Guilt’s Cost: Part LXII

Farewell

Cid had left his room while Tifa still slept. He had needed to go up into town to pick something up before leaving; something he never ever imagined he would need.

He walked back to the pharmacy counter and waited for someone to help him. After a few moments a short corpulent man came to assist him.

"Good morning, Sir." The pharmacist said in a heavily accented voice.

Cid scratched the back of his head and mumbled. "I need some of that special gum or something."

"Ah, you wish to quit smoking?" The man seemed pleased.

"Wife’s having a kid, that’s the only reason I’m doing it." Cid was finding it hard to talk about this. Some things were just too personal to discuss with strangers.

The pharmacist nodded knowingly, and disappeared for a moment. He came back with several different boxes. "There are many options for those who choose to quit these days. There is the gum, as well as these patches that deliver a constant dose of nicotine to help you not feel the need to smoke."

Cid looked down at the counter at the boxes laid out before him. He really had no opinion over what method anyone said was the best. Cid just wanted something, anything so he could just get the Hell out of the drug store before someone saw him. "Just give me whatever."

The pharmacist smiled and rung up a box of patches and placed them in a bag. Cid shrugged and picked up the box of gum and handed it to him as well. "I want this too."

"But the patches should be enough, Sir." He said, typing into the cash register.

Cid thought the gum would at least make him feel like he was doing something. "I don’t really give a damn."

The pharmacist shrugged and rung him up for the gum as well. "Yes Sir."

After grumbling about the cost of his purchase Cid stuffed the drug store bag into his pack and headed back. He made his way to the airfield wanting to give the plane the once over before leaving. As he inspected the plane, Tifa and Jaras emerged onto the airfield.

Tifa walked up to him, obviously sad. "So, you’re leaving, huh?"

Cid glanced back over his shoulder at her as he ran his hands along the blades of a propeller. "Yeah, getting anxious to check on Shera."

"Oh, okay." Tifa was more than a little depressed that he was going, but there was no way she could ask him to stay away from Shera any longer. "Thanks for taking me to Mideel."

He finished examining the plane and came before Tifa. "Anytime."

She put her arms around him, allowing her face to rest against his chest one last time. "I’ll miss you. I’m so happy you were here."

"No problem." He whispered to her. "You take care, and if you need to call us or something, go ahead. I won’t hold it against you."

"Thanks Cid." Her eyes blurred from tears as she stepped back.

Cid went a few steps away to where Jaras stood and extended his hand. "Jaras."

Jaras accepted the handshake weakly. There was a part of him that feared Cid after all the verbal abuse over the last few days. "Thank you."

Cid leaned a little closer as to talk to Jaras without Tifa hearing. "You’ve got to look out for her, but don’t try anything funny, all right? If something happens to that little girl over there I’m gonna come back and kick your ass personally."

Jaras blushed in his continued embarrassment over recent events. "Y…yes Sir."

"Good man." Cid smiled and turned back to the plane.

Jaras came to Tifa’s side as Cid disappeared into the plane. They waved as he made his way out onto the runway and took off.

Once alone, Jaras turned to Tifa. "You told him, didn’t you?"

"Oh," Tifa dropped her gaze. "I kind of tell him everything."

"He’s been a good friend to you." Jaras smiled, knowing that Cid’s threat to him hadn’t been an idle one.

Tifa smiled up at him. "Cid is a wonderful man. He might seem a little gruff at times, but he has a heart of gold."

"Yes, I suppose he does." Jaras turned back toward the entrance to the base and started walking.

Tifa ran to catch up to him and finally reached his side. She went on with him in silence back to the base. Managing to hold back anymore tears for Cid’s departure, her demeanor grew quiet.

Jaras could tell that she was agonizing over Cid leaving and he wanted desperately to put his arms around her to comfort her, but Cid’s words echoed clearly in his mind. He needed to control himself around Tifa or else there would be consequences he didn’t want to face.

After getting inside Jaras slipped back into his room and Tifa went to her own. She opened the door and caught her breath. Whether she was seeing a hallucination or the real thing she wasn’t quite certain. "Vincent?"

He stood just a short distance away, right before the bed. Vincent couldn’t even bring himself to speak. All he could do was race forward and take her in his arms, allowing his lips to meet hers eagerly.

Tifa’s heart soared as he embraced her, lifting her up from the floor as he kissed her. She closed her eyes and sighed softy as his lips parted and he invaded her mouth. Tifa’s hands explored his back feverishly, reveling in its familiarity. No matter how hard she had tried to pretend that Tseng was Vincent over the last few days, nothing could compare to this. Her love had returned to her and she knew neither why or how, nor did she care. She wouldn’t have made it any longer without him now that Cid was gone.

Vincent held her to him so tightly that he feared he might crush her and yet he wasn’t unable to let up. He had missed her so desperately that his heart now erupted with flames at this reunion. He would never let her go again. Vincent admonished himself for allowing Chaos to almost take her from him. Inside him, the demon actually cowered from the heat of emotion burning with in Vincent’s soul. Although no one could see it at that moment, the extent of the demon’s skin upon Vincent’s body receded just the slightest bit.