Blood & Sympathy (FFVII: Vincent x OC)

Ch71 - Near Death Experience

Cloud and Sephiroth were locked into chasing the Remnants. Kadaj was ahead on his motorcycle with JENOVA's head in his arms, and the other two were trying to make Sephiroth and Cloud lose him. Cloud dealt with the other two, and Sephiroth focused on Kadaj. Reno and Rude showed up with a helicopter and they helped Cloud deal with Loz and Yazoo.

The team was gathered in the Shera. Cid's hands were tight around the rudder as he piloted the ship, following the fight. The team were all staring at the window, keeping up with what was happening. Hester groaned worriedly.

"Isn't there some way that we can help?" She asked turning at Cid and the rest of the team.

"It's alright, Hest, Sephiroth has Cloud and the goddamn Turks! They don't look like they need our help!" Cid said.

Hester sighed and crossed her hands against her chest. She felt a hand by her shoulder and she turned to see who it was. Jocasta gave her a smile and passed her hand around her daughter's shoulders "It's alright. If it looks like they're in trouble, we'll jump right in," she said reassuringly and Hester sighed.

It was still surprising that her mother wasn't using a cane. But again, Hester knew Jocasta would've figured out how to heal herself anyway. She always seemed so capable of standing back up to her feet whenever times were tough. Hester had to admit to herself. She admired that.

"We better! It's so boring up here!" Yuffie protested.

"Shut up, brat!" Cid cried out.

"Fuck off, old man!" Yuffie shot back and she received a smack on her shoulder by Jocasta.

"Language!" Jocasta scolded.

Yuffie groaned "I'm no longer a kid!'

"You are!" Everybody -minus Vincent and maybe Red- yelled out in unison, and Yuffie groaned raising her hands in defeat.

Jocasta could no longer hear the loud voices inside her mind. She knew that that was probably because Vincent was in the same room. They hadn't even exchanged a word. She knew he wouldn't approach her even if he wanted to. Of course, he didn't want to. He was still mad at her and that was pretty much obvious. She knew he had all the right to be mad. She hadn't told him. She couldn't. She had kept the truth from him. But telling him that the only woman he'd ever loved never wanted him and that was the reason she had married another man, she knew, it would break his heart. But he hadn't believed her. And she knew that he wouldn't believe her. He couldn't because he was so convinced that Lucrecia loved him.

But right now, he couldn't hear his demon's and his beasts' voices inside his mind either and he knew that that was because Jocasta was there. He had that silence in his mind that he didn't have for such a long time. He was exhausted. He hadn't slept for who knows how many days. The nightmares and the screams in his mind, wouldn't let him sleep, and after two years of a mind in a constant unease, he finally listened to silence. Silence. And he could finally hear clearly what his friends were saying.

He hated that he craved for this. He craved for her. He couldn't even begin to remember how soft her touch was when she'd cup his face. The taste of her lips still lingered in his memory. Sweet, and kind, and graceful. He hated that he longed for all of these. But he knew that he'd never let himself taste her again. He couldn't, knowing that Lucrecia was still alive. Knowing that Sephiroth was his and Lucrecia's son. He wanted to bring her back. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to spend an eternal life with her. But he knew he'd never get that either. It was ironically funny that he couldn't have either of both.