Guilt’s Cost: Part LXIV

Cloud

All those present stared at Reno, awaiting his news. He forced a weak smile and looked over at Tifa and Vincent. "You might want to sit down."

Vincent led Tifa over to the couch and they did as ordered. Jaras just remained standing where he was.

"We had a spy working for Hojo in the Shin Ra building. He gave Tseng some really crappy news the other day and I was sent to bail this guy out of Midgar. The spy told us that Cloud isn’t dead." Reno hung his head as the words escaped him. He knew Tifa was not going to handle this well.

She sat staring at Reno in silent shock for several minutes. There was a part of her that wasn’t surprised; after all, his body had gone missing. "He’s alive?"

Vincent just closed his eyes and sighed, feeling like all the wind had just been blown from his sails. A fear surged up within him and he was afraid that Tifa would lose her love for him knowing that Cloud was still among the living.

"Sorry, but it gets worse." Reno fell back to the bed and sat. "He is living in Hojo’s lab as a willing specimen."

"But why?" Tifa asked in a hush. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

"Quiggers said Hojo promised to bring back Aeris if Cloud cooperated. I don’t think he actually would bring her back, Hell, I don’t even know if he could, but that’s apparently why Cloud is there." Reno said, fidgeting with his hands. "Sorry to rain on your parade like that."

Tifa turned and buried her face in Vincent’s shirt. It made all too much sense to her that Cloud would turn to Hojo if he promised to resurrect the Ancient. She began to cry bitterly in Vincent’s embrace. Tifa knew Cloud would have been better off dead than to be under Hojo’s care.

Vincent held Tifa tightly as she sobbed, hoping that she wasn’t choosing Cloud over him. But he also respected the fact that Tifa had been with Cloud most of her life, and that if she had to make that decision, he would be cast aside. If she truly loved Vincent as much as he loved her, she wouldn’t go back to Cloud. After all, hadn’t she told him that she was going to leave Cloud even before she saw him bleeding to death in their home? For the sake of his own sanity, Vincent had to believe that those words had been true.

Jaras took the news better. His eyes narrowed as he listened to the story, upset to see Cloud had gone to the enemy. Having no personal emotional investment in Cloud, he wasn’t quite as disturbed to hear this as the others and yet something did bother him. Not only was his father standing between he and Tifa, now Cloud Strife had returned to the playing field. His chances at ever being more than friends with her just went from between slim and none to absolute zero.

Reno looked around the room, depressed at what he saw. This place that had just been the site of a joyous reunion was now looking more like a funeral parlor. The air was heavy with emotion, and all that could be heard was Tifa’s quiet crying. "I didn’t want to tell you, but you had to know. Tseng wants us to go get Cloud the Hell out of that lab."

"How? If he’s there under his own will, how do you intend for us to get him to go?" Vincent asked, needed to free his mind from his silent torture.

Reno gazed up at the ceiling. "Oh fuck, Vinny, Tseng thinks Tifa should go with the extrication team. He thinks she can get through to him and make him change his mind. That’s why I busted you out. I figured that if she was going to have to face Cloud that you had a God damned right to go with her. That sorry fuck Cloud isn’t going to tear her apart if you’re there for her."

Tifa looked up, her eyes red. Reno’s reason for getting Vincent out touched her and she was appreciative. "Thank you, Reno. I couldn’t do it without Vincent."

Vincent kissed the top of her head. "Tifa?"

She smiled up at him. "Don’t worry, Vincent. Even though he’s alive I’m not going back to him. It didn’t work out between he and I over all those years, and I know nothing would have changed. I used to love Cloud, but over time it just turned to pity. That is all I feel for him now. I love you."

Vincent drew in a shuttering breath, relieved at her words. "I was afraid…"

"Don’t be." She placed a hand on the side of his face. "I would never leave you, Vincent. After what I’ve been through since you locked yourself away, I could never stand to be alone like that again. I agree with them that we have to get Cloud out of there and get him some help, I think I owe him that much, but that is it."

