The Weight of the Crime
Part Three

Rating: PG
Category: AU
Pairing(s): Cid/Vincent, Tifa/Barret, Cloud/Reno, Rufus/Reeve.
Warnings: Infidelity, mpreg, angst, dark subject matter
Summary: The Annual Reunion Take II.
Notes: For Hellhoundcub

This is Part Three of three. If you've come here by mistake, then:
Click here for Part One.
Click here for Part Two.

Nanaki stood beside the small cradle near Vincent’s bed, his huge wet nose working, tail waving slowly, ears straight up in curiosity. In the bed, Cid lay on his back, Vincent close beside him, while in the cradle the baby made faces as he tried to comprehend the very strange sensation of being explored by a cold wet nose.

“What are you doing, ya numbskull?” Cid asked sleepily.

Nanaki waved his tail, ears up as tiny fists bopped his nose. “Is it supposed to smell that bad?”

Cid groaned. “I’ll give you a thousand dollars to change the baby.”

“Into what? I have some ‘frog’ materia in my mane…”

“No don’t do that…”

Cid slowly extracted himself from the bed, leaving Vincent to sleep. Vincent was not well by any stretch of the imagination, and he needed to rest, and heal. Cid reached into the cradle for the tiny bundle and picked it up.

Damn the kid looked like Vincent.

Nanaki followed after Cid, curious about the way humans cared for their offspring. Cid took the baby into the bathroom, removed the cloth diaper, dropped the diaper into the trash, washed the baby, wrapped him in a towel, took the baby back to the cradle and set him in it, then returned to bed. In moments he was asleep again. Nanaki’s ears worked as he took in this situation, then left the room and prowled downstairs, seeking out and finding Tifa.

“I find Cid’s parenting skills questionable,” he said.

“Why?” asked Tifa. “What did he do?”

Nanaki told her. Tifa made a noise of exasperation and went upstairs to get the baby, bringing it to her own room to properly diaper and dress the child.

“Don’t tell Vincent,” said Tifa. “I have a feeling that if he finds out Cid put the baby to bed wearing only a towel Cid will end up living in the attic.”

Nanaki hopped onto the bed and settled down beside the baby, looking at the tiny, weak thing.

“I think I did something very bad,” said Nanaki.

Tifa glanced at the massive red creature. “Like what?”

His ears went back in the universal canine gesture of contrition.

“I think I’m the one who told Shera about Vincent and the baby.”

Tifa stared at him, blinking in astonishment. Her mind turned back to the night Cid and Shera had their fight. Cid was lying on the floor in a pool of blood, and Vincent was in a heap in the hallway. Shera came scampering downstairs only to be intercepted by Tifa and a couple of regulars. Nanaki had been at the foot of the stairs, his keen ears and nose picking up what was going on upstairs.

“Are Vincent and the baby all right?” he called to Barret.

Tifa sighed quietly and reached out to pet Nanaki’s broad furry skull.

“It’s all right. It was an honest mistake. At least we know that she knows.”

“I would like to stay until we know Shera will not do something to hurt Vincent or the baby. It is my responsibility. It is my fault she knows.”

“Nanaki you know you are welcome to stay as long as you like. And Shera’s in jail. She’s not getting out anytime soon. She can’t hurt Cid, Vincent, or the baby.”

“I would like to stay all the same.”

“All right. But, that means you will have to earn your keep.”

His ears tilted. “How?”

“Well you can’t cook food or serve drinks, so that is out. But I could use someone to answer the office phone.”

Nanaki’s ears went up. “Answer the phone?!”

“Why not? You’re capable.”

“How am I supposed to take messages?”

“You don’t have to, the phone has a device connected to it that records all the phone calls. We had it installed after a horrible mix-up with a delivery that resulted in five hundred pounds of shrimp being left on the doorstep while Barret and I were out of town.”

Nanaki wrinkled his nose. “Eyew.”

“Tell me about it. Anyway, how does that sound to you?”

“Sounds all right. I don’t mind helping.”

“Wonderful!” She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and gave it to him. “You can start now. These are the things I need for tonight’s party.”

Nanaki dutifully took the paper and headed downstairs and into the bar’s small office. With a little assistance from Cait Sith, Nanaki got the headset on, and, using a pencil gripped in his teeth to push the buttons, he began calling businesses and ordering the party supplies. Outside the office, Reno, Elena, Rude, and Tseng watched as a huge red furry beast began phoning in orders.

