Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Guns and Roses ❯ Lucrecia ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: FF VII and all the characters herein belong to Square Enix, except Liana (I made her ^_^).

 

Flashback and thought.

“Speech.”

 

**********************

A pair of electric green eyes watched from the shadows as Hojo made his way to his apartment. Once he stopped at his door to unlock it, the shadow slipped from the rooftop, coming to rest silently behind the elderly scientist.

 

“Good evening, Hojo,” a dark, sultry voice purred.

 

The frightened scientist spun around, his eyes widening in terror as he took in the figure before him. “Y—you,” he stuttered. “You're s-supposed to be dead.”

 

The figure chuckled softly, his eyes glittering maliciously. “On the contrary, my dear Hojo,” he said quietly. “Did you think a mere cowboy could kill me?”

 

Hojo stepped back. “You're a monster,” he hissed. “I saw what you did to that girl.”

 

The figure stepped closer, the light from the street lamp illuminating his features. “And I'll do that to you too if you don't do exactly as I say,” he growled, his fingers curling around Hojo's throat. He squeezed until Hojo gasped and floundered like a fish. “Understand?”

 

Hojo nodded quickly, watching the man grin once more.

 

“Good.”

 

************************

Tifa leaned back against the windshield as she sat on the hood of Vincent's car. She turned and looked at Vince as he paced anxiously next to the car. She thought over what he had told her so far. She was having a hard time believing his story.

 

It all started in the summer; the summer that Lucrecia died. At the time, I was making a living hiring out as a handy man, cowboy, stable hand, and gunslinger, anything that paid. I was trying to raise enough money for me and Lucrecia to buy our own place and for us to have a proper wedding.

 

One night, while I was upstairs in the room we rented at the local saloon, Lucrecia came running up the stairs, this look of excitement on her face. She told me she had spoken to a man who was looking to hire a gunslinger. She dragged me out of bed to go talk to him.

 

Here he had laughed, recalling something funny about that.

 

After I pulled on my boots, I walked down into the saloon to talk to the gentleman. He was an older man, and he said he was a scientist. He went by the name of Hojo. He said that a former colleague of his had stolen some of his experiments, and he was hiring some gun power to retrieve said artifacts. I was willing to help the guy out. He seemed like a nice enough person, and he was a little anxious about getting his hands on whatever had been stolen. So I agreed, and he sent me to search for a guy by the name of Sephiroth.

 

He said that I shouldn't have any trouble finding him, and he was right. Most of the towns where he had stopped, people had remembered what a shady character he had been. They pointed me in a straight line after him. Eventually, news reached him that Hojo had hired a gunman to stop him. Then was when he slipped town. I had already managed to get a lock on the guy, and I trailed him on horseback for two days. Finally, he stopped, realizing that his only option was to confront me.

 

We were in the middle of the desert, two days from the nearest town. It turned into a duel to the death. He shot first, but missed badly. I had always been quick on the draw, and before he had time to even blink, I managed to get a shot off in return, hitting him in the gut. I knew it was a potentially fatal wound. I was tempted to take what I had come for and leave, but I felt compassion for the man. I suppose that was my first mistake. But how was I to know the bastard had killed a number of people to get what he wanted?

 

After recovering the stolen items and securing them, I bandaged him up and put him up on my horse. He was unconscious the entire ride back, and when I reached a doctor, he was certain Sephiroth would not live. He took care of him for a week, and most of the time he was in critical condition. After about ten days, he woke. When the doctor mentioned that I saved him, he began to tell the doctor that he swore he would kill me, as well as every one I knew and Hojo.

 

I suppose I should have taken him seriously, but I brushed it off, thinking it was just fevered rambling. I planned on seeing him to prison after he was well, but he disappeared one night shortly after waking. I didn't see any reason to pursue him, seeing as he was still mortally wounded, and I was certain he would die before he could touch me. Little did I know, there was something I hadn't recovered, and it was an ounce of a substance that Hojo dubbed `mako'. All it took were those few drops of mako to revive Sephiroth, and he pursued me with a passion.

 

But, that was not to my knowledge. As soon as he disappeared, I headed back to Lucrecia. The money Hojo was going to pay me was going to be more than enough to get us a nice place and we would finally have the wedding Lucrecia had always wanted. And so, months passed, and everything was finally coming together. We had planned a day, and invited guests, and that was all she could talk about.

 

It wasn't until Hojo showed up once more that I knew something was wrong. He claimed that Sephiroth wasn't dead, and that he was trying to kill him. He asked me to be his body guard, and I wasn't sure what I should do. I didn't want to have to postpone our wedding, but I didn't want to turn down the job. I suppose the cowboy in me wanted one last adventure before I settled down and began raising a family. I told Lucrecia I was taking the job, and she agreed, saying that we needed the money. I told her that everything would go on as planned. Nothing was going to set us back.

 

Tears had come to his eyes as he recalled the last bit.

