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The Path to Redemption	By : Nakkinomiko Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1095 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. SquareEnix does. I make no money from this…I just like to play with them.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. SquareEnix does. I make no money from this…I just like to play with them.
A/N: Warnings for this chapter…sap, sap, sap. Muci, Vincent doesn’t change much from where I set him in this fic, so hopefully you’ll still enjoy it.   So, we’re over half way now! Maybe I should start posting these faster?
*****
Chapter 15
Sephiroth looked up from the book he was reading when Maggie came into his room, carrying a tray. He smiled faintly at her as she set his lunch on the bedside table and started to remove the covers from the dishes there.
“What’s for lunch today?” Sephiroth asked. He set his book aside and gave her an expectant look.
“Looks like egg salad today,” Maggie said, and she made a face. “Not my favorite.”
“It’s fine,” Sephiroth assured her. “How are you today?”   She’d been in and out of his room that morning, but had been too busy to really stop and talk much.
“Good,” Maggie said. “It’s been busy up here today, but other than that, I’m good. You?”
“Well enough,” Sephiroth said. He resisted the urge to tell her that he was much better now that she was in his room and talking to him. Over the past few days he’d grown rather fond of Maggie, and was beginning to suspect that she was starting to feel the same towards him. Sephiroth rather expected that the fondness he felt was rapidly evolving into something else entirely, and it scared him a little.
“Oh, and I’ve got good news,” Maggie said. She placed the tray in Sephiroth’s lap and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I just spoke with Rufus. Tseng and Elena are returning to Midgar this evening, and they have Vincent with them.”
“They found him?” Sephiroth forgot his lunch for a moment.
“Actually, he found them, but he’s coming,” Maggie said.
“That’s . . . that’s good,” Sephiroth finally said, and he found himself grinning. It was a strange feeling to be so happy about something, but he couldn’t help it. Ever since Rufus had told him who his real parents were, he’d felt something he hadn’t felt in a very long time--hope. He finally had proof that he wasn’t a monster, and that there might be a chance he could do something good with his life.
Maggie tilted her head to the side, and she gave him a slow smile. “Wow. That’s stunning.”
“What?” Sephiroth arched a brow slightly.
“That smile,” Maggie whispered. “It was beautiful. You should do that more often.”
“Would you come by more often if I did?”
“You’ll be gone from this hospital soon,” Maggie said, the smile disappearing from her face.
“So come see me when I’m out of the hospital,” Sephiroth retorted.
The surprised expression on her face was priceless. Sephiroth gave in to the urge to touch her, and he reached out and lay the palm of his hand against her cheek. She went utterly still at his touch, and for a brief moment, Sephiroth thought he might have been wrong about her. But she relaxed after a moment, and leaned a little into his touch.
“This is highly unethical,” Maggie murmured, but she was smiling. “You’re my patient.”
“I’m Dr. Graham’s patient,” Sephiroth corrected. He ran his thumb over her lips. He’d thought, once or twice, about how it would feel to kiss those lips, and the urge to find out now was nearly overwhelming.
“But I’m on duty right now,” Maggie said. Her sigh was not a happy one, and she reached up and covered his hand with her own. She gently moved it away from her face before taking it between her own hands.
“Maggie, did . . .did I misjudge you?” Sephiroth whispered.
“No,” Maggie said. She smiled softly. “But I am on duty right now. I have to follow the rules when I’m on duty, and giving in to the urge to kiss you would most definitely not be following the rules.”
“So come back when you’re off duty,” Sephiroth said. He found himself grinning again. “I promise to make it worth your while.”
“Is that so?” She smirked. “Awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Normally, it would be,” Maggie said with a puff of laughter. “But you . . . well, arrogance sits well with you, General Sephiroth.”
“Thank you, I think,” Sephiroth said. She moved to stand, but Sephiroth wrapped his fingers around one of her hands. “Promise you’ll come back?”
“I promise,” Maggie said. She leaned forward suddenly and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before quickly rising and leaving the room.
Sephiroth slowly lifted his hand to touch the spot where her lips had brushed across his cheek. He swore it tingled. He laughed softly to himself and gave his head a rueful shake. He was acting like a besotted school boy, but he’d be damned if it wasn’t a good feeling! The smile on his lips stayed long after he’d finished his lunch.
*****
The transport arrived just as the sun was setting in Midgar. Vincent had spent a good portion of the trip pacing in the cargo hold and had been unable to find the calm center that he was so famous for. Tseng and Elena had ordered that he not be bothered, for which Vincent was grateful. He only stopped pacing when landing maneuvers made it necessary for him to buckle back into his seat or risk being tossed about the hold.
