Final Fantasy VII: Legacy Chapter 1

Reunion

By Melissa McClendon

" Just a few more months, my dear, then you can go back to your precious Vincent ." Hojo taunted, finally looking up from his work at the barely out of medical school Lucrecia du Lacroix.

" And what if I don't want to wait a few more months? If I went to Vincent right now, he'd kill you where you stand ." Lucrecia sneered, wishing this was all just a bad dream.

" Do you honestly think he really feels that way about you? What makes you think he doesn't want the same thing I got from you ?"

" Vincent's different, he's not a bastard like you, Hojo ." She spat back vehemently. Hojo cackled evily, making Lucrecia wince. " You're even more naive than I thought, Lucrecia ."

Lucrecia looked away, facing the window as her soft violet eyes swelled with unshed tears. Her attention suddenly focused on the lean young man outside. Vincent Valentine stood outside in the garden, shooting at the various targets as if possessed by some inhuman force. Lucrecia closed her eyes then, letting the tears fall freely. My beloved, please forgive me... Just a few more months...

.

Vincent hesitantly stepped inside the waterfall, careful not to alert Lucrecia to his presence. He could hear her crying in the distance, her pain echoing throughout the cave, tearing at his nearly lifeless heart. Even if she was crying for Hojo, he couldn't bear to hear her cry. He wanted to hold and comfort her, but that was no longer possible.

" Vincent ..." She suddenly cried aloud between sobs. He froze dead in his tracks, fearing she had seen him. Luckily, she was asleep. " My darling beloved, please forgive me. If only I had told you..."

Vincent finally reached his sleeping angel, his precious Lucrecia. No... only in my dreams will she ever be mine, but that doesn't matter. I must get her out of here, even if she hates me later for killing Hojo.

Dr. Lucrecia du Lacroix was rolled up in a ball, crying softly, trapped in her own nightmare.Vincent knelt down beside her and rested his hand on her slender shoulder.

" Lucrecia ." He whispered softly.

Lucrecia's soft violet eyes fluttered open and shot up in surprise to meet his, was her beloved really standing there? Her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying and her gloriously long brown hair was wrapped around her upper body like a silk coccoon.

" Vincent ?" She whispered in disbelief.

" Yes..." He replied in a neutral tone, fighting the urge to hold her and tell her everything was alright. But everything isn't alright, I killed Hojo with my bare hands and I helped Cloud kill Sephiroth.

" W...What are you doing here ? I... I thought I'd imagined you coming here. I thought you were dead ."

" There's no time to explain, I have to get you out of here ." Before Lucrecia could even protest, she felt his arm go around her small frame. She let out a cry of surprise when she found herself being swung into his strong arms.

" Where are you taking me ?"

" Back to the Highwind, from there you can decide where you want to go ."

.

What have I done?... What have I done?...

You've failed your mother, that's what you've done. You couldn't even carry out a well made plan that took your parents years to concoct

They weren't my parents!

Oh really, then who are your parents?

I... I don't know...

Just as I thought...Heh, heh, heh...

Shut up, it your fault I'm here!

Even if you find your real parents, what makes you think they'd want you for a son?

You tried to destroy their world.

It wasn't me...

Of course it wasn't, but who's going to believe you?

I... I don't know...

Just as I thought...

.

A few weeks later

On board the Highwind

" This isn't going to work, Shera ." Lucrecia said nervously while continuing to pin her silky brown hair up. " Maybe he's avoiding me because He's had a change of heart."

" Nonsense, Lu ." Elmyra concluded before Shera could.

" Vincent's crazy about you, Lucrecia, you just need to let him know how you feel ." Tifa encouraged, turning the page in her magazine.

" I really appreciate all your help, but maybe we should be focusing on Cloud and Tifa's upcoming wedding ." Lucrecia tried to change the subject.

" Hey, I don't want to be the only married woman around here. Since Barret and Elmyra are already engaged, we need to work on Cid and Vincent ." Tifa defended. Shera turned away, her cheeks matching the color of her hair. Lucrecia glanced at Shera before replying. " You have too much free time on your hands, Tif. I'll remember to speak to Cloud about that later ."

" Say what you want now, Lu, but someday you and Shera will be thanking me ." Lucrecia shook her head as she stood up from Tifa's vanity. Vincent won't even show up and all this work would have been for nothing.

Elmyra nodded. " You look lovely, Lu ."

