By Kristen Gupton-Williams

Three days passed, and Tifa and Vincent spent most of that time in the hanger with Brad and Cid as they continued to rebuild Cid's plane. They were little more than babysitters for Cid's infant, but they had nothing better to do with their time.

It was a little past noon on the third day when Quigley showed up in the hanger. He had been searching for Vincent for quite a while before finally being tipped off by Reno that he was up in the hanger. He came over to where Vincent was sitting on a workbench. "You're a hard man to keep track of."

Vincent cocked an eyebrow at him but said nothing.

"Anyway," Quigley went on as though Vincent had actually responded, "I came to tell you that there is enough development within the accelerator to see now."

Vincent turned to look at Tifa, who was currently sitting with the sleeping baby in her arms. "Do you want to go?"

She shook her head and whispered back, "No, that's all right. I don't want to wake him up."

"Okay." Vincent slid off the bench and stood up, following the scientist back down into the base.

They went to the lab where the accelerator was and entered. Vincent walked up to it and looked inside. Within, amongst a tangle of wires and tubes, suspended in the blue fluid, was a small pinkish object, shaped something like a lima bean. He scrutinized it for a few moments in silence, before turning to Quigley. "So that's me?"

"Soon enough it will be," he sighed back, shoving his hands into his pockets. "It will grow very quickly from here on out. It'll be more than double its present size within a day or two."

Vincent was impressed, but still couldn't understand how something so unrecognizable was going to be a complete remake of him in just a few short months. "This is amazing."

Quigley was actually glad that Tifa hadn't come, and although obviously uncomfortable, brought up something. "It's not too late to change your mind, you know."

Vincent turned to him, a frown upon his lips. "What?"

"We can still stop." Quigley dropped his gaze, somehow knowing that it wasn't his place to discuss this.

"You've been pretty damned excited about this whole thing from the start. Why are you saying this now?" Vincent was perplexed.

"I am excited. This is a huge project to be a part of, and it's testing my mental steel for all it's worth. It's not right of me to just charge on with this, without knowing whether or not you have any reservations about going through with this." Quigley glanced back up at Vincent momentarily.

"I thought it was fairly obvious that I do want this very badly." Vincent replied, narrowing his eyes.

"So I figured, but we never have really had the chance to talk in private. If you did want to not go through with this for whatever reason, I could always spare you the pain by saying that we have to stop this due to some technical problem. No one would think less of you if that were to happen."

"I am telling you in no uncertain terms that I do want this to happen." Vincent could see that there was something bothering the scientist deeply. "What are you really thinking?"

"If we go through with this, and you should die in the process, you know, during the surgery, I'd feel horrible." Quigley crossed his arms over his chest and hung his head. "I'd feel like I pushed for this to happen so much that I was blinded to the obvious risk you're facing."

"You'd feel guilty if I were to die?"

"In a word? Yes." Quigley took a few steps away and landed in a chair.

"If I die, then I die, and it's not your fault nor anyone else's." Vincent looked back at the accelerator. "I know the risks, and I am willing to face them. I can't go on living like I am now, Quigley. From the shoulders down I am a machine, and you have no idea what that's like."

"You're right, I don't." He shifted in his seat. "But you're at least alive."

"That's debatable." Vincent turned away from the accelerator. "Until I am human again, completely human, I won't be free of all that Hojo has done to me. I want my body back, and if there are dangers that I must confront along the way, then that is my choice. If I die, I am the one to blame. Not you, not Dr. Arlin, no one else but me."

"Okay, I just had to hear that from you." Quigley rubbed his tired eyes with both hands. "I know that while working at Shinra, although I was there for ASRIO, that I worked on things that involved people dying and suffering. That's what I think about every night before I go to sleep and I hate it."

"Quigley, you have learned some unbelievable things and you have the ability to use that knowledge to combat some of the horrors done by Shinra and Hojo. Think of helping me as the first step." Vincent walked closer to him.

One corner of the scientist's mouth tugged up into a grin. "Okay."

***

After nearly a month of constant work, Cid had his plane back together. Although Cid was by now extremely anxious to get back to Rocket, Tifa was upset to see him go. Part of her had hoped that he and the baby would stay long enough to be there when Vincent underwent his surgery. Now though, as he packed his things, she saw that he was going home, despite the fact that Vincent's surgery still loomed three months away.

She sat on Cid's bed and held the baby as she watched him get ready to leave. He had spent the morning testing the plane by taking it up and landing it several times, making certain that everything was working properly before he took his son onboard.

As he stuffed his last shirt into his pack, he looked over at Tifa. "Why the long face?"

She shrugged. "I'm just sad that you're going."

"You know that we'll see each other again." He straightened up and came over to her.

"I know…" she tried to keep her composure, but failed.

Cid saw the tears that came to her eyes and sat down beside her. "Aw, come on!"

"I'm sorry." She hung her head, knowing that he didn't like to see her cry. "I just had hoped that you'd be here when Vincent had his surgery, that's all."

"Tifa, that's three months away!" Cid placed an arm around her shoulders. "I can't stay here that long. It's already been long enough for everyone back home to think that I've left for good."

"Yeah." Tifa forced a smile that she wasn't feeling.

"Look though, tell you what." Cid pulled her closer. "How about I promise to come back the day before his surgery, and I'll stay for a few days, or however long it takes before you know that he's gonna be all right?"

"You will?" Tifa's smile became genuine.

"Why not?" Cid winked at her. "Besides, I'll be wanting to see Jin again by then."

Tifa giggled. Cid had gotten into the habit of having dinner with the female mechanic at least three times a week by now. Their relationship seemed to be getting serious.

The door opened, and Vincent entered. He saw Tifa and Cid sitting together, the pilot's arm still draped about her shoulders. He narrowed his eyes at the sight, "Cid, you have a girlfriend of your own now, you know."

Cid smiled and got up, feeling a little awkward at Vincent having walked in. "Yeah, yeah. Not jealous, are you?"

Vincent shook his head. "Why should I be? I'm the one that married Tifa."

"And how did you ever convince her to do such a foolish thing?" Cid shot back, going over and picking up his bags.

"I don't have the slightest idea," Vincent said.

Tifa laughed and got up. She walked to Vincent's side. "Cid said that he will come back for a while when it's time for your surgery."

"You mean I have to put up with him during my last moments before going under? That's great." Vincent's sarcasm was biting.

"I knew you'd be thrilled." Cid smiled, as he pushed past them and out into the hallway.

They all made their way up to the airfield where the plane was waiting. Unfortunately, Jin wasn't around to see Cid off as she had gone with the airship to Gongaga for a mission. He had said his good byes to her the night before though, before she had gone.

Cid tossed his bags into the plane and then turned to Tifa and Vincent. "Well, I guess I'll see you two in a few months then."

"Okay." Tifa went forward and handed the baby over to him. "Take care of him."

"I will." Cid smiled before bending forward and giving Tifa a brief kiss on the cheek. He looked at Vincent. "Take care, old man. Don't give Tifa any trouble."

"I never give anyone any trouble." Vincent smiled faintly.

Cid had other things that he wanted to say to Tifa before going, but couldn't muster up the nerve to do so in front of Vincent. He knew that when he came back, they would have time to talk and so just nodded at them quickly before turning and getting into the plane.

Tifa and Vincent stood back as Cid got settled inside the cockpit and fired up the engines. They waved as he taxied away and then lifted off into the air.