Natalie stretched and then pushed the textbook aside. Vincent looked up from the book he read - a history of the Cetra that Natalie had written - to send her a quizzical glance. She smiled. "It's really interesting, the human body. It's amazing how it all works."
"Are you finished?"
"Yeah. I did a quiz and got 100%." She rested her arms on the table, stretching out to take his hand in hers. "It isn't the same as medical school, but it's all I can do."
"It will be enough."
"I hope so." She gave his hand another squeeze before releasing it to stand. The Item Shop had begun to fill with the later risers. "Let's go. I should start while it's fresh."
Vincent stood to follow, falling into step beside her as they made their way to the Mansion. It had been the best three day cram-session she had ever had. When she hadn't been studying, Vincent and she had taken long walks around Mt. Nibel. Mostly the walks had been silent times of enjoying the other's company. There had been occasions when one of the two had begun to talk about how a specific section of scenery had reminded them of a memory they had, and then each had taken turns offering a similar memory.
One time they had even found themselves standing outside the door to the room that held his crypt...
"Did I ever rest there?"
Natalie stared at the door with a growing coldness of anger and hatred. "Yes, you did. For a very long time."
And the memories of the long months and years of searching propelled her through the door. Vincent followed, and they moved to stand in the center of the room, staring at the black coffin.
"There. Right there is where I first saw you," she told him softly. "That's where I first came to the realization I would do this no matter what. No matter how long it took to get you to come out, I would cure you."
Natalie stepped close to the box. "I hated this thing. Hated everything it stood for. Hated how it meant you'd been thrown away, as if you didn't mean anything to anybody. Hated how it meant you were seen as dead in the eyes of all who knew you. It kept you away from me, and away from the life I wanted to give you." Natalie's voice choked on the sudden tears. She lowered her chin, closing her eyes against the onslaught.
"Natalie..." Vincent rested a hand on her shoulder. "Natalie, don't."
Natalie took in a ragged breath before turning away from the coffin. "I know. I... I shouldn't look back because... it doesn't prove anything. It's just..." Vincent stepped forward to embrace her. Natalie gave a choked sob. "I hurt, Vincent. I hurt for you every time I think about what you've seen and done and had done to you. It's like my entire insides twist inside out and then do it all over again..."
Vincent smoothed her curls.
Natalie pushed away suddenly, and her eyes flashed with anger as she turned on the coffin. "You lost! Do you hear? You can't have him anymore! He's mine!"
She strode forward and kicked the coffin several times, leaving dents and cracks in its side with her heavy-soled hiking boots. Vincent tried to pull her away but she shook loose, reaching inside to grab fistfuls of velvety softness. She pulled with all her strength and the rich purple material ripped with an awful sound. Natalie stared down at the darkness in her shaking hands. Then she tossed it to the ground and stared at it with wide eyes.
Vincent took hold of her arm and gently pulled her away. "Natalie."
Natalie raised her head. "I'm s-sorry." She brushed some curls from her face and swallowed hard as she turned away from the coffin. "I... I don't..." She shook her head. "I'm sorry."
Vincent guided her from the room, the books forgotten on the floor of the crypt. He led her to the opposite wall, taking her hands in his as he watched her face. Her eyes were closed, and her face was slightly pale. "Natalie, are you all right?"
Natalie shook her head. "I don't know what happened, Vincent." Natalie opened her eyes. "I... I was just so angry. I couldn't think of anything but.... It s-scared me."
"Have you ever felt this way before?"
Natalie shook her head again. "No. Never."
Vincent continued to watch her face as she stared down at their clasped hands. "Perhaps you should rest, Natalie."
Natalie shook her head. "No, Vincent. No. Studying and researching will help. It always has."
"I've waited this long," Vincent pressed. "A little more won't matter one way or the other."
"No," Natalie said firmly, looking up to meet his gaze. "You've waited long enough. I'm not going to let this Mansion or this basement laboratory and the memories in it win. I am going to cure you!"
"Natalie--"
Natalie grabbed his upper arms to give him a shake. "No! I had a moment of weakness. That's all. I've had them before. So have you. I can deal with it. As long as there's a chance, I'm moving on. I'm going to study and learn and step toward the hope that I can cure you. Don't tell me to stop, Vincent, because I won't!"
Vincent wrapped his arms around her to draw her close. He pressed his lips against her neck.
Natalie released a choked breath. "I won't."...
The facing of the past, standing against it together, had allowed both her and Vincent to grow closer in a way she had never risked imagining.
Now, they made their way to the basement laboratory, pausing in the entrance to stare within as the culmination of all their hopes began to be realized. Natalie released a slow breath and stepped forward.
"I see you were here recently," Vincent observed.
"Yes." Natalie sheepishly smiled. "Twice, in fact."
"You had already decided today would be the day?"
"I was hoping, but I wasn't going to bet on it. It depended on how I did on the quiz."
"How many times have you done said quiz with such high results?"
Natalie flushed, double-checking the tools. "Oh, about a hundred or so. I lost count."
Vincent smiled. "I suspected as much."
"See? You were enjoying yourself as much as I was."
"I didn't deny it."
Natalie gestured him to the table. "Come on. Let's get you ready."
Vincent eased himself up onto the bed and lay back, resting his claw on the side table. She reached out to dissemble it but paused, casting a glance at the sleeve hiding the insertion points from view.
Natalie cleared her throat, tapping her forehead with a solitary finger. "Uh, Vincent, you'll need to take off your shirt."
Vincent sat up with another smile as he unbuttoned his shirt and slipped out of it. He handed it to her. "You've been wanting to do that yourself for quite a while."
Natalie flushed as she set the shirt aside. "Don't start," she warned, smiling.
Natalie cleared her throat as she deliberately kept her eyes from his chest. Instead, she wrestled her attention to the claw and it's insertion points. There was a metal 'guide' that kept the tubing from being jostled, thereby reducing the risk of being accidentally - or purposefully - removed. When she lightly touched the skin just behind the metal guide, she could tell they were a good 1 or 2 inches into his arm. They would need to be carefully removed via surgery. The tubing, however, could be nothing more than a type of I.V. and likely removed by retracting the 'needle' inserted. Whether the guides had a catch that needed to be released before they would easily retract was, again, a different story.
Natalie straightened, sent Vincent a reassuring smile, and then turned for the clamps that would cut off the Jenova from his body. She hesitated for a moment, sent him another smile, and then clamped the tubing. The tubing into his arm cleared of fluid. "Now we wait."
"How long?"
Natalie shrugged and sat on the bed, reaching out to brush some of his hair from his face. "I'm not sure. I thought that the Jenova was circulated semi-continuously, yet I've never seen the tubing empty. So it could take just a few minutes. If it does only re-circulate every few hours, that's how long your body will take to react."
"Any idea what reaction to expect?"
She shook her head. "No. Prepare yourself for the worst, I suppose."
Vincent took her hand and pulled her toward him, gently pressing her cheek against his chest. Natalie wrapped her arms around him as best she could and closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his smooth chest against her face and the feel of his hand stroking her hair.
"Natalie... Natalie, I'm reluctant to have you see the pain."
Natalie pressed her lips briefly against his chest. "I am too, but I'm not going anywhere. Please don't ask me to."
Vincent took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly as he caressed her back. "Then we will wait together."
With each minute and hour that passed they fought against the elation at the apparent ease of Vincent's cure. The desire to hope that such pain could be ended so quickly was intense, but they pushed it away as each new hour approached. They couldn't be certain. Not yet. So they waited.
They waited and saw the redness of Vincent's eyes decrease and vanish. Natalie saw he had dark, rich, chocolate-brown eyes. They waited and saw the almost undead pallor of his skin fade, revealing a naturally dark complexion easily tanned when in the sun for extended periods of time.
Natalie made constant notes on her ever-present spiral notepad. It had been nearly 10 hours. Occasionally there would be a high-pitched whine from the innards of the glove, but Natalie assumed it was the circulation system complaining at its lack of outlet for its Jenova cells. They ignored it with ease and pleasure.
At the 11th hour, Natalie decided they both needed to sleep.
She stood, picked up the cards from the makeshift table propped on top of his claw, and set them aside onto the table by the computer. Then she gave Vincent a kiss on the cheek. "I'm exhausted, Vincent." Natalie pulled her cot closer to his bed - positioning it so that her head was at his feet - and plumped up the pillow. "Some sleep would do both of us some good. If you feel anything odd happen, just wake me. All right?"