“Do you want dinner first, or right to the hospital?” Tseng asked.
“Hospital?” Vincent looked sharply at Tseng. Did Shinra’s scientists already have their claws in Sephiroth? His eyes narrowed dangerously.
“It’s not what you think,” Elena said calmly. “Rufus had the labs dismantled.”
“Then why the hospital?” Vincent asked sharply.
“Because his mental health isn’t exactly the best right now,” Tseng replied. “Rufus was worried he would be suicidal.”
Vincent understood, suddenly, and after a moment nodded. That would make a lot of sense, actually. He’d talked to Cloud enough to know that Sephiroth had been a good, honorable man before the knowledge of Hojo’s experiments had caused him to snap. No doubt, if he woke sane, then his past actions would have horrified him. Rufus had done the right thing.
“Take me to him,” Vincent said. “Dinner can wait until later.”
He followed Tseng and Elena down the ramp, and found that he had a welcoming party. Vincent froze in his tracks and just stared at the young man waiting for him at the bottom of the ramp. He’d seen Kadaj before, but never in the light he was seeing him now. Green eyes gazed almost hopefully up at him, and Vincent could see Lucrecia in those eyes. He felt that terrible pain in his heart again. He suddenly wished that Yuffie would arrive sooner than morning. He’d talked to her enough about what had happened with Lucrecia that she would understand why his heart felt like it was tearing in two now. This man carried his blood, his genes . . . for all practical purposes Kadaj was his child just as much as Sephiroth was. In Vincent’s mind, the fact that Kadaj was a clone mattered little.
“Welcome to Midgar,” Kadaj said softly. He offered Vincent a tentative smile, and the Ex-Turk realized with a start that the smile held a ghost of himself.
Vincent closed the distance between them. He reached up and took Kadaj’s chin in a gentle grip and tilted his head back. Kadaj allowed it in silence.
“You have her eyes,” Vincent said quietly. He moved his fingers from Kadaj’s chin to feather a touch across finely sculpted cheekbones and nose. “Alas, you must settle for my nose, I’m afraid.”
Something like relief flooded Kadaj’s eyes, just before the tears started. Vincent swallowed the lump in his throat even as he pulled Kadaj into his arms and held him tight. Kadaj had been afraid he would reject him. Kadaj sobbed brokenly as he buried his face against Vincent’s chest.
“Hush,” Vincent murmured into silver hair. “I know of you now. I’ll not abandon you.” It hurt to say those words, to know that he’d failed Kadaj and Sephiroth by the simple fact that he hadn’t even known they were his sons.
“Vincent.” Rufus stepped onto the ramp and nodded his head. “We’ve a car waiting.”
Vincent met Rufus’s gaze over Kadaj’s head, and after a moment, returned the nod. “Thank you, Rufus Shinra.”
Rufus’s lips quirked in a quick smile before he spoke again. “Kadaj, let’s take your father to see your brother now.”
Kadaj pulled away from Vincent slightly and looked over his shoulder at Rufus. Vincent, who had always been very observant, didn’t miss the look that passed between the two. He felt his brow arch upwards slightly. The day was just full of surprises.
“That would be good,” Kadaj said. He looked up at Vincent. “I think he’s looking forward to seeing you.”
Vincent nodded and released Kadaj from his hold. He wasn’t overly surprised when Kadaj went to Rufus and linked their hands together. Vincent met Rufus’s gaze again.
“There’s no need to say anything--I know that my life is forfeit if I harm Kadaj,” Rufus said with a smirk. “But I’m afraid you would have to stand in line. Cloud and Sephiroth have already taken first and second dibs, and I’m afraid there wouldn’t be much left after that. Not that I ever intend to test that theory.”
Vincent gave a rare puff of laughter. He could almost imagine Cloud’s simple declaration that he’d kill Rufus if he harmed Kadaj. “Just so it is understood,” he said.
Rufus’s expression became abruptly serious, and he gave a slow nod.
Vincent returned the nod. “Then, let’s go. I want to see Sephiroth.”
*****
Sephiroth was just finishing his dinner when the soft knock came. He froze, his fork midway between his plate and his mouth, because he just knew who was knocking on his door. He’d had three days to think about what their conversation would be like, and he still couldn’t picture it. He was afraid, pure and simple. He didn’t like unknowns.
The knock came again, no more insistent than the last.
“Come in,” Sephiroth finally called. He set his fork down on the plate and set the tray on the bedside table, and when he looked at the door again, Vincent Valentine stood just inside. Molten eyes regarded him in silence for several moments before Vincent finally spoke.
