Chapter一
"Yuffie?! What're you doing here?"
Yuffie rolled her eyes as she dropped her satchel on the ground. "No idea, Shake. Pops insisted he had something to talk to me about, so Reeve decided I could have the weekend off."
"Uh-oh," Shake replied. "What'd you do now?"
Yuffie shrugged. "Nothing that I haven't done before that he disapproves of."
"Miss Yuffie?"
Yuffie looked over to see Lina, her father's housemaid and her old nanny enter.
"Hiya, Miss Lina."
She embraced the older woman warmly.
Pulling back, Lina smiled at her. "I did not think you would make it."
Shake spoke up, "The New Year's Festival starts tonight."
Yuffie's eyes lit with remembrance. "Oh, yeah! It does."
Lina frowned slightly. "That WRO has been working you hard, yes, if you have forgotten it's almost New Year's?"
Yuffie laughed. "Yeah, Reeve's a real taskmaster. Combined with the missions Rufus shanghais me into, the days do seem to meld into one long one."
Lina's eyes sparked with interest. "Rufus Shinra?"
Yuffie nodded and picked up her bags.
"Well, I just wanted to say 'hi' before I dropped these off. You'll tell Godo I'm here?"
Lina nodded.
With a smile to the both of them, Yuffie headed out towards her small house.
Lina stood there thoughtful after she left, catching Shake's eye.
"What's up?" he asked.
Lina was shaken out of her thoughts by the younger man's vernacular. "Oh, nothing."
"Does she know about you and Godo?" Shake asked.
"What? Oh, no." Lina shook her head. "Godo wanted to wait for some reason."
"Maybe that's why he wanted her back now? To tell her. She can't miss the wedding."
Lina smiled and nodded. "That must be it."
As Yuffie unlocked her old apartment and settled in, her thoughts wandered to the last time she remembered being there. It'd been almost ten years since the meteor incident and the Jenova War ended. Ten years since she started working for Reeve and after the Remnants incident, since she starting associating with the Turks and Rufus Shinra.
He'd decided to combine efforts with Reeve, and started a World Police along with a regular Electric Power company, outlawing the use of Mako. The Turks continued to be his personal bodyguards, as opposed to the assassin pawns his father used them for. They headed the Shinra Policing Academy, training recruits.
Yuffie helped out, since she used their facilities to workout. But normally she was off on some excavation, searching for some source of Jenova, always hoping she didn't because that meant the risk of having to save the world yet again tripled. Most of their leads were false, thank Leviathan. But Reeve was near obsessed with making sure every bit of it was gone.
When she hadn't been chasing a new lead or working with the Turks, she would be found at Cosmo Canyon. During the Jenova War, she and Red had developed a bit of a kinship as he would sometimes tell her stories of his home, or just random bits of history about Gaia, until she fell asleep. She was always grateful since it made the motion sickness subside.
Plus, it had been a long time since she'd been taken care of and though she didn't show weakness, she was still pretty young back then. Red never needed her to prove her worth, even after she stole everyone's materia. He understood more than anyone her sense of duty towards her homeland, her people. He had the same obligations and connections to Cosmo Canyon.
So he would kind of tutor her and in repayment, she would help him patrol the border. That is, until Rufus would call for some trumped up 'mission' for her. He somehow got it in his head she was some sort of Cloud, and when his Police Force had trouble catching their bad guy, that she would help him out.
The first time he pulled it, was through Tseng. She told him no, since she was already working her ass off for Reeve, but it turned out the baddie was in her area and she caught him quite by accident later that night. The second time she refused, flat out. Reeve ended up calling her in and insisting he could spare her to help out his new 'partner' in business.
Livid that Rufus had gone through Reeve, she stormed into his office. Reno had gotten in her way, and she knocked him aside with a left hook, right into Rude.
Rufus being Rufus, only looked up calmly as she slammed the door in the rest of his bodyguards' faces and flipped the lock. He continued to regard her bored as she marched up to his desk and leaned forward, placing her balled fists on it.
"I am not at your beck and call! I am not a bounty hunter, nor a police cadet. I work for Reeve, strictly in the WRO sector. So if you need someone to do your dirty work, Cloud now answers his cell, so call him!" Yuffie stated succinctly.
Rufus still appeared unaffected and Yuffie hid how much that infuriated her. Setting down his pen and tugging on the lapels of his jacket, he cleared his throat.
"You will be compensated for your services—"
Yuffie made a swiping motion. "I don't need anymore gil. Reeve pays me too much as it is."
"You are the best for the job, Miss Kisaragi."
"It's Yuffie. And what do you mean? What about Cloud?"
Rufus shook his head. "He's settled down. His wife would murder me if I even attempted to get him killed now."
Yuffie knew that was true. Tifa was fierce when it came to her new family.
"And the others?"
"Wallace is head of construction at North Corel and met a nice brunette around his age. They should be engaged soon. Highwind has settled down and Red XIII has all of Cosmo Canyon to worry about. Valentine's off the radar again." He considered her in a way that made her uncomfortable. She crossed her arms. "Though you are the heiress of Wutai and not entirely repelling to the opposite sex, you are the only one free of other engagements, with the proper training and experience."
She glared at him. Although, he managed to make it sound like an insult, everything he said was technically true. So she tried a different tack.
"What about the Turks?"
"What about them?"
"Get them to do your dirty work. They're used to it."
Rufus shook his head. "When they are not seeing to me, they are working at the Academy. They have no free time."
Knowing he was right, she bit the inside of her cheek. She was still pissed.
"So when you couldn't get your flunkies to get me to agree, instead of explaining this to me yourself, you went through my boss? Like Reeve doesn't have just as many things to do as you?"
Rufus made a dismissive gesture. "You are grasping at straws now."
"No." She slammed her fist onto his desk, startling him for once, and too angry to appreciate that she now had his full attention. "Your dickhead of a father's soldiers turned my home from a holy place into a tourist attraction. You tried to kill my friends to save your Gaia-killing company. I know you're making amends now, I get that. But sitting up here in your fancy new office, being all smarmy like usual, demanding things of people you've never given a second thought to does nothing for you in my book. You believe you're entitled because you have money and power, and that…is what I have a problem with." She straightened slowly, glaring at him with hatred. "If it was Reeve asking, I'd do it no question. Since he actually gives a damn about others."
Rufus had been considering her words, but his gaze sharpened at her last statement. "You think I give millions away to war victims because I don't care?"
Yuffie scoffed. "That's money. It's as impersonal as you can get. When have you ever gotten out and worked with WRO members on a job? Or handed out food to those left homeless by Omega or Meteor? Ya know, actually got that pristine white jacket dirty with more than your own Mako poisoning?"
Rufus' gaze hardened a bit. He hated when anyone mentioