Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Only When It Rains ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3

With a grunt, Vincent scrambled down the last foothill. He stood now in a large, grassy plain where a cool breeze swept through, ruffling his hair and clothes lightly. Vincent glanced back at the mountains where already new storm clouds were brewing. These seemed more angry than the one's the night before, as if the sight of the lone dark man just beyond its grasp infuriated it beyond belief.

It was early twilight as Vincent walked across the plain. Far ahead, his keen ruby eyes could see the distant lights of Rocket Town shining. His pace was brusque, his pale arms swinging slightly. The baby (at last) had fallen asleep, so he didn't have that distraction for a while.

Late twilight was just setting in as Vincent reached the outskirts of the town. His red eyes could discern the evening stars shining dully has he walked through the streets. The street lamps were lit up, acting as artificial stars bravely warding off the enshrouding night.

Vincent could feel the eyes of the townspeople watching him from their houses. Most towns distrusted strangers, even more so strangers looking like he did. But he didn't let it bother him. They would think what they would without him trying to change their minds.

Cid's house was easy to locate. It stood partly away from the others, littered with junk and a fenced back lawn. Vincent quickly raked his claw through his tangled black hair before he knocked on the door.

His keen hearing detected several voices inside. He could hear Cid's voice clearly (mainly because he was shouting). "I'll get the door Shera. It's probably Vinnie anyway." The door opened throwing harsh light onto Vincent's face. He squinted his eyes, momentarily blinded by the brightness.

"Hey Vinnie!!" Cid's greeting was enthusiastic and warm. He pulled Vincent into a tight embrace, grinning. Vincent has never been a touchy feeling person. So even though quite arguably Cid was his best friend the enthusiastic greeting made him uncomfortable.

Cid ushered him in, calling fore his assistant Shera to make some tea for them. Vincent unhooked his cap, hanging it on the coat rack. Cid went back over to the table and sat down, propping his feet up again. Almost smiling, Vincent took off his bag and hung it from the coat rack also.

But, just has he was walking towards the table, there was a loud wail from the bag. Cid blinked, staring wide-eyed at the bag has if God himself had spoken. Vincent just grunted and stormed back to the bag. He reached in his gloved hand and pulled out the bawling baby girl. Cid simply gaped at Vincent standing there scowling darkly at the child he held. It was an almost comical scene. The dark solemn man standing there holding a squalling child in his gloved hand. Unfortunately, no one was laughing.

"Uh...Vincent is there something you want to tell me?" Cid was still astonished by what he saw before him.

Vincent glared over at Cid, his red eyes glowering his face showing absolutely no humor. "No Cid. I realize you are implying that it is my child, but it is not."

Cid, having recovered, simply smirked at his friend. "Well then Vinnie my boy, just exactly whose is it then?" He put his hands behind his head, slumping farther into the seat his blue eyes smirking.

With another heavy sigh Vincent sat down, still holding the child in his hand. He was loathe to touch it even this much truthfully. (It had soiled itself again!) He started to tell Cid the story of the storm and the woman whose name he never knew. Generally, he never talked much, but Cid, being his closest friend, deserved the full story. But, just has he mentioned the pounding on the door Shera walked in.

She took on look at the baby in Vincent's gloved hand and squealed. "Oh how adorable! Such an adorable little baby!" She practically snatched the child from Vincent, hugging it tightly. "Oh someone's wet aren't they? Aren't they?" She cooed and babbled around the baby. Truthfully, Vincent found it the most confounding display ever. One minute the woman had calm and collected the next she was babbling nonsense and talking in a ridicules voice all because of a child?

"Ah Shera..." Cid started, nervously watching her, "why don't you look after the kid while me an' Vinnie talk?" There was absolutely no need to ask twice.

So once Shera had disappeared with the baby (And Vincent noticeably relaxed once she had) he continued the story. By the time he finished Cid was scratching the back of his head in utter perplexion. "OK, so basically this woman, whom you don't know, came busting to the old ShinRa joint. She rants about some guy and asks you to take of her kid? an I right?"