 

The last time I saw her was the morning of our wedding. She was anxious, and I took it for wedding jitters. She tried to tell me what was on her mind, but she never got a chance, as her mother and friends whisked her off to help her get ready. And I had little time, as Hojo came to me, saying that he had seen Sephiroth earlier that morning outside the town, at a nearby oasis. He asked me to go finish Sephiroth off, and I foolishly went. I was one of the fastest gunslingers at the time, and I knew, if I were challenged, he would be dead before his hand touched the hilt of his gun.

 

I rode out to the oasis and confronted him. Just as I had thought, he challenged me, and I shot him down. Thinking he was dead, I turned my back on him, only to have a bullet pierce my back. I turned back, the pain blinding. To my horror, he was standing before me, blood flowing from the hole in his head where I had shot him. And he looked as alive as he had before I killed him.

 

`I'm immortal,' he had informed me. `That substance I stole from Hojo was an elixir to everlasting life. Not even your bullets can stop me.' And then he shot me once more, this time in the chest.

 

Then he left me to die. He said he was going to finish off Hojo, and he threatened to take Lucrecia, maybe even hurt her just for the fun of it. My anger was what wouldn't let me die. I managed to get back to my horse, and somehow made it into town, even though I had lost so much blood. I was dizzy and my vision was hazy, but I was determined to kill that son of a bitch.

 

But I was too late. By the time I got to the church, every one had been killed or wounded. Fortunately, I found him just as he was going for Lucrecia. I ran after him, watching as he beat me to her. I could only look on as he shot her repeatedly, then left her to die. All I could do was hold her as she took her last breath. Then my strength gave out, and I passed out, certain I was going to die.

 

But, to my surprise, I woke later, feeling perfectly fine, if not a little weak from the blood loss. When I looked around, I realized I was in a lab, on a table, and Hojo was standing over me, grinning like a fool.

 

`It worked,' he said, helping me sit up.

 

All I could do was stare at him. `Worked?' I asked.

 

He nodded. `I saved you,' he said. `I injected you with some mako. It healed your wounds instantly. After a little rest you should feel good as new.'

 

My hope instantly soared. `And Lucrecia?' I asked. I watched as he looked away.

 

`She's gone,' he whispered. `She was dead when I reached her. You were the only one I could save.'

 

At first I felt as if I was having a bad dream, and that any minute I would wake, but it slowly sank in. She was dead. They all were. They weren't coming back. She wasn't coming back. Ever. I would never see her beautiful face again. I immediately wanted to go and find Sephiroth and tear his head from his shoulders, but when I got off the table, I collapsed. Hojo forced me to rest for a day or two, then told me that he had buried Lucrecia under the willow tree where she had wanted to be married. After I recovered, I went to see her one last time, then went after Sephiroth. When I found him, I did in fact make sure he was dead. I went into a rage, severing his head from his shoulders, just as I vowed I would. It pleased me to see his blood soaking into the desert sand.

 

But, as soon as he was dead, it dawned on me. That was my only purpose. What did I have to go back to, now that I had avenged Lucrecia's death? I went back to Hojo, telling him that Sephiroth was dead and bidding him goodbye. He tried to stop me, but I ignored him, going to her grave. I had planned to kill myself, as the thought of living with out her was too much to bear. And I tried. I tried to take my life.

 

But the mako in my system wouldn't allow my body to die. It burned something fierce as it forced my heart to keep beating. I felt as if my entire body was on fire as it pulsed through my veins. That's when I realized I had become immortal, just as Sephiroth claimed he had. It was then that I began to loathe Hojo. In my mind, he had only saved me because he knew I could kill Sephiroth. The old fool was too scared to die. And I wanted nothing other than to join Lucrecia in death.

 

I went back to him, forcing him to undo whatever it was he had done. It was then that I found out that there was nothing he could do. He couldn't take the mako out of my body, as it had fused with my DNA. And he couldn't bring Lucrecia back, as she had been dead for too long a time now. He apologized as he gave me her locket, which he had found in her hand.

 

After that I left him, determined to find a way to reverse what he had done. It was years before I realized that he was the only one who had found this mako, and he was the only one who could possibly find a cure. Almost ten years after I had last seen him, I sought him out once more. I was surprised when I found him, appearing just as he had those ten years ago. He hadn't aged a bit, and, when I studied my reflection I found I hadn't either.

He said he had tried testing the mako on himself, and had yet to find a cure. Once more I left, my hatred of him intensifying. What was so damned hard about finding a way to reverse the effects of the mako?

 

And, then, this afternoon, more than a hundred years later, he came to see me. Of course, it probably wasn't difficult for him to find me, as, soon after the world began to modernize, I started to build guns, as they were what I knew. Over the years, I have amassed a multi-million fortune, providing the military with weapons, and becoming their leading supplier. So, I imagine my name was not hard to look up.

 

He was the last person I wanted to see, especially since he came bearing bad news. And that was that we both are now dying, and there's still no cure. I don't know how much more time I have before the mako kills me, but I fear it's not very much. Hojo wants me to allow him to experiment on me, but I don't want to be that maniac's lab rat. But, it's seeming like I have no choice if I want to avoid an extremely long and painful death.

 

Tifa's eyes focused on him as he stopped pacing and stood with his back to her. “Vince?” she asked quietly.

 

He glanced at her over his shoulder.

