimen he was.

“Hi,” he said. “I’m the man who got your son pregnant.”

She gasped in horror, then looked at Vincent, pointing at Cid. “With him? Oh Vincent, your ancestors weep! Eight generations, Vincent, and you mate with a gorilla! If you had to do this to yourself, then why not choose a pretty man? And when’s the last time you cut your hair?”

“Gorilla?!” exclaimed Cid.

“Can we fight about this later?” said Vincent.

“Of course,” she said, and walked around to the other side of the bed. She paused, and looked Sephiroth up and down. “Now THAT! THAT is worthy of a Valentine! Look at the bearing, the carriage, the grace! See the nobility, and the beautiful cheekbones. Why couldn’t you mate with him?”

Vincent stared daggers at the old woman. “Mother, if you don’t mind…?”

“Of course.” She sat down, taking his hand, staring at it as she realized it was made of cold brass. “Oh Vincent, I was right, wasn’t I? Someone hurt you. So many years I worried. We’ll talk about it after all this. What’s the gorilla’s name?”

“Mom, this is Cid. Cid, this is my mother, Serafina.”

“Charmed,” said Cid.

“Meh,” she said.

“If you are all quite done?” said Dr. Gaywell. “Because if any of you think I won’t toss you out for upsetting my patient, you’re wrong.”

Cid almost shot a reply, but felt Vincent squeeze his hand, and held his tongue. He kissed Vincent’s brow.

“Almost done, okay?” he said quietly.

Out in the hallway, Aeris was the first to ask the question to which all wished to know the answer.

“Where did you find her?”

Reno shrugged. “When you join the Turks, they take all your personal information and put it on file, in case something happens to you. I found the envelope with the contact information in it and took a chance.”

Tifa shook her head. “You couldn’t have just given the information to Vincent and let him make up his mind about whether he wants his mom to see him with red eyes and a brass hand and pregnant?”

Reno blinked. “Oh yeah, that could have worked too.”

Yuffie sank back in her chair. “Oy.”

“Reno,” said Tseng, “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. It’s a good thing you’re pretty.”

Reno tossed his head and pouted. Less than a half an hour later Cloud came out, looking none the worse for the experience.

“Well, Vincent had a baby boy,” he said. “And it definitely hails from Cid’s side of the gene pool.”

“How big?” asked Tifa, and winced in anticipation.

Cloud drew a breath and cleared his throat. “Fourteen pounds, three ounces¹,” he said. “I’m pretty sure it came out complete with stubble and a wrench in one hand. You should see the hands on this kid.”

Barret coughed. “Fourteen pounds?! Damn! How’s Vincent?”

“Tired.”

“Yeah I bet he is. When can we come in and see?” asked Aeris.

“The doctor said to give him a few minutes, they want to make sure he’s okay.”

“Gonna take more than a few minutes to be okay after a fourteen pound baby,” muttered Barret.

“It’s like my mother always told me,” said Aeris, linking her arm through Tseng’s. “Marry small.”

“I thought she always told you ‘dump that skinny long-haired weasel and get yourself a real man’,” said Tseng.

Aeris smiled and kissed his face. “I happen to quite like skinny long-haired weasels.”

After a little time had passed, they were allowed to come back in. Vincent looked nothing short of traumatized, but he clearly wasn’t interested in sharing his baby quite yet with anyone. Barret walked over to the bed and looked down at the child, then at Cid.

“What the hell you been eating?” he asked Cid.

Cid just shrugged, clearly a little surprised himself at what had come out of his fine-boned husband.

“Cid,” said Tifa, “you are going to be apologizing for the rest of your life for this.” She looked at Vincent. “May I?”

Vincent reluctantly allowed her to pick up the child, watching her as she carried it over to Cid.

“So what’s his name?” asked Marlene.

“Benjamin,” said Cid.

“And is it a Highwind or a Valentine?” asked Aeris.

“It felt like a Highwind to me,” muttered Vincent. He shifted uncomfortably, and Cloud thought he noticed something disturbingly familiar about the way he was moving.

“Vincent?” he said nervously. “Uh… what are you doing?”

Barret was the closest person, and Cloud watched as Vincent reached out, taking hold of the enormous man’s wrist, fingers driving deep into muscle and bone, effectively bringing Barret to his knees. Vincent gave his doctor a pleading look, and she recruited the nearest person for assistance, grabbing Cloud and pushing him next to the bed.

“Stand here.”

“I’d really rather not!” he cried as she threw him a towel.

It was over in moments, and the gathering watched as the doctor pulled something out from beneath the blankets and dumped it into Cloud’s arms. He was easily half the size of his brother, wet and overwhelmed, his black hair slick against his small head. The doctor clamped and cut the cord, then took the small bundle from Cloud, wiping it down before handing it off to Vincent.

“Did you see that?!” enthused Marlene. “Isn’t that COOL?! I’m gonna be a baby doctor when I grow up.”

“Holy crap!” said Cid. “No wonder you were so fu… huge!”