Vincent nodded. "I will. Good night, Natalie."
Natalie lay back, smiling up at him as her green eyes met his luxurious brown gaze. "I love your eyes the best," she yawned.
Natalie's eyes drifted closed, and her breathing deepened. Vincent watched her for a long moment, a smile twinkling in his eyes and on his lips. His night vision had faded to practically nothing, so it was hard to see her features in the shadows as clearly as before, but he was seeing her in a different light. Human. Faulty. Real.
He saw her.
Natalie's eyes opened suddenly and she turned onto her back to listen. Something wasn't right. Her eyes slowly grew accustomed to the dimness of the room. She heard it again: a ruffle. A shift. A groan. She sat up sharply. Her feet hit the floor and took that one step to Vincent's bedside. She brought her hands up to her mouth to stifle a gasp.
Vincent was thrashing; his face and body continued to phase in and out of different forms.
"Vincent," she said in a soft and calm voice, "Vincent, I need you to be still. I know it hurts, but I need to take the clamps off." Vincent gripped the ends of the bed, looking to Natalie with an expression of terror. Natalie placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "I know, but it's going to be all right. I'm here. Just be as still as possible so I can take the clamps off."
Vincent closed his eyes as he clenched his teeth. The muscle in his jaw twitched wildly as he focused his every ounce of strength on keeping rigidly still. The phasing slowed. Natalie gnawed her lower lip as she reached out to withdraw the clamps. Fluid immediately rushed into his arm. Vincent howled, and his back arched.
"What is it?" Natalie asked, frantic. She pressed her hand against his forehead, and then she felt the pulse at his throat. "Vincent? What's wrong?"
"It burns, Natalie! It burns like acid!"
Panic choked her as she replaced the clamps. His hands didn't release their tight clasp on the side of the bed, but he was able to settle into the mattress. "Maybe that little bit will help relieve the phasing." Her voice quivered. "Vincent, I'm sorry. If I'd known..."
Vincent clenched his jaw tighter. "It is not your fault, Natalie. It made sense that removing the clamps would stop the pain. There was no way you could know my body would lose its tolerance and reject the chemical base so fast."
"I don't like how this feels," she said in a soft whisper as she caressed his arm. "I feel as if this is an experiment, and I never wanted that to happen."
"I know, but do your best. It will be enough." Vincent flinched, and his eyes closed as he took in a quick breath. A grotesque mergence of at least 3 different faces broke out across his features, and he moaned. "Don't leave me, Natalie," he whispered through clenched teeth.
"I won't. I'm right here." Natalie pried his claw from its grip on the bed and held it tightly in hers. It expanded and formed different versions of his same extremity as she held it. "I'm right here."
Natalie desperately wished she felt it safe to give him some drug to let him sleep, but she didn't want to risk a chemical reaction. She felt helpless, and her heart twisted with each restrained moan as yet another barrage of images twisted Vincent's body. It wasn't supposed to be this way, she told herself. But she had known it was a possibility, one that would make the end result all the more miraculous and appreciated.
"Talk."
Natalie's fearful gaze focused on Vincent's contorted face. "What?"
"Speak, Natalie. Reality fades and I don't want to be lost in the chaos." His hand clasped hers for a long moment as he choked back a groan. "Tell me a story."
Natalie swallowed hard, fighting against the sobs that threatened her sanity. "All right." Calm and warmth filled her voice. "I'll see if I can remember something I haven't told you already."
"Tell me how--" Vincent's voice broke with a roar of pain as his face fully took on the shape of Death Gigas. Blood trickled from the corners of his eyes, and he growled deep within his throat as his large grayish fist clenched Natalie's hand.
Natalie's face went from pale to yellow, and she kissed his hand. "I'll tell you how I found your Turk picture."
Natalie took in a deep breath, grappling with the panic that refused to be pushed completely away. Death Gigas finally faded to a bluish animal she remembered as Galian Beast. She choked back a sob, stroking the bluish paw in an effort to soothe his pain. Don't die. Please.
"Believe it or not," Natalie began softly, "while I still attended high school we were allowed on a field trip to this very Mansion. It was a fluke thing my teacher arranged for his honor students. I believe Shinra used it as a recruitment tactic. Show the glamorous side to the corporation in hopes the honor students would sign up straight out of school."
