Guilt’s Cost: Part CVIII

The Weather Channel

Vincent slowly sat up having to again get accustomed to the sensation of his extremities functioning. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and got up looking over to the two men who had spent the better part of the morning repairing him. "Thank you."

Quigley just smiled and nodded slightly in response, whereas Porter took a few limping steps closer to him. "It’s the least I can do after what you did for me."

"I’m afraid you have done by far more for me than I have for you." Vincent dropped his gaze away. "I am indebted to you."

"You and your friends save Rayna, that is more than I could have ever wanted." Porter turned slightly to pick up his crutches from where he had dropped them to the floor earlier.

During the brief silence that followed, Quigley excused himself and slipped from the room.

Tseng strode over to his brother’s side and inspected him. "Everything works properly now?"

"I think so." Vincent said, bringing both his arms up slightly to emphasize the point. Feeling a little self-conscious as he was, Vincent made his way over to the dresser and started to look for something to wear. What he found there was the outfit that Reno had gotten for him some time before. He took the clothes and locked himself into the bathroom to dress.

As Vincent’s eyes caught sight of himself in the mirror he froze. He hadn’t seen himself like this yet since before Hojo’s further modifications. The ivory of his skin was now rudely broken by the new black metal that had been fused to his body. He looked more like a robot now than anything else and he hated it. Before he had bemoaned all that had been done to him but now as he looked at what he had been turned into those previous complaints seemed trivial. When he heard the voices of the women back in the room he snapped out of his reverie and shook off the thoughts that had been holding him temporarily hostage.

He tossed his clothes onto the counter and started the shower wanting desperately to wash his hair. Once the water was going hot enough he stepped in only giving passing thought as to the water resistance of his new body.

Angel, Rayna, and Reno had finally returned from their trip up to the surface. Upon learning the news that Vincent was again functioning they were all very excited including Reno, despite the fact he didn’t show it.

Porter made his way over to Rayna and kissed her sweetly. "You want to go to our quarters and show me what you got?"

"Sure." She giggled, having a surprise or two in her shopping bag for him.

They departed together leaving the other three alone for the moment. Reno went and tossed himself onto the couch, spent from being dragged from store to store with the two women. He hated shopping absolutely and completely.

Angel stood next to her uncle smiling. "So father is normal again?"

"Well, I wouldn’t say that but he had control over his body again." Tseng said in a bittersweet tone.

"Oh yeah." She sighed glancing quickly over to the bathroom door hearing the shower running inside. "I was really starting to worry that he was going to be in that trance forever."

"I know." Tseng frowned unconsciously to himself. "But he said that last night when Tifa left it sort of… caused something to snap within him, if you will."

Angel raised her eyebrows realizing the depth of emotion her father must have for his wife. "Well, whatever it took I’m thankful it happened. I couldn’t stand to watch that anymore, either the state he was in or the pain Tifa felt over it. It was too much to bear and I was getting a little afraid. As strong as Tifa was trying to be for him, I don’t know how much longer she would have been able to keep going honestly."

"Yes." He agreed. "That’s why I originally urged Tifa to leave last night. I needed to get them apart from one another at least for a while and it looks like it might have worked out well for everyone involved."

"That reminds me, I wonder how poor Mr. Highwind is dealing with all that happened to him. To lose your wife during the birth of your first child must be horrible." Angel hung her head, empathetic to what the pilot must be going through.

Tseng knitted his brows for a moment, reflecting on the type of man he knew Cid to be. The phone call that he had received the night before had been so out of character for Cid that Tseng had known that something was up. Now to know that Shera was dead sent a chill down his spine. Somehow, Cid must have known even before the fact that something wasn’t right or else he would never have called for help like that. It broke Tseng’s heart.

Angel watched her uncle’s face darken with emotion and took one of his hands up into hers. "Tifa seems to really like Cid, I’m glad that she’s there for him."

Tseng turned his gaze to the bathroom door. "I wonder what Vincent will want to do now. If he will stay here or go to see Tifa in Rocket now that he can move again."

Angel smiled. "I think we both know that he won’t be able to stay away from Tifa. I bet he asks to head to Rocket the minute he gets out of that shower."

"Oh would you two knock it the fuck off with the mushy shit." Reno called to them from the couch. He had been trying desperately to pay attention to some documentary on thunderstorms and their emotional banter was getting the better of him. "Make it just about impossible for anyone to watch a little TV every once in a while, you know."

Tseng stared over at his obnoxious second in command and then took notice of what he was watching. "Reno?"

"What?" He replied, more than a little annoyed.

"What is it with the weather documentaries?" Tseng hid his smile, wanting to appear serious. "It seems like that is all you watch."

To be called on something he knew to be true caused him to blush slightly in embarrassment. "I like storms and stuff, is that a problem for you?"

"No, I was just wondering if you had some suppressed desire to be a weatherman?" Tseng placed his hands on his hips and cocked his head slightly.

Reno narrowed his eyes and locked gazes with his boss. True or not, he wasn’t going to give Tseng the satisfaction of knowing his secret dream. "Better than wishing I was a fucking ballerina or whatever it is your types dream of."

"Reno!" Angel walked right over to her husband and threw the shopping bag she had been holding at him as hard as she could. Aware of her uncle’s sexual preference she grew terribly embarrassed for what he had said.

Reno defended himself weakly from her assault while continuing to engage in eye contact with the older man. If anyone had walked in, they would have assumed that this stare down was a prelude to a fight but after a few more moments both Reno and Tseng broke into riotous laughter.

Tseng broke off the glare first and looked down at the floor giggling uncontrollably. "A ballerina? Is that what you really think? You have a lot to learn my friend."

Reno scoffed and tried to regain his composure. "You ain’t teaching me nothing. You stay the hell away."

Angel looked back and forth between the two men, not exactly certain what had just happened. For Tseng to tolerate such a comment from Reno they must truly like each other more than they normally let on. Even she, the person who knew the two of them the best, was shocked.

It was shortly thereafter that Vincent emerged from the bathroom cleaned and dressed. He looked over at Tseng as the plumes of steam from the shower he had taken spilled out around him. "I’ve been thinking."

"There’s a surprise." Reno sighed from the couch still trying to concentrate on his show but not able to miss an opportunity.

"What’s that?" Tseng replied, opting to ignore Reno’s further stupidity for the time being.

"I want to go to Rocket and help Tifa with Cid." Vincent said, taking a few steps toward them.

Angel looked at her uncle and cocked an eyebrow. "Go figure."

Tseng turned to her and smiled. "Looks like you called it."