“I want to die, but it would just be redundant,” said Vincent. He looked at the tiny child in his arms, eyes blinking at the world with a puzzled expression, hands working as if to catch the air. Barret looked at the doctor.

“You didn’t know he was in there?”

She shrugged. “Benji the Wonder Baby was blocking our view.”

Vincent suddenly went strangely grey. “Someone better take him,” he said.

Barret immediately took the baby, and Vincent passed out. Cid handed Benji to Reno, who was clearly horrified, and went to Vincent.

“What’s the matter with him?”

Dr. Gaywell stared at Cid. “He’s exhausted, what do you think is the matter with him?” She looked at the group. “I’m sorry but you’ll all have to leave, now. He needs his rest, and the babies need to be checked to make sure they are all right. The father can stay but the rest of you will just have to come back tomorrow.”

The group slowly dispersed, making their way back to Cloud’s, accompanied by Vincent’s mother. Sephiroth did not come to the villa with them. He instead left quietly, getting on his motorcycle and driving off, heading back for the safety of his hill. Meanwhile, in the quiet of Cloud’s living room, Cloud and Reno showed Serafina the beautiful and artistic photos Dr. Gast had taken thirty years ago. She looked them over, a cup of tea at her elbow, Goober on her lap.

“Pretty young man,” said Serafina, looking through the photos. “My Vincent was a very pretty young man.” She smiled, but her eyes were distant and pained. Finally she looked at Reno. “It was nice of you to call, young fellow. But that man is not my Vincent. My Vincent would be sixty by now. That fellow in there could not have been much past twenty-five.”

“It is your Vincent, Mrs. Valentine,” said Aeris. “Please believe us. I know he looks different…”

“And he probably wasn’t droppin’ no fourteen pound baby last time you saw him,” said Barret.

“But it is him,” said Cloud. “And we can prove it. He’s undergone a lot of genetic manipulation, and been experimented on extensively, but it is him. The upshot of it all is he doesn’t age, and he has… other abilities.”

“And he can make babies,” she said. “With a gorilla, no less.”

“Cid’s a really good guy,” said Yuffie. “He comes off as a total creep, but there’s a really good man under it all.”

“Ah, I do not mind Cid. I see he is good.” She smiled. “But in my family, we were all dancers. We were the finest dancers. So, when I see centuries of careful breeding resulting in a baby that can bend steel beams at birth, the artist in me weeps.” She nudged Cloud. “That was why he had the second; he wants to please his mama.”

“You’re taking all this very well,” said Nanaki.

She shrugged. “For thirty years, all I wanted was to see him.” She looked at the photos. “But I do not wish to know what was done to him. I do not care his eyes are red, and his arm is brass, and he is… something a little different than last I saw him. He is alive, and he has good friends. And I finally get to be a grandmother. What have I to complain about?”

***---***

9:20 pm. Location – Costa Del Sol.

Vincent opened his eyes. He did not feel well. He felt frail, and drained, unable to defend himself from so much as a mosquito. He struggled weakly, disoriented, and was suddenly aware of someone touching his face. He turned his head, and was relieved to see Cid lying beside him.

“Hey,” said Cid. He stroked back the black hair. “Didn’t think I’d leave you now, did you?”

“I feel awful,” said Vincent, pressing close, wanting to be held.

“Yeah well you’ve had a pretty hard day.”

“How’s baby number two?”

“He’s fine. He’s perfect. He’s a Valentine. You can already see the long bones, and he’s got tiny little delicate hands. He looks just like you. He’s just a hair over six pounds².”

“He’s a little thing, like I was,” said Vincent. He nuzzled close to Cid. “I wonder how Reno found my mother?”

“Dunno. He didn’t say anything to me about it.” Cid kissed Vincent’s nose. “Did he do anything I’m gonna have to beat him up for?”

“No,” said Vincent. “But it’s got to be a lot for her to take in. I can’t imagine what the last thirty years have been like for her. Now I’m back literally from the grave, bearing children. Even if Sephiroth is mine, I can’t tell her about him…”

“Vincent,” Cid interrupted softly. “Leave the worries for another day, okay? You just had twins. I don’t want you upset. Just rest. I’m here if you need anything.”

Vincent closed his eyes. “But we have to choose a name for him. And we have to decide what family name to give them. And then…”

“Vincent. Hush.”

“But…”

“Shh.” Cid gently kissed him.

Vincent closed his eyes, enjoying the peace, and the feel of Cid gently caressing him.

“Aiden,” he said drowsily. “I like Aiden.”

“Aiden’s a good name,” said Cid. “You want to call him Aiden?”

“Yeah, I think I do.”

Cid kissed him. “Then that’s what we’ll call him.”

Vincent was quiet for a little while longer, then raised his head. “Cid…”

“Look, whatever it is, it can wait. Just rest, okay? Please.”

“No, really, it can’t.”

“What? What is so important you keep fussing and squirming?”

“I really have to get to the bathroom.”

“Oh.”

***---***

¹That comes out to between 6.3 and 6.8 kilos for our metric readers.
²That comes out to about 2.7 kilos.