The Galian Beast phased out again, leaving Vincent's face covered with sweat and blood. Natalie's hand tightened on his, and she pressed her lips against it as she caressed his cheek. "Hold on, Vincent. Hold on."
Vincent imperceptibly nodded.
Natalie took in a deep breath before continuing. "I had no idea about the basement laboratory, and so it confused me why they brought us. After all, we were science students. We didn't care much for the perks of being involved in the Shinra Hierarchy." Natalie sighed, caressing the back of his hand with her thumb. "Then Professor Hojo and Lucrecia met us. Most of us knew who they were before they even introduced themselves. I knew who he was because of his involvement in Professor Gast's research of the Cetra - I wasn't interested in the genetic sciences yet - and my teacher's stories of him, you, and Lucrecia."
Vincent loosened his death grip on her hand. So did his grip on the other side of the bed.
Natalie took it as a good sign. She kissed his hand and leaned closer. "Rest, Vincent. Rest. I'll finish the story. All right?"
Vincent gave a slight nod.
"All right. So, they introduced themselves and then led us around the Mansion on a general tour. Because I was bored, I drifted from the group to do my own examination and perusal. Sixteen-year-olds have a tendency toward excessive curiosity."
Vincent's lips twitched with a smile.
Natalie's face and body relaxed. "I found a room with a piano, so I tickled the ivories a bit. I found a lovely arboretum, of a sort, and lingered in the sun while surrendering to a few fantastical daydreams of midnight meetings and risky rendezvous. With you, of course." She caressed his cheek with the back of her fingers. More color had returned to his face.
"Then, much to my delight," Natalie continued quietly, "I found a small library with a little writing desk. It almost looked as if it were used as an office. When I sat at the desk, I searched the drawers and cubbies just to see what type of person had used it. Imagine my reaction when I found your picture tucked between two literature books. I... I was amazed. You were so handsome. So... So real." Natalie smiled. "I suppose I shouldn't have, but I kept it. I've always loved that picture. Always kept it with me. On those cold nights when loneliness hit me hardest, I would dig out that picture and play out an entire rendezvous with you. Everything was always so crystal clear. Your reaction to each thing I said so true to form; the expression in your eyes when I told one of my infamous bad jokes, your smirk when I did something embarrassingly funny..."
Vincent opened his eyes. "Sixteen and in love with a mystery," he rasped, smiling.
"Shh. Don't talk, Vincent." Natalie stood. "I'm going to get you some water. I'll be right back." They reluctantly released hands.
Natalie hurried to the desk to retrieve the thermos of water she kept in a small dorm fridge. Then she rushed back to his side. Natalie helped him lift his head and guided the straw into his mouth, holding it as he took long droughts of the chilled liquid. Once he had enough, she set it aside and helped him lie back. She took hold of his hand again and turned his arm so that she could see the inner side. The skin just behind the metal guides was red and inflamed.
Natalie gnawed on her lower lip. "I need to get some gel," she whispered. "It'll only take a moment."
Natalie hurried to the table on the far wall near the X-ray machine, grabbing the tube of local anesthetic she had found while organizing the lab. He took a firm hold of her arm the moment she returned to his side.
She caught his gaze. "It's coming?" He nodded slightly.
Natalie rushed to remove the cap, spread some of the gel on the skin where the metal guides disappeared inside, and then tossed it aside.
She tightly gripped his hand with both of hers. "Vincent, I think I need to use the claw's mechanism. Do you remember what I told you before?" Vincent imperceptibly nodded, eyes closed tight. "So I need to remove the tubes. Hold on while I look for the catch."
Vincent's grip tightened on her arm briefly as she leaned forward for a closer look at the metal guides. She touched them gently, feeling out each crevice, knob, and button in an attempt to find the release for the tubes. Every once and a while she saw an expression near desperation on Vincent's face and knew the pain and chaotic phasing edged ever closer. Her stomach tightened with a lurch when their gazes met, and she nodded as she bit her lower lip. She pressed her lips together, releasing an annoyed exhalation of breath.
"Dammit!" Natalie turned to a bookcase, halted by Vincent's frantic clasp on her arm. She turned toward him, a similar expression of panic in her wide eyes. "I know, Vincent, but I need to see if I can find the diagram in one of Hojo's reports." She covered his hand with hers to give it a squeeze. "I'll be right over there."
Vincent nodded slightly as he released his grip, watching her every move with an expression of barely restrained dread. Natalie pawed through drawers and file cabinets, rifling through manila folders and thumbing through dog-eared books looking for the design that would let her help him. Every twitch from Vincent's direction captured her attention, and then she was back into the files with renewed fervor.
"Aagh!"
Vincent's exclamation of agony brought her head up. Natalie dropped the book and ran to his side, grasping his hand so tightly that his eyes opened and met hers.
"I'm here. Shh. Shh," she soothed in a choked voice. She stroked the sweat from his forehead and temples.
Vincent's grip tightened around hers as his eyes squeezed shut, blood escaping the corners again. Natalie caressed them away with the tips of her fingers, chewing her lower lip until she could taste her own blood.
"It isn't fair," she choked out. "I can't relieve any of your pain. I can't stop the phasing. I'm powerless to help you through the toughest time in your life..." Natalie's voice broke on a sob. "Vincent, I'm so scared. I want to give you something, but... Oh God," she whispered as she pressed his hand against her lips. "I didn't know, Vincent. I'm so sorry. I didn't know." She pressed his hand against her forehead and cheek. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry..."
After what seemed endless hours, Vincent quieted and drifted to sleep. His breathing was ragged and labored, and his pallor didn't alleviate Natalie's suspicions he wouldn't survive the night. She put on a brave face for him, though, and didn't let the tears of mental and emotional exhaustion slip past. Once his breathing deepened in sleep, her search for the diagram began in earnest. She had decided there would be no rest until she eased his agony. Nothing else mattered. Her mind recognized nothing else.
It was Vincent or nothing.
Natalie found the diagram for not only the release of the tubes from the metal guides, but also for the mechanism within the claw. So, shortly after Vincent drifted to his not-so-restful slumber, Natalie tenderly pulled Vincent's arm to a position where she could reach said catch. It had taken barely a moment for the tubing to be free of his arm. Then she had set the claw aside with a sob of relief, knowing her next project would be the study the diagram of the mechanism it held.
Natalie gazed down at Vincent with a sad expression. "I wanted to protect you from this, Vincent," she whispered. "I wanted your cure to be painless. To be simple. To be... To be so many other things." She closed her eyes and lowered her gaze, grabbing fistfuls of the bed sheet. She had wanted so many things to be different. Natalie released a deep breath and opened her eyes, reaching out a hand to gently caress his hair from his face. "Now I'm causing you more pain than Hojo ever did."
Natalie shook her head as she turned away. She retrieved the claw and diagram and began studying it. Much to her numbed surprise, she found that the device within had a portion of Jenova cells held within a container, creating more of its own volition as needed. So Natalie connected the device to the appropriate port of the computer, hacked the security system, and reprogrammed the device to introduce Vincent's original DNA back into his system on a regular and more frequent basis.
Natalie retrieved his original DNA from a no-longer hidden storage facility within the lab, filled the container of the device, and reinserted it into the golden claw. Then Natalie double-checked her programming, ran a simulation, and promptly increased the rate of introduction while programming it with a status monitor that would adjust the amount accordingly.
All took less than an hour.
Natalie released a deep breath as she pushed away from the computer, reassembled claw in hand. Vincent continued to sleep, breathing ragged and skin pale. Natalie sat beside him, too exhausted to feel anything but numbed determination as she reattached his claw, reinserted the tubing, and removed the clamps. Vincent barely had the strength to moan as the liquid irritated the inflamed vessels within his arms.
"All right, Vincent," Natalie said softly as she moved to his opposite side, "now we wait again." Natalie took hold of his hand and squeezed it. There was a slight response. A smile escaped the numbness. "I hope your dreams are nicer than what I've been doing to you. You deserve some relief."
She sat on the edge of the bed, gazing down at him. An expression of calm and comfort was there, and his breathing slowly became less haggard. "I'm still trying, Vincent. I'm still trying to make it go away. Just fight it with me. Okay? Don't give up. Remember what you said? You said that a future with me was better than death."
Natalie released his hand and laid down beside him, holding him tight. "You said that a future with me was better than death," she repeated in a choked voice. "Please, Vincent. Don't leave me alone again."
*