Spirit
6 – The Space Between Dream and Reality

Disclaimer: If I did own Final Fantasy VII or these characters I would be making a movie for every couple I like. But as I don't I instead write stories in which I can manipulate their lives to work with my will.

Authors Note: I'm sorry that my other stories are not yet done yet. I got distracted and everything I do promise an update coming soon, as I've started the next installments for Twisted Reality and Bloody Illusions. In the meantime I have a few one-shots I've been working on lately for the 30kisses LiveJournal Challenge Community. All are Yuffentine. Be forewarned if you don't like that ship. These are all a series of one-shots being kept together.

Vincent had lost track of which were his dreams and which were reality. He'd wake in the middle of the night and smell her perfume; he could swear he'd hear her soft snoring coming from beside him most nights. He'd turn to check on her, wrap his arm around her and hold her close so that she would never escape his grip again and she'd be gone. Her side of the bed would remain empty and cold… and he'd remember.

She had cured him of his guilt, cleansed him of his sins and made him feel human again. Now he was stuck with the painful truth that he was indeed a monster. He would outlive everyone he knew and he would outlive his son. He destroyed everything. He destroyed the things he loved and cared about the most. He had ultimately destroyed her and now his fears were that he would destroy his infant son.

"Vinnie, you're suck so much when you're beating yourself up."

He kept his hand on her side of the bed; he wasn't sure whether it was memories or insanity that brought back the words spoken in jest. Back then he mourned and held himself responsible for another, a death that she had cured. A death she had made him realize wasn't his fault. Most people considered the feat of his guilt impossible.

It hadn't been impossible for her. Not for Yuffie. There was never a mission that was too big or scary for her to accomplish. She had endless energy and remarkable patience for him, which was surprising considering how often she lost her patience with everything else.

"Vinnie, do me a favor...? Don't blame yourself for what happened to me."

He had broken his promise to her in the end. He did blame himself. He could only hope that once he managed to find forgiveness he would break free of the illusions and her haunting memory. Knowing Yuffie, she would be there, right beside him until he managed to forgive himself once more. Still, even if she was with him than it would be his fault she hadn't moved on to heaven yet. He would never be able to hold her close to him ever again and he needed her. She had been his only truth.