“Okay,” said Elena, “is anyone other than me freaked out that the talking dog is running the office?”

“I am way too sober for this,” said Reno.

***---***

It was early evening when the party began; one that was a cross between a redo of their yearly reunion party and a ‘welcome to the world’ party for Vincent’s new baby, who was still waiting on a name. Cid spent the better part of the afternoon creating and assembling something between a very large chair and a small round bed so Vincent and his baby had a comfortable place to rest and still be a part of the evening. Vincent of course would have been far happier hiding under his chair than in it, but he wasn’t strong enough to escape.

“I hate all of you,” he grouched quietly as Tifa tucked him in.

“Oh it will be fun!” said Tifa.

“And after a few bottles of tequila we can have a Name the Baby contest!” said Elena. “Where is the little bundle of joy?”

“In bed with mommy,” said Tifa.

The group gathered in the barroom looked at Vincent. Vincent stared back with uncharacteristic focus. Elena cleared her throat.

“Could you at least uncover your baby so we may see it from over here, and thus avoid the claws?”

“No, because if I uncover him you will all stampede over here.”

Rufus narrowed his eyes, then set aside his drink. Gathering his coat about himself, he slowly sashayed over to Vincent and his handmade nest of cedar and quilts. Tifa, Barret, Yuffie, Cloud, Cid and Nanaki watched with trepidation.

“I’d… be real careful, there, Rufus…” said Cloud nervously.

“Yeah careful,” said Reno. “You don’t wanna find out what he does with those claws.”

“I am being careful,” said Rufus. He approached the bed, reaching down to uncover the tiny bundle and pick it up. “Hello little thing! Why don’t you come over here and say hi?”

Rufus walked away from the bed unbloodied, carrying Vincent’s newborn.

“Now just how the hell did you do that?!” demanded Barret.

“Simple, my dear Mr. Wallace. I am a Shinra. He used to be a Turk.”

“Thirty-three damned years ago he was a Turk!”

“Once a Turk, always a Turk,” said Rufus, lowering his head to touch his nose to the newborn’s. “I shall call you Baby Turk.”

“Turkling the Destroyer!” said Elena. “And no Turk would ever hurt the President.”

“Don’t hand me that! When Sephiroth came after the old man, you four were off gettin’ loaded!” said Barret.

“But we didn’t hurt him,” said Reno, sipping his drink. “We just refused to risk our butts for him.”

Rufus baby-talked to the tiny infant. “That’s because my father was a murdering bastard who died way too easily, didn’t he? Yes he did! Yes he did!”

“That’s… disturbing…” said Yuffie.

Tifa looked to the Turks. “So what’s his secret?”

“He lets us raid his candy stash,” said Rude.

“You can get candy anywhere!” said Barret.

“Nuh-uh,” said Reno. “Not gilded dark truffles made with purest cocoa, sweetened with pear blossom honey and filled with twenty-four hundred gil a bottle thirty year old whiskey, we can’t.”

Yuffie raised an eyebrow. “I’d be loyal for that.”

Cid stepped forward. “C’mon, Rufus, hand over the baby, you’re getting your cooties all over him.”

“That’s fine, I have all my cooties imported. Your baby would be lucky to have my cooties, each one valued at twenty thousand gil. So what are you going to name the poor little thing? At least he looks like his mother so he will be able to face the mirror.”

Cid looked to Vincent. “You must have thought about this.”

“No,” said Vincent quietly. “I was too afraid he wouldn’t make it to think about names.”

“Well maybe name him after your father,” said Tifa.

“I’m not sure I want to name my baby ‘Grimoire’,” said Vincent.

Rufus paused making nonsensical noises to the baby and gazed at Vincent.

“Your father was named Grimoire?”

Vincent nodded.

“That’s terrible.”

“He had way too much fun with it,” said Vincent. “He would go around dressed like a cross between a mage and a vampire. People used to think mother walked behind him because she was traditional. She just didn’t want people to know she was with him.”

“So you were doomed from birth, is what you are saying,” said Cid, grinning.

Vincent smiled and lowered his head, trying to hide his amusement at the comment.

“Well he’s a very special baby,” said Rufus, looking down at the tiny newborn. “He should have a very special name. Something power, dignity, strength…”

“We’re not naming the baby ‘Rufus’,” said Cid.

“Meanie.”

“Veld,” said Tseng quietly.