“Have they treated you well?”
Sephiroth was mute for a moment. He was not sure what he had been expecting Vincent’s first words to be, but an inquiry to his well-being hadn’t been it.
“Better than I deserve,” Sephiroth finally replied. He truly believed that.
Vincent’s eyes narrowed slightly, and Sephiroth thought he might be smirking beneath the tall collar of his cape.
“I see you’ve inherited my tendency for self-punishment. I suppose I would be a hypocrite if I scolded you for it, because right now, I feel as if nothing I ever do will make up for my failure where you are concerned. I should have known.” Vincent’s eyes were sorrowful as he gazed down at Sephiroth. “There is nothing more I can do but say sorry, and it will never be enough for me. I should have known.”
“You were hardly in the position to do anything about it,” Sephiroth said softly. And he believed that, too. He knew what Hojo had done to Vincent. The ex-Turk had been in the labs for nearly two years before being imprisoned in the basement of Shinra mansion. Hojo had tortured Vincent, then given him immortality, and then had locked him away in the darkness. Vincent could not have helped, even if he had known. Hojo had seen to that. “I don’t blame you, for any of it.”
“I thank you for that,” Vincent murmured. He crossed the room then, and after a moment’s hesitation, sat on the edge of the bed. Vincent reached out and slid gloved fingers beneath Sephiroth’s chin and tilted his head upwards a bit.   After a moment he made a soft, amused sound.
“What?”
“You’ve got my nose, too,” Vincent said. “But your eyes . . . those are your mother’s.”
Sephiroth felt his breath hitch, and then the burn of tears. Vincent’s fingers caught the tears as they fell, and then he pressed his forehead against Sephiroth’s.
“Tell me about her?” Sephiroth whispered. “I spent most of my life thinking that my mother was Jenova. Tell me about Lucrecia . . . my real mother.”
“What do you want to know?” Vincent murmured.
Sephiroth found himself smiling slightly. “Everything.”
*****
Dinner was brought for Vincent, and he ate it while answering each and every question his son asked of him.
“What was her favorite food?”
“Pasta Alfredo,” Vincent answered. He finished his dinner and sat the tray aside. He took a sip of the black coffee they’d served with his tuna casserole and leaned back in his chair. He’d moved it close to the bed, and his feet were propped on the edge of the mattress. “She made the best pasta. I have yet to taste any that is as good. It’s a wonder I didn’t turn into a lard ball. She cooked for me all the time.”
“Was she a good cook?” Sephiroth asked.
“Yes,” Vincent murmured. “She was.”
And so it went on for hours. Vincent found that he didn’t mind reliving the memories at all, not when it was Lucrecia’s son asking the questions. Our son, he thought with a faint smile. He answered all of Sephiroth’s questions as honestly as he could, and the hospital staff turned a blind eye when the end of visiting hours came and went. The hours passed by without either he or Sephiroth noticing, and before either knew it, it was morning again. It was nearly seven in the morning when a nurse poked her head into the room.
“Good morning,” she said, and she came into the room. “Have you been up all night?”
Vincent watched the emotions play across Sephiroth’s face as the woman moved into the room. His green eyes seemed to sparkle with more life, and his expression warmed slightly. This woman meant something to his son.
“Yeah,” Sephiroth answered. “I guess we lost track of time.”
“I guess,” she said. She smiled at Sephiroth, and Vincent surmised that Sephiroth must mean something to the woman, as well. It was intriguing to watch the subtle chemistry between the two.
“Maggie, this is my father, Vincent Valentine,” Sephiroth said.
“I kind of figured.” She turned and offered Vincent her hand. “It’s an honor to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you, from Cloud.”
“Ah, you’re that Maggie!” Vincent said. It clicked into place--he’d heard Cloud talk about his nurse friend before. From what Cloud had said, the woman was extraordinary and very little ever ruffled her feathers--she had been Rufus’ nurse during his recovery, and it was no little secret that Rufus was not an easy patient to handle.
“You’ve heard of me?” Maggie arched a brow slightly.
“Cloud speaks very highly of you,” Vincent said.
“Well, there’s a lot to speak highly of,” Sephiroth said.
“Stop it,” Maggie said. She was blushing slightly and would not meet either of their gazes. “I just do my job.”
“You do it well, from what I’ve heard,” Vincent said. He took her hand and shook it lightly. “It’s good to meet you, too.”
