Blood & Sympathy (FFVII: Vincent x OC)

Ch85 - The Shinra Manor, A Cursed Place

Sephiroth drove and Vincent sat on the passenger's seat beside him in silence. Sephiroth could tell that he was deep in thought so he didn't really make any effort to initiate a conversation. Even if he would, he didn't know what they could talk about. He just focused his attention on the road ahead.

Vincent just stared out of the window and tried not to worry too much. He knew that the only thing that he could do was find Lucrecia's Thesis, and piece it all back together. He knew he could find the answers that he sought in Nibelheim. He knew he could find out what Deepground was up to if only he got his hands on that Thesis. And then, they'd be able to attack Deepground and stop them and save her. Because he wouldn't be able to save her otherwise.

"I just got a report that Deepground troops have deployed in Nibelheim. We're gonna have to use the old sewer system extending from the old Mako Reactor," Sephiroth said.

Vincent chuckled "Sewer system... how appropriate is that?" he said sarcastically.

And then he slipped back into staring outside the window and thinking. Sephiroth knew he was probably thinking about Jocasta. He knew he'd be worried. He was worried too. He just wanted to find out what Deepground was up to, and go get her out of there.

"She gave her life for Hester," Sephiroth said after a long moment of silence, and he wasn't sure if he'd just thought it or actually said it out loud.

"She's her daughter. Of course, she did," Vincent said.

"Would you do the same?" Sephiroth asked and he almost wanted to scold at himself for asking that.

He didn't know what drove him to let these words out, he just knew he wasn't fast enough to stop himself. What was he trying to achieve? He never had a father even though he wanted to. At least not somebody who wished to be his. He and Vincent hadn't sat down to talk about it. Even if they did, what would they say?

But Vincent looked at him for a moment. He knew what he meant and he tried to imagine what he would do should he find Sephiroth in danger. Of course, he would help him. Of course, he would jump in the way of any threat that would come right at him. He was his son no matter how difficult it was to believe it. He wasn't there for him the first thirty years of his life and he felt guilt for that. He hadn't known. No one had ever told him. Jocasta hadn't told him either. And that was why he was mad at her, but he'd let go of that anger because he couldn't get himself to be angry at her. He loved her.

"I would," Vincent finally said and he could tell that Sephiroth was looking at him surprised for a moment before he turned his attention back on the road. "You're the only thing I have left of your mother. Believe it or not, I loved her,"

But now he didn't know if he felt that love all the same. Lucrecia had experimented on him. She had condemned him a life where he did nothing but constantly fight his demons and his beasts that they wouldn't stop trying to get control over his body. He would hate every time that he'd have to transform. Every night that he'd lie down to rest and be terrified to close his eyes, afraid of the nightmares. He didn't want this life. He didn't want to live like this. He felt so foolish to blame himself thirty years now for Lucrecia's demise, only to find out that she had condemned him in that life. He didn't know what to feel about this. He needed answers.

But he did not think of it as much as he should. All that he could think of was Jocasta. Was she okay? What was she doing? Was she in pain? What were they doing to her? It drove him insane not knowing. Not being able to do something about it but leave her.

Sephiroth opened his mouth to speak, but he realized they had finally arrived. Nibelheim rested one or two kilometres away, and Sephiroth pulled over the car. They were going to proceed through the sewer systems at the lower levels of the abandoned Mako Reactor.