Guilt’s Cost: Part LVI

Sibling

By Kristen Gupton-Williams

Tifa, Cid, and Jaras sat in the cafeteria of the ASRIO base trying to eat diner. None of them were very hungry after watching the spectacle with Tseng earlier. Cid and Tifa sat on one side of the table facing Jaras.

Tifa was having a hard time maintaining her composure, intensely worried about Tseng. She kept having to pick up her napkin and quickly wipe away her occasional stray tears. Jaras tried not to stare at her, but was finding it hard from both the sympathy he felt for the poor woman as well as the fact that she was probably the most attractive female he’d ever seen. When she would catch him staring they would both break into a slight grin. Tifa supposed he was just full of questions that he wanted to ask her but held back from doing so in front of Cid.

The pilot on the other hand sat smoking a cigarette over his meal. Ashes were falling on the slab of meatloaf before him but he didn’t care. There was only one person on this God forsaken Earth that could make meatloaf seem like a good idea as far as he was concerned, and she was currently several hundred miles away in Rocket. He noticed Tifa’s sadness, but tried not to bring any attention to it thinking that it would just make her feel worse. Occasionally he would rub her back with his hand just to let her know that he was thinking about her.

Eventually Tifa grew tired of picking at her food and pushed her plate back. She stretched in her seat, absent-mindedly allowing her legs under the table to come to rest against Jaras’s. He grew uncomfortable with this contact with her as it made him even more self conscious but he didn’t move away as he enjoyed it at the same time.

Angel had gotten word that they were back and entered the cafeteria. She came to their table. "Welcome home."

Tifa rose up and gave her a hug. "I’m so glad to see you!"

Angel smiled weakly. The status of her uncle had her deeply disturbed and it showed. "I just saw Tseng."

Tifa sat back in her seat. "How is he doing?"

Jaras moved over so Angel could sit next to him.

After taking her place, Angel leaned forward on her elbows. "He’s all right for the moment. They’ve got him sedated so he isn’t really with it. His heart rate is normal for the time being, but Dr. Arlin is certain he's going to have to have surgery tomorrow."

Tifa was saddened to hear this. "That’s terrible."

"There’s a good chance he’ll make it through surgery fine." Angel said, trying to reassure herself more than anyone. She turned to look at Jaras, at once recognizing him for who he was. She had heard that they had brought him back with them. Angel examined her brother closely, seeing the familial resemblance he bore. "I’m sorry, my name is Angel."

Jaras smiled and nodded. There was something very familiar in her, but he couldn’t place it. "I am Jaras, pleased to meet you."

Tifa couldn’t stand it. Even if Cid was here and he didn’t know about Vincent being Sephiroth’s father, he would have to find out. She had to tell Jaras before it killed her. "Jaras, remember that I told you that you had a sister and an uncle?"

He nodded, turning his eyes back to Tifa. "Yes, I do."

Tifa’s lips broke into a smile. "This is her, Jaras."

"Really?" Jaras quickly turned back to face her, his shock obvious. "I… I don’t know what to say…"

Angel grinned and put her arms around him. The fact that he no longer was Sephiroth was all too evident. "I can’t believe this. I never thought in a million years that you would be alive."

He gave into her embrace and put his arms around her in return. Something felt so right within him for the first time in as long as he could remember. He finally had a family. "I couldn’t remember anything, and even if I had, I wouldn’t have known about you, would I?"

Angel found herself enshrouded in his silver mane. "No, no one knew about me except for ASRIO and Hojo."

Cid finally caught the meaning of all that he had witnessed and stood up from the table. "What the fuck is going on?"

Tifa got up and went to him. "Cid, I had to let Jaras know that she was his sister."

"Either that means that Lucretia was her mother too or fucking Vincent is Sephy’s father." Cid tossed his cigarette across the room, not caring where it landed.

"Vincent is Jaras’s father." Tifa said quietly.

"How the fuck is that?!" Cid pointed at the two still at the table. "That ass wipe Hojo was his dad!"

Tifa crossed her arms. Getting through to Cid was not going to be any small task. "You know God damned well that Vincent and Lucretia were having an affair at the time of the beginning to the Jenova Project."

"So, Vincent actually did something with her? Holy shit, all this time I thought he was mourning over some chaste love that he had never expressed." Cid looked at Angel and Jaras, unable to deny their resemblance. "Fuckin’ learn something new everyday. How come Sunshine never bothered to let us in on this little secret? Or was I the only one who didn’t know?"

Tifa shook her head, allowing her arms to fall back to her sides. "I didn’t know until just a few days ago. He never told anyone because he didn’t want anyone to hold it against him. Tseng is the only one other than Angel and Vincent that knew."

Cid hung his head in defeat. "So Sue is a prolific little bastard, huh? Just like him to keep secrets, too."

"I’m sorry you had to find out like this. I would have liked to have been able to tell you alone, but I never got the chance." Tifa stepped a little closer.

"Oh Hell, what the fuck." Cid gave her a quick hug. "Not like it affects my life anyway. Just makes me feel that much sorrier for Sephy, that’s all. Poor bastard has to have Vince as a dad."

Tifa smiled. "One of these days Vincent is going to get sick of your comments and he’s gonna kick your butt."

"I’d like to see him try." Cid crossed his arms briefly.

Tifa and Cid finally got back to the table and sat.

Jaras and Angel had watched his outburst wide-eye and in silence. Now that things were settling, they relaxed.

Angel looked at Cid. "Mr. Highwind, I thank you for seeing to Tifa’s safety during the trip to Mideel."

Cid scoffed. "Yeah, like that’s such a dangerous place and all."

Angel smiled. "Considering what awaited you there, it’s very possible that it could have been. But I’m glad to see that everything worked out for the best."

Jaras shifted uncomfortably where he sat. The specter of his former identity made him feel terrible. "I don’t want to compromise anyone’s safety by being around."

Angel looked at him. "As long as you remain here everyone will be safe. If Shin Ra didn’t manage to find you before now then you might just be in the clear."

Tifa hated to change the subject, but there was a question on her mind. "Where’s Reno?"

Angel’s face flushed. She couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth about why Reno wasn’t there. There was no way that she was going to be the one to tell her that Cloud wasn’t dead. "He was sent to Midgar to pick up another agent and bring him here."

"Oh." Tifa simply accepted the answer.

Cid yawned. "Hell, I’m getting tired. Where’s my room? Same one I had last time?"

Angel nodded. "That one is available if you like. Do you need me to show you the way?"

"Naw, I think I can manage." Cid rose from the table. He gave Tifa’s shoulder a squeeze and leaned down to whisper in her ear, not wishing anyone else to hear. "If you need to, you know, talk or anything tonight, feel free to stop by, okay?"

Tifa was touched by such an offer from him and she kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Cid."

Tifa waited for Cid to leave and then she turned back to Jaras. "So now that you know who your sister is, I guess it’s time we confessed about your uncle."

Jaras brightened. "Who is he?"

Angel hung her head. "Tseng is Vincent’s brother."

His eyes widened and then grew sad. "You mean I gave my uncle a heart attack?"

Tifa frowned. "How many times do I have to tell you? You didn’t give him a heart attack. He’s been sick for a while."

He looked down and nodded slightly. "I’m sorry… but he’ll get through this and then we can talk, right?"

Angel smiled. "Tseng is tough, if it’s up to him he’ll make it."

There was a long silence as everyone thought.

Angel looked back at Tifa. "Should we show Jaras here where he’ll be staying?"

"Sure." Tifa rose from her seat.

Angel led them to a room directly across the hall from Tifa’s own. She opened the door so that all three of them could enter. Jaras’s pack had already been brought here by someone and was sitting on the bed.

He looked around the room, finally nodding in approval. "This is very nice, thanks."

Angel smiled. "We do our best to keep those that stay here comfortable. But if there is anything that you need, just let someone know and we can get it for you."

Jaras looked thoughtful for a moment. "Is there any chance that I can get the paper in the morning?"

"No problem." Angel answered. She wanted to get back to the infirmary to talk to Dr. Arlin as she was going to assist in the surgery tomorrow. "I have to go now to talk with the doctor. Tifa, do you want to go with me so you can see Tseng before you turn in?"

Tifa sighed. "Yes, I’d like that. How about you, Jaras?"

He shook his head. The thought of having to see his sick uncle would just make him feel worse again. "No thanks, you go on without me."

Angel and Tifa left Jaras to get settled and made their way to the infirmary. Tseng was lying in a bed hooked up to various monitors and I.V. fluids. Tifa stood beside his bed and gazed down upon him, heartsick at his deathly appearance. Angel stood next to her for a few moments before giving her a quick hug and going back into the doctor’s office and closing the door.

Tifa remained at Tseng’s side for some time, hypnotized by the sounds of the monitors and his painstakingly slow breaths. She reached out and stroked his hair, wishing for any sign from him, but he didn’t stir. His normally rich skin tone was gone and in its place was an awful grayish hue. Tseng’s eyes seemed somewhat recessed and he slept with his lips slightly parted. His current appearance mimicked Vincent’s in the stasis box too closely and Tifa felt the warmth of tears on her cheeks again. She was in pain not only over Tseng’s condition but Vincent’s as well. Now even the small amount of comfort that she had taken from Tseng being like Vincent was gone, and replaced with misery over their similarity.

Tifa wasn’t able to bear looking at him anymore. She bent down and kissed his lips lightly before walking out of the infirmary. There was one last thing she had to do before going back to her room and she made her way to Vincent’s stasis box.

She almost passed out when she saw Cid hovering there, smoking over the casket. "Cid? What are you doing here?"

He immediately looked embarrassed to have been caught here and he scratched the back of his head. "I just got lost on the way to my room, that’s all."

She knew he was lying; it was too obvious. "I somehow doubt it."

Cid uncharacteristically didn’t defend himself and shrugged. "Aw Hell, you caught me."

"It’s all right." Tifa knelt down and laid her hands on the surface of the box. "I’ve spent too much time here next to this thing to judge anyone else about being here."

"I just can’t believe he’s Sephy’s dad." Cid took a long drag.

"I was surprised too at first, but then it all started to make more sense, especially about how Vincent acted back then." Tifa sighed. "It’s got to be rough finding out that your child is public enemy number one."

"Yeah, poor bastard." Cid dropped his cigarette to the floor and crushed it beneath his boot. "Well, I think I’ll head back to my room."

"Okay." Tifa smiled at him. Cid had shown her more emotion and caring today than ever, and she was grateful. "Thanks."

He smiled uncomfortably and walked out. As he made his way back to his room he couldn’t help but think about what Tifa must be going through inside. If Shera wasn’t in such an awkward situation he would like to have stayed longer to try and get Tifa through this, but it wasn’t to be.

Tifa stared down into the glass at Vincent. "Your brother’s not doing so well again. He’s in the infirmary and is going to have heart surgery tomorrow. He can’t die, right? I mean, you made him promise to take care of me before you went in there I bet, and he wouldn’t go back on that would he?"

Vincent remained motionless as Tifa pretended to hear his response.

"I hope you’re right. I can’t stand to lose him too." Tifa leaned in closer. "Poor Angel must really be torn up about it. She tries to be so strong, but the stress is clear on her face. That girl has been through so much in her short life… I can’t imagine. That’s probably why she is so strong though, huh?"

Another short pause.

"Can you believe Cid was here checking on you?" She laughed. "He found out that Jaras is your son. I’m sorry that I told him, I guess you probably would have preferred I not, but I had no choice. Jaras and Angel seem to like each other. Well, I think I should go now before someone hears me talking and thinks I’ve lost it."

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