Vincent looked up, and the pair locked eyes as a silent understanding went between them.

“Veld,” agreed Vincent, his tone equally soft.

“I sense a story,” said Barret.

“A long and tragic one,” said Rufus. “Not one for tonight.” He handed the baby to Cid, who accepted the small bundle. “Now to decide one other question. Is he a Valentine or a Highwind?”

“Let’s just say he’s a Valentine until things are a little more stable,” said Vincent. “It’s… only been a very short while. I don’t want to rush things and find out…”

“It’s not what we want,” Cid finished quietly.

Vincent nodded.

“Yeah well that makes sense,” said Cid. “I’d really rather not have a repeat performance of what I went through with Shera. Slow and easy. So uh… one house or two?”

“Two,” said Vincent. “We’ve gone from friends who had a fling one night to a family .literally within days. I want to be with you but if we move too fast it might all fall apart, and I don’t want that.”

Cid nodded, though it was clear he would rather be with Vincent. “Okay. But I can’t promise I won’t be over all the time.”

Vincent smiled. “I just want things to move a little slower, not stop.”

Rufus looked at Tseng. “I’m getting cavities.”

“Shall I have them killed?”

“No, because then I won’t get ribs.”

“Damn straight you won’t get ribs,” grumbled Barret. “Now pass that baby! You have barbecue sauce to make, Highwind!”

Cid did so, swiftly and deftly and without complaint, breezing into the kitchen to make barbecue sauce. It didn’t take long to figure out why.

“You smell something?” said Yuffie.

Barret rolled his eyes. “Aw hell! HIGHWIND!”

“Can’t hear you, I’m making barbecue sauce!”

Reno stole the tiny newborn and vanished upstairs with it. Twenty minutes later he returned with the baby and placed him on the bed beside Vincent. Baby Veld was clean, dry, content, and asleep. He was also wearing what could arguably be the tiniest Turk uniform ever made. Tifa looked at the uniform, then at Rufus.

“You really do just have way too much money don’t you?”

“Well I have to do something now that I’m not allowed to be evil. Oh, that reminds me, I invited some friends over, I hope you don’t mind.”

“Friends?” said Cloud warily. “This is sort of a private party, Rufus.”

“Just two,” said Rufus innocently.

Yuffie crossed her arms. “You are so up to something.”

Rufus looked affronted. “Me?”

“You don’t do innocent well, sir,” said Tseng.

“Well I tried. Where’s my drink?”

“So who is coming?” asked Tifa, handing him a drink.

“My accountant. I’m writing this off as a business expense.”

There came a quiet knock at the front door. Rufus gave Cloud a light shove.

“Why don’t you go answer that?”

Cloud gave Rufus a look that implied he did not trust him and was not amused before crossing the floor. He reached the large door and unlocked it, then opened it. Then he stared.

The man before him was older than the last time Cloud saw him, and a little rougher. The dark hair was still the same though – spikes jutting up in all directions that seemed to defy gravity, and the eyes were the same intense shade of ice blue. Cloud slowly cocked his head to one side, unable to comprehend who he was looking at. He stepped back, confused and almost frightened, as the man walked into the bar. Cloud’s friends watched, not recognizing the newcomer, and puzzled by Cloud’s reaction. At long last, Cloud spoke, his tone unsure.

“Zack?”

Zack smiled. “Still a short-ass I see.”

“Zack I thought you were dead! I buried you!”

Zack laughed. “Well you were a little out of it. I… wasn’t quite done. Make no mistake I was a mess, but… yeah.”

Cloud suddenly pounced on him, hanging around his neck like a big leather-clad kid and openly crying. Zack held him tightly, just letting him weep for a time before gently pushing him back.

“I have a surprise for you,” he said softly.

Cloud wiped his eyes on his sleeve. “You mean you’re not it?!”

“I’m half of it.” He glanced up at the crowd of people, smiling. “Hi! Hey Reno, still pretty I see.”

Reno crossed his arms. “Don’t flirt with me after giving my boyfriend a full-body hug.”

Zack raised an eyebrow. “You and Cloud? How does he get on you, with a stepladder?”

Reno threatened him with a bar towel. Reeve entered the bar as Zack darted outside, and Cloud just waited in the doorway. Those gathered in the bar could hear Zack speaking quietly to someone.

