Blood & Sympathy (FFVII: Vincent x OC)

Ch104 - Home

"Heed the words of your Queen, brave ninjas of Wutai!"

"Long Live the Queen!"

"Attack! Defend! Save!"

"All Hail Grand Chief Nanaki!"

She had heard such cries, but she wasn't quite sure if she had actually heard them or not. Maybe it was a trick of her imagination. But then again, she had ceased having these ever since Omega tore out of her. Then she remembered herself passing out with the tears that had dried on her cheeks, on top of her beloved that she thought she had lost.

It all felt like it was the end. But it wasn't. She knew there was more to it when light entered from her eyelids. Her body ached but she could move. Her fingers moved. Her eyes opened and she found herself in a room. It looked like a hospital. She recognized the beeping sounds of the machines around her right away. Jocasta closed her eyes again. No. She couldn't be alive. She couldn't have made it. Even if she had, was she supposed to live alone now? Was she supposed to move on without him?

Her hand reached for her belly. That's where the pain came from. She had lost it, hadn't she? It felt like she had. It felt like she had lost them both. No. She didn't want to be alive after this. She didn't want to. But the tubes in her hands and the oxygen cables in her nose were keeping her alive and she could barely move. A tear slipped down her cheek as she remembered. She was supposed to be dead. She was supposed to be gone, with them.

And the rest of the team. Sephiroth, Cid, Hester, Cloud, Tifa, Barret. Had they made it out too? She didn't want to know. She just shut her eyes and suffered with the thought of having lost them all. Vincent. Our baby. No. She was supposed to die with them. "We go down together," that's how it was supposed to end. What was she supposed to do now? Without them?

"Don't cry, mom,"

She looked up and saw Hester. Hester wasn't crying. Hester was smiling and it brought her hope. Hope. Hester's hand reached for her cheek and wiped her tears.

"Everybody's okay, mom," Hester said as she sat beside her on the hospital bed "Everybody's okay," she repeated. It seemed like Jocasta needed to hear it for a second time because she had nearly stopped breathing.

Jocasta inhaled shakily "Vincent... Sephiroth.... Cid-"

Hester chuckled "Vincent had his spleen sliced but I used your serum and nanotech to produce one compatible for him. Your idea worked, mom,"

Jocasta felt relief right away. A laugh found her throat. Her hand found her mouth to suppress the happiness "It did?"

Hester nodded "And as for you..." her hand found Jocasta's on her belly "...you've experienced just a small haemorrhage and a few broken ribs. Other than that, the little one's fine,"

Relief. More tears slipped down her cheeks but this time it was happiness. Her shoulders relaxed. Her head rolled back on the pillows and she sighed. Everything was okay. Everything was going to be okay now. Her fingers spread on her belly and she let out another sob. Everything is going to be okay now. She had to repeat it a couple of times. It was so hard to believe it. It was all over. It's all over.

"And as for the others, they're recovering in their rooms," Hester informed her. Jocasta tugged on her hand urging her to lean down for a hug and she did.

Hester smiled as she buried her face on her mother's shoulder. Her hands tightened around her. "Thank you, Hester..." Jocasta wept on her shoulder "...thank you so much,"