She nodded and then turned her attention back to Sephiroth. “I’m sorry I didn’t stop by last night, but Dr. Graham insisted that no one bother you, and I didn’t want to intrude.”
“I forgive you,” Sephiroth said. “Will you stop by during your lunch break?”
“Of course,” she said with a grin. “Until then, would you both like some breakfast? Oh, and I almost forgot . . . there’s a woman in the waiting room who says she’s here for you, Mr. Valentine.”
“Yuffie?” Sephiroth asked.
Vincent nodded. He’d told Sephiroth about his relationship with Yuffie. He wanted no secrets between himself and his son.
“Is she going to freak?” Sephiroth whispered.
“Most likely,” Vincent said with a shrug. “But she’ll get over it.”
Maggie frowned. “Why would she freak?”
“You know my history,” Sephiroth said. “During the Utai/Shinra war, I did a lot of damage. Yuffie is the princess of Utai, and she and my father are planning on getting married.”
Maggie’s expression was sympathetic as she looked between the two men. “Life can never be easy, can it?” She sighed. “I’ll bring enough food for three, then, and shall I send her in? Or do you want to come get her?”
Vincent looked at Sephiroth. “I’ll be right back.”
*****
He found Yuffie right where Maggie had said she would be. She was dressed in long pants--winter was almost upon them--and a dark jacket. She looked nothing like the princess she was, and at that point, she mostly looked worried. Vincent watched her for a moment as she gazed out the window and watched birds fly by the building. It had taken him some time to realize his feelings for her. She had known long before he did, but had waited patiently for him to notice that he loved her. He only hoped she would still love him after telling her about Sephiroth.
She turned away from the window, and froze when she noticed him. She smiled wryly and shook her head.
“Always sneaking up on me,” she said.
Vincent held his arms open, and she stepped into his embrace. “Thank you for coming,” he murmured to her.
“What’s going on?”
Vincent didn’t answer her right away, because he simply didn’t know how. Sephiroth had quite brutally subjugated her people in the past, and while it was true that he’d merely been following his orders, it was not something the people of Utai would soon forget. She was going to be angry that the man was even alive, much less related to her fiancé. There was no easy way to tell her at all, so Vincent decided to just get it over with.
“Sephiroth is alive,” he said.
Yuffie went rigid in his hold. “Alive?”
“Yes. Nearly a week ago Tseng and Elena found him unconscious in the Lifestream, and they brought him here.”
“And?” She was still tense, but there was no anger in her voice, at least not that Vincent could tell.
“They ran blood tests, and like Kadaj, the Jenova gene is absent,” Vincent continued. “He’s completely sane.”
The tension in her body lessened even more, and she looked up at him. “Vincent . . .”
“Yuffie . . . Sephiroth . . . he’s . . .”
“Your son?” Yuffie’s smile was at once mischievous and reproachful. “I’m not stupid, you know. I’ve listened to every word you’ve ever told me about Lucrecia, and I came to that conclusion very early on in the tale . . . I just wondered why you never saw it yourself.”
“You knew?” Vincent looked down at her with a frown.
“Well, maybe I didn’t actually know, but I wondered. You told me yourself that it had been months since Hojo had touched her, so I found myself thinking how anyone could have thought that Sephiroth was Hojo’s. You were the only one being intimate with Lucrecia at the time, so you were the logical choice.” Yuffie studied his face for a moment before she stood on her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I don’t care, you know. I still love you, and will probably learn to like your son.”
“Sons,” Vincent corrected.
Yuffie frowned for a moment, and then understanding dawned in her eyes. “Kadaj?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you’ve suddenly got a real family,” Yuffie said.
Vincent felt sharp relief. She wasn’t going to ‘freak’, as Sephiroth had said. Quite the opposite, it seemed as if she’d already made her peace with the situation. Vincent had the urge to sweep her into his arms and kiss her soundly, but his own natural reserve wouldn’t allow for it in the crowded hospital.
She smiled softly. “So, are you going to introduce me? I mean, I’ve met him when he’s nuts, but I’m curious about a sane Sephiroth.”
Vincent didn’t answer her with words. Instead he took her hand into his own and tugged her after him. She giggled and fell into step beside him and squeezed his hand.
“I always thought he was far too pretty to be Hojo’s anyway.”
“You think I’m pretty?” Vincent teased.
“No, I think your son is pretty . . . you’re just handsome,” Yuffie corrected with a sniff. “Lucky for you I prefer handsome to pretty.”
Vincent’s laughter wasn’t much more than a soft huff. “Indeed.”
*****
TBC
- 14
- 15
- 16
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The Path to Redemption