 

She patted the hood next to her. “Come sit,” she said softly.

 

He sighed deeply, then walked toward her. He sat on the hood next to her. “This can't be good for my car,” he said, attempting at a little humor.

 

Tifa smiled. “It's okay,” she said jokingly. “You've got enough money to have it fixed, what with being a multi-millionaire and all.”

 

He looked at her, sarcasm in his eyes. “Are you sure you're not just hanging out with me because I'm rich?” he asked, leaning back on the windshield next to her.

 

She giggled. “Yeah, I'm sure,” she said. She turned her gaze to the stars over head. She liked it out here. They have driven for several hours, and were parked on the shoulder of the deserted highway in the middle of nowhere. There were no street lights, and the stars were perfectly visible. She looked over at Vincent as he sighed softly.

 

“I love it out here,” he said quietly. “It reminds me of home.”

 

Tifa sat up on her elbow, looking at him. “Home?” she asked.

 

He glanced at her, resting his head on his hands. “Back on the western territories,” he said. “Before the Wild West was tamed.” He smirked a little.

 

Tifa watched him. He certainly was a complex person sometimes. She wished she could get into his head sometimes and figure out what he was thinking. She held his gaze when he glanced at her.

 

“What?” he asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

 

“Earlier,” she said softly, looking away, “did you mean that? What you said and stuff?”

 

His brow creased in confusion. “When earlier?” he asked.

 

“Back at my house,” she said softly.

 

His eyes widened when he realized what she was talking about. He looked away, staring at the stars. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “I did.”

 

Tifa looked at him again, feeling an odd warmth seeping through her. She hid a soft smile, looking away. “So, what are you going to do about Hojo?” she asked, lying back next to him.

 

“I don't know,” he said with a deep sigh.

 

Tifa slid her gaze back to him. He seemed less troubled than he had earlier, but that distracted look from earlier was still in his crimson eyes. She watched him a little longer, noticing the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. She watched him close his eyes, and she sat up on her elbow, looking at him. She tilted her head when his eyes remained closed. She knew he was awake, but she allowed herself the thought that this is how he would look if he was asleep. She let her gaze slide to his lips, staring as she thought about the kiss from earlier. She remembered the electricity she'd felt, and she leaned closer to him.

 

She watched as his eyes opened at her movement, shifting to her. His gaze was questioning, but he said nothing. She held his gaze as she leaned forward, letting her lips brush his. She gasped in surprise when he sat up suddenly, putting a hand on the back of her head, holding her lips to his. He leaned toward her, reversing their position as he deepened the kiss. He felt her lips part slightly, and he nibbled playfully at her bottom lip.

 

He looked at her when she broke the kiss. He could see the light from the stars reflecting in her eyes, and he trailed his fingers lightly over her cheek. He watched as she closed her hazel depths, gasping softly at his touch. He stared at her, captivated. He kissed her lips softly once more, whispering softly to her. “You're so beautiful, Tifa,” he whispered, letting his lips brush hers as he said it.

 

Her eyes opened and she looked at him as he pulled back. She felt her heart leap at the sound of his voice. He looked absolutely stunning, silhouetted against the pale moon and star light. She lifted her hand, softly touching his cheek. She smiled as he closed his eyes, leaning in to her touch. She brushed her hand across his cheek, letting her fingers trail through his silky midnight hair. She pulled him toward her, their lips meeting once more in a timid kiss.

 

When he pulled away, he let his eyes meet hers as he pulled her close. He noticed the reserve that had replaced the passion in her eyes. “Something wrong?” he asked softly, leaning back next to her.

 

She shook her head, staring up at the sky.

 

Vincent watched her chest rise and fall with her shallow breaths, and he became slightly concerned. He met her gaze when she turned her head to look at him. “You sure you're alright?” he asked softly.

 

She held his gaze. “I…” she looked away, “yeah, I'm okay.” She glanced back at him. “I just…I don't want to…rush things.” She looked away, as if she were afraid of hurting his feelings.

 

He sat up. “You know I had no intentions of doing anything to you,” he said quietly, his pride slightly wounded.

 

She smiled a little and looked at him. “I know,” she said. “I guess, what I'm trying to say is…I'm not ready. I can't explain it. I want your company, but I don't want anything physical from you.” She searched his gaze. “Can you understand?”

 

He nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. “Completely,” he said softly. “I'm surprised that you even let me kiss you.” He smiled.

 

She looked away, a blush heating her cheeks. “Yeah, well, I didn't really…” she fumbled for words, trying to come up with an excuse.

 

Vincent's smile softened as he silenced her with another soft kiss. “It's okay,” he said. “I understand.” He watched her look at him, her hazel eyes surprised. “It's late,” he said, sliding off the hood of the car before she could say anything more on the subject. He watched her sit up, and he held out his hand to her. “I should probably take you home.”

 

Tifa let him help her down, and she shook her head. “I'm not ready to go home,” she said softly.

 

He smiled as he opened the door for her. “Would you like to come with me to the office, then?” he asked, helping her in. “I have to pick up a few things.”

 

She nodded. “I would like that very much,” she said, grateful that he would allow her to be in his company a little longer.