Vincent nodded slowly, a feeling in his gut telling him he wasn't going to like his friend's reaction. He was right, Cid bolted out of his chair, knocking it over as he towered over the still sitting and calm Vincent. "Are you nuts?!?! Saying you'll take care of a kid you don't even know a damned thing about!! Vincent do you even know how to take care of a child?!"

Vincent's face remained stoic through out Cid's tirade. Slowly, he shook his head, conceding to his lack of knowledge on that subject. There was a sad trace of truth to Cid's words. He'd already admitted to himself that he knew nothing of children. He couldn't even remembered what it had been like to be a child. Still, he'd said he would take care of the baby and damned if he would back down now.

With a heavy sigh Cid righted his chair and dropped back down into it. Of course he knew it made no difference to Vincent. His hard sense of dignity and solemnity when it came to vows made it damned impossible for him to realize when he got in over his head. And even when he did he always stubbornly refused to back down. It was so typical of him.

Cid sighed and gulped down his lukewarm tea. The two of them made an odd pair to be sure. Cid's slouched, scruffy and unkempt appearance contrasted sharply with Vincent's, who always attempted to keep himself neat and presentable (in his own way). But the differences went beyond physical. They were both almost radically different people. Cid had a laid back, gruff, but warmhearted nature. Vincent generally came off as cold and stoic, practically never giving a hint of emotion or what he was really thinking behind those ruby eyes.

Still, both were friends to the end. Somehow, despite almost overwhelming difference, they had remained true friends. Vincent talked with Cid more than he had with anyone else. They talked of any number of subjects. Under the scruffy exterior Cid was a very well educated man. Both could talk for hours on end, discussing, debating, or even, though rarely, arguing. Cid was perhaps the only soul alive who had actually seen Vincent smile.

Presently, however, neither man felt like smiling. Vincent was lost in a morbid meditation which Cid managed to snap him out of with one well asked question. "What are ya going to do?" Blunt and to the point, exactly how Cid addressed a problem.

Vincent's face creased into a frown of thought. His mind turned over the question and all of its implications. Indeed, what would he do? The feeling of eyes watching him returned in full force. He let out an unconscious shiver. His skin crawled with the feeling of being hunted. His instinct told him someone, perhaps whoever the woman had run from, was after him and the baby.

Suddenly Vincent felt it was imperative he see the child right away. He stood up and walked off in the direction Shera had disappeared. He went down a hall vaguely aware of Cid following behind. They found Shera in her bedroom cradling the sleeping baby. She had fashioned a diaper out of some old rags.

She smiled brightly at them when they walked in. Though it never even touched his cold face Vincent was relieved to see her with the child. "She's an angel Vincent... What's her name?" Shera looked up at them, her glasses slipping down her nose

Cid strolled over and examined the baby while Vincent thought. "I don't know. Her mother never referred to her by a name. Just her baby."

Shera nodded and looked down at the sleeping angelic face. "Well then you should give her a name."

Vincent paused, thinking for a moment. He'd never anticipated that he'd have to name the thing. And only one name would come to his mind was... "Lucretia."

It was barely above a whisper, but Cid jumped and stormed over to Vincent, grasping his shoulders. "No! Hell no. You are absolutely not naming that kid after you dead girlfriend, so forget about it."

Vincent sighed and frowned deeply. He tried not to let what Cid had said affect him. It wasn't meant as an insult to him, he knew, but it had cut deep. It was surprising how the slightest things cut the deepest, leaving the greatest hurt in their wake. He fixed his red gaze on the baby. A few stray ringlets had fallen across her face. He brushed them away, tracing her face gently. She looked to beautiful...angelic... "Lucretia... full of so much light..." Cid was about to say something but Shera glared at him and he held his tongue.