He smiled, warmed by her sincerity. There was a part of him that worried that her resolve wouldn't be quite so cut and dry when she actually saw Cloud again. "I love you."

"Hey lovebirds." Reno stood up. "Hate to interrupt, but I think we should go see the old man before he goes under the knife."

Vincent had momentarily forgotten about Tseng’s plight. "Oh, yeah."

The four of them went to the infirmary and gathered around Tseng’s bed. Reno reached out and shook Tseng slightly. "Hey old man, wake up. You got visitors."

Tseng roused slowly and opened his tired eyes. Reno was the first person he saw. "Hey…"

"Somebody wanted to say hi before you went into surgery." Reno said, pointing to Vincent standing on the other side of the bed.

As Tseng looked over and saw his brother, his eyes widened. "Tsuvati? What are you doing here?"

"The box malfunctioned and they had to get me out." Vincent only felt he was half-lying, and wanted to shield Reno from any blame. "How are you?"

Tseng blinked up at him in slight confusion. "Forget that, how are you?"

"Fine, I’m fine." Vincent smiled, trying to cover the anguish he felt over his brother’s current state. Tseng looked ashen and drawn, and Vincent was terribly concerned. "They are taking you to surgery?"

"Yes, Angel was here a short while ago and gave me the run down. Triple bypass, if I’m not mistaken." Tseng said with a faint grin. "I’ll do just fine though. I have full confidence in Dr. Arlin and her assosiates."

Vincent reached down and took his brother’s hand in his own. "You had better make it. We have a lot more to talk about still, right?"

"Yes." Tseng closed his eyes for a moment. "We do. How are you, Tifa?"

"Better now that Vincent is back." She hung her head. "I heard about Cloud."

Tseng looked up at her. "I am sorry."

"I will help to get him out of there, on one condition." Tifa locked gazes with him.

"What is that?" Tseng furrowed his brow.

"Vincent goes with us." Tifa said assertively.

Tseng closed his eyes again and sighed. He feared sending Vincent into action again, especially where Hojo and his lab were concerned. "I don’t know."

"Either he goes or I don’t." Tifa would not back down. If there had been anything she had learned from Tseng thus far it was abject stubborness.

Tseng looked at Vincent. "I suppose she won’t take no for an answer."

"No, she will not." Vincent answered, his lips producing a hint of a smile.

Tseng closed his eyes again. "Fine, so be it. We will discuss this further after my recuperation."

Tifa and Vincent smiled to each other, and on the other side of the bed, Reno crossed his arms over his chest in pride. He was also grateful that Vincent hadn’t ratted him out.

Tseng looked over at Reno. "Tifa’s safety is your priority now. You protect her from Chaos at all costs. I will not have a repeat of the incident on the airship."

Reno nodded, taking Tseng’s words very seriously. "You got it, boss."

"You better." Tseng sighed. "Or else you will lose your job. Understood?"

Tseng had never threatened to fire him before, at least not seriously. "Yeah, I understand."

Tseng turned his attention to Vincent. "If you even think that demon might come out, you lock yourself in a prison cell."

"I will." Vincent had already planned on such action if needed.

Dr. Arlin emerged from her office and came to the bedside. She spotted Vincent and cocked an eyebrow. "Mr. Valentine, you’re out of stasis?"

"Yes, as I told Tseng, the chamber broke down and I awoke." Vincent managed to pull off the lie again.

She seemed to accept this in stride. "I would go retrieve Angel from the surgery suite to let her see you, but I don’t wish to rattle her before we undertake this procedure, so you will have to wait."

Vincent nodded in approval. "I would not want to be a distraction."

"Thank you." Dr. Arlin put the arm rails up on the sides of Tseng’s bed. "If you’ll excuse us, we have an appointment with a surgeon now."

Everyone stepped back so she could wheel Tseng out of the room. They all stood together in silence after they disappeared through the surgery room doors.