“I got you. Just a bit further…”

Cloud slowly backed up as Zack entered the room, leading a very tall man. He was thin and shaky, and he moved in a way that implied his vision wasn’t very good. He was dressed in jeans, boots, and a grey military-style sweater, and his long white hair hung far down his back. He allowed Zack to lead him into the bar, then straightened up to his full seven feet and flung his hair back, gazing with a cold imperial stare that clearly implied he couldn’t see a damned thing. He was bone thin and nearly blind, but he was still Sephiroth.

“Where the hell am I?” he demanded.

Cloud pounced on him and hugged him as well. Sephiroth’s confusion only increased.

“Zack something is molesting me.”

Zack laughed. “It’s Cloud!”

Sephiroth lowered his head and looked at the blurry black and gold thing that was hugging him.

“Cloud?” he questioned, his voice soft.

“I thought you were dead!”

Sephiroth gently returned the hug, nuzzling Cloud’s gold hair. “No… just… sick and mako-encrusted.”

“Then it wasn’t you we fought in the crater…?” said Tifa questioningly.

Sephiroth looked up, green eyes misted over with a strange bluish fog. “I don’t know who you fought in the crater but rest assured it was not me. I suspect you battled with my Jenova-Clone.”

“But… wasn’t it you who destroyed Nibelheim…?”

“No I was busy having a nice little nervous breakdown. I went to the reactor to get that horror I mistook for my mother. The clone destroyed the town. Everything was just all so…. nicely planned out for my destruction. Hello little Cloud. I missed you.”

The three friends hugged one another, getting re-acquainted. Tifa glanced at Barret as he sniffed and wiped at his eyes. He noticed she was looking at him, and glowered.

“SHADDUP! IT’S ALLERGIES!”

“Of course,” said Tifa. “Why don’t you go help Cid with the ribs?”

Barret did. Yuffie swaggered forward a few steps, emboldened by Sephiroth’s weakened state.

“So the Great Sephiroth is now… kinda blind and feeble, huh?”

He raised his head and looked in the direction of the voice he heard, his eyes clouded by mako build-up. They glinted briefly, and an enormous pair of silver-black wings unfurled silently.

“Is that a challenge?”

“Hell no!” said Yuffie, retreating to a booth.

“Put those away,” said Zack affectionately, “You’re going to break up all the glasses.”

As Zack, Cloud and Sephiroth got reacquainted, Rufus quietly slipped away, heading into the kitchen and coming to stand near Cid.

“Is Seph here?” Cid asked quietly.

“Yes,” said Rufus.

“Vincent doesn’t know, does he?” asked Cid.

“No. Neither does Sephiroth. I was thinking the best time to tell them would be when things have settled a little. Vincent’s had a stressful few days, he just had a baby, and he’s ill. Sephiroth, for all his bravado, is not well either. Being encased in solid mako for years with a massive cut through the middle will ruin even the best genetically-enhanced warrior. When they find out they are father and son they are going to want to be alone, and talk. They have a lot to sort through and the middle of a party is not the place.”

Cid nodded. “Yeah. So... maybe tomorrow night. I would like them to be a family. They’ve both been through absolute hell.”

“I keep an apartment in Midgar. It’s not far from here. I’ll send my car for you tomorrow night. We’ll have dinner and let Sephiroth, Vincent, and little Veld get to know each other. Now how are you, Mr. Highwind?”

“I’ll be okay I guess. Just as long as Shera stays locked up and none of her dogs get to us.”

“No one is going to hurt you, Cid. I will see to it.”

“Oh yeah?” Cid glanced at him. “Would you give a shit if you didn’t need me?”

“Would you believe me if I said yes?”

Cid stared into the cold blue eyes, searching for an answer to the question. Finally he nodded.

“Yeah I think you would. Because we have history, and because I believe you really are trying to fix the mess your father made.”

“Bullshit,” said Rufus quietly. “I did it for ribs.”

“Then take off that nice white duster and I’ll let you help.”

Out in the barroom, Zack helped Sephiroth to get settled beside Vincent in the large, bed-sized chair. Vincent did not seem to mind, but that was perhaps because he sensed Sephiroth was not intrusively friendly. Each was satisfied with his own company, and there was no need to interact. They understood one another, and were content to leave each other alone. Not long after he settled on the bed, Sephiroth lowered his head and fell asleep, still healing from his long confinement. A little while later, Vincent curled up beneath the covers and went to sleep as well, sensing that at long last everything was as it should be.