“Come in,” Hojo growled.

     The Turk sighed. Great. He didn’t like Hojo as it was, and now he had to deal with a cranky one. All the more reason to drop the reports and run in the opposite direction. But he was a Turk, and he had to do what was asked of him. He went inside.

     “You, Valentine?” Hojo snarled. “What do you want?” He glared from behind his flimsy glasses.

     Vincent held out the papers. “The day’s reports.”

     “Oh. Well put them down and get the hell out.” The Professor went back to what he had been doing, some crazy experiment involving different colored liquids.

     The Turk dropped the pages on a nearby table and turned to leave. However, there was a problem.

     Sephiroth, Hojo’s five year old son, stood in his way, gazing up silently at him with melancholy green eyes as a silent plea not to leave him.

     Poor kid, Vincent thought, kneeling down in front of him. If I were you I wouldn’t want to stay here either. “Hello, Sephiroth. How are you?”

     “I told you to leave, Valentine!” Hojo commanded.

     Vincent made no move to obey that order. Hojo was most certainly, and most thankfully not his boss. “What’s the matter?”

     “Sephiroth! Come here!” Hojo snapped.

     The child shook his head and remained still.

     “SEPHIROTH!”

     Vincent turned his head. “I don’t think he wants to.”

     “It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t have a choice,” was the cold reply.

     “Don’t you ever take him anywhere or let him have any fun?” Vincent asked. “He’s just a kid you know.”

     “Do you think I have time for such trivial matters? Leave him alone.”

     The Turk offered his hand to the child. “Why not let me then?”

     “You?” Hojo laughed. “Don’t you have work to do, Valentine?”

     “At the moment, I do not,” he replied. “I wouldn’t mind spending some time with him and besides, it would keep him away from you awhile.”

     Sephiroth finally accepted Vincent’s hand and came close to the older man, green eyes losing their lost and frightened look.

     The Professor was silent a moment. “I don’t know why I should let you, Valentine, but I am. But you better bring him back. If you don’t, it’ll only result in terrible things for the both of you.”

     Vincent looked away from the other man. “I know….” He stood, still holding the child’s hand.

     “Where are you taking him?”

     “Suddenly you give a damn?” Vincent almost laughed at the Professor’s concern.

     Hojo narrowed his beady little eyes. “Don’t keep him out too long.”

     “Can we go now?” Sephiroth requested, tugging at Vincent’s hand.

     “Yes,” replied the Turk, glancing down at the child, not at all surprised at the eagerness in the child’s voice. He would never want to be stuck with Hojo for five straight days, never mind five straight years. “We’ll go right now. Say good-bye, Sephiroth.”

     The child cast his eyes at the ground and mumbled something incoherent.

     “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t like,” said the professor.

     Vincent knew very well that he was talking to Sephiroth and not to him.

     The child tugged at his hand again, and with one last condescending look in the scientists direction, they left together.

     “I thought we might go to the circus,” he replied.

     The boy thought a moment before asking, “what’s that?”

     For some reason it didn’t surprise him in the least that Sephiroth didn’t know something as simple as a circus. “It’s a bunch of acts put together into a show,” he explained. “They have people who have trained animals who do tricks, and others who perform as acrobats. You’ll see. It’s fun.”

     Sephiroth nodded, and then kept quiet.

     The Turk frowned as he thought, Hojo probably doesn’t let him talk much…bastard. Gods, if I could only steal the boy away and protect him I would in an instant. I promised Lucretia I would….but he’d hunt me down and find me….just like he found Gast…and it would only get worse… He looked at the child out of the corner of his eye and said, “what is on your mind?”

     Again he cast his eyes downwards, just like he had when he said good bye to Hojo. “How I wish I didn’t have to go back….”

     His heart constricted in his chest as he turned the corner, and it took all his will not to break his promise to Hojo right there and just run. The pain in that voice pierced his heart and murdered him inside. He didn’t want to think about it…especially when he could so easily turn around and never turn back… But how could he reply? How could he tell him it was all okay when he knew it wasn’t and that it would never be so? How could he lie to a child whose whole life, whose whole *existence*, was one big charade. He was speechless.