" You're gonna knock his cape off ." Tifa cheered.

Lucrecia gave them a devilish grin before she and Shera walked out of the room. " I hope this works ." She whispered. The pair continued to walk in silence down to Lucrecia's quarters when she stopped dead in her tracks. Vincent was leaning nonchalantly against her door, as handsome as ever. " I... I didn't think you'd come ." She managed to smile despite her nervousness.

Vincent passed a glance to Shera before returning his emotionless gaze to Lucrecia. " Cid can be very persuasive when he wants to be ."

" Dinner's ready ." Lucrecia informed, trying to avoid the fact that Cid was in on their little conspiracy. Shera made herself scarce.

Vincent nodded and opened her door. " Ladies first ."

.

" I appreciate dinner, Lu, but if you'll excuse me -" He stood up from the table before Lucrecia realized what was happening.

" Wh... Where are you going ?" She tried not to panic.

" Cloud, Cid, and myself have a mission tomarrow -"

" You can't leave ." Lucrecia shot up from the table and instantly reached his side.

" Lucrecia, I have to ."

" Why? Are you afraid of me? Are you afraid to be a man again? To show -" Lucrecia was quickly silenced as Vincent's mouth descended upon hers in a gentle kiss that took her breath away. She went limp in his arms as he cupped her face with his strong hands and they fell back against the wall.

Vincent finally tore his lips from hers, breathing heavily. " I... shouldn't have done that..." He trailed off, stepping away from her. " I should go ."

" Vincent..." She whispered, grasping his hand. " I'm sorry... I didn't mean what..."

He brushed his free hand across her cheek. " Shh... I know. Now I must go ."

Lucrecia didn't let go of his hand. " Why must you always leave me ?"

It stung. She thinks that I don't care... that I don't love her. " I fear what I'll do if I stay, Lu ."

" Then why did you bring me here ?"

" For your own safety, so you can start a new life ." Vincent's red-brown eyes rested on her angelic face. Not for myself...

" I want to start a new life... but with you ."

Lucrecia smiled as his arm drew her closer. His free hand slid up her neck, his thumb gently tilting her chin up, and for a split second her eyes locked with his. She closed her soft violet eyes when she felt his lips, hot, beguiling, pressing gently against her own. Nothing else mattered but the taste of him, the feel of her beloved's body pressed against her.

Vincent didn't frighten her with his passion but kept it tightly leashed, even though he felt like an inferno about to explode. It was the second hardest thing he'd ever done, restraining himself when his body cried out to take her here and now. This quickly made him realize he wasn't as self-controlled as he thought he was. Nearly insane with unquenched desire, Vincent was unaware of the little things he was doing to her, that his fingers had slid into her hair, removing the pins, that he had slid her loose dress off, first one shoulder, then the other, or that he was slowly leading them to her bed. What was more amazing was that Lucrecia didn't realize what she was doing to him. Her hands worked frantically at the buttons on his black shirt but quickly began tugging at his belt. She managed to slip one of his arms out of his shirt as he moved back the blankets and gently sat her down on the bed. Lucrecia threw her head back on the pillows, biting her lower lip as his lips and tongue reaked sensual havoc across her smooth alabaster skin.

" Vincent... please ." She whispered impassionately, clutching at him frantically. She suddenly knew something was wrong when she felt him tense up.

" Oh god, Lu, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." He panted. " Did I hurt you ?"

Her violet eyes grew wide in surprise. " No..." She whispered. " Quite the contrary ." Vincent finished shrugging his pants off and settled on top of her. Their eyes locked as he thrust deep inside her. She tensed up when she felt an excrutiating pain. Why did it hurt? It wasn't supposed to hurt. She'd done this before, hadn't she?

He began kissing her again while moving inside with a kind of urgency she responded to by moving her hips to meet him, a kind of urgency they both felt because of 30 years of denial. The tension grew, pulsed, and finally exploded into elated bliss. Vincent managed to roll off her before he collapsed beside her, trembling. Lucrecia's lips quivered with her uneven breathing, her heart pounding as her climax drained. After a long, silent moment, Lucrecia finally found the strength to sit up on her side and gaze upon her beloved. His red-brown eyes locked with hers, hardly believing what had just happened. She smoothed back his black hair and ran her fingers across his lips before resting her head on his chest. " I love you, Vincent ." She whispered before closing her eyes and drifting into peaceful slumber...

.

Go To Chapter 2

Return To FF7 Fanfic