     Sephiroth said, “I’m glad you took me away, Vincent. You’re very kind.”

    So smart for only five years…wonder if that’s the Jenova in him or just his lineage… “You’re most welcome. You must get tired being in that laboratory all day.”

     “Yeah,” he whispered in reply.

     Thankfully the circus was just ahead and they could end this awkward conversation. He pointed out the window as he said, “look, Sephiroth, there it is.”

     He strained to see and green eyes widened at the vivid colors, a pleased look overcoming his face.

     Vincent smiled too, glad to see him so happy.

     “*That’s* where we’re going? To that place? To the tent?”Ssuddenly he had so many words.

     “That’s right. What do you think?” He parked the vehicle.

     “It’s wonderful!” In a flash he unbuckled his seatbelt and was outside, just staring, completely entranced.

     The Turk stood off a bit for just a moment, watching the child absorb everything wide and eager eyed. He felt so pleased to bring the child happiness, after all it was his fault that he had been brought to suffer in the first place. If only he had stopped her….

     “Let’s go!” In a flash the child took the older man’s hand and was dragging him towards the tent.

     Vincent laughed, feeling like a kid himself. Never had he ever seen Sephiroth act this way, not as a normal child. Never.  It was so refreshing to see him in this new light.

     He paid their admittance and they went inside to take a seat.

     “Look at that! Do you see that! Look over there, Vincent! Wow!” He remained standing, pointing out anything and everything he saw excitedly.

     The older man wasn’t looking around at the wonders of the circus. His crimson eyes were set on what Hojo always called the ‘wonder of science’, this small, brilliant child, who’s Jenova eyes sparkled with a new light at the new stimulation.

     “Wow….” The child breathed, finally taking a seat, a dreamy smile touching his lips.

    Vincent smiled himself. He had every reason to.

     It all started off well enough. Sephiroth’s smile told Vincent what good a time he was having, and the Turk relaxed, thoroughly contented.

     However, everything fell apart when they brought out the clowns.

     They rolled out, about 5 of them, painted faces smiling freakishly in their baggy oversized clothes. They had over sized phony hammers and began whacking at one other with them, running madly around the ring.

     First Sephiroth’s eyes widened in horror as he watched these strange people emerge, terrified by their red and white painted faces, forcing them to smile from ear to ear. But once they started with the hammers that snapped the camel’s back and he burst into frightened tears, grabbing onto Vincent’s waist.

     Vincent jumped into surprise as the boy attached himself to his waist, sobbing. “Sephiroth! Sephiroth, what’s the matter!” he tried to pull him away so he could look at him, reassure him that it was fine and make those tears stop.

     But the boy’s grip was too strong. “I don’t like it here! I want to go home!”

     Oh what have I done… Vincent thought, heart sinking. Before he would do anything not to return, now I have subjected him to something that makes Hojo seem wonderful. Wearily, and with a heavy heart, the Turk picked the sniffling child up in his arms and carried him out of the circus.

     He wants to go back to Hojo. I ruined his life. Why can’t he just be happy? I thought I could do it…I really did….but I just made things worse. I’m a failure. I’m supposed to protect him, and the only thing I did was send him into hysterics. This guilt is horrible…

     Glancing over at the child, he frowned. Sephiroth gazed silently out the window, trembling slightly, dried tears on his cheek. That’s it, the Turk thought, I’ve scarred him for life.

     They returned to Hojo’s lab, trying to be quiet. Vincent did not want to have to confront Hojo about the situation. If Sephiroth wanted to tell his father, he could do it when Vincent was not within ear shot. Or throwing distance.

     Lucky for Vincent, Hojo was nowhere to be seen. He returned the bleary eyed boy to his room with a deep sigh. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, getting down on eye level with the boy. “I’m sorry I brought you to something that upset you.”

     Sephiroth silently wiped his eyes.

     With another sigh, Vincent brought himself up to his full height. “Good night, Sephiroth.” He opened the door to leave.

     “Vincent,” Sephiroth called, taking a step forward. “Wait!

     The Turk stopped and turned, a curious look in his eye. “Yes?”

     Sephiroth smiled weakly behind the tears still drying on face and lifted Vincent’s spirits immensely with one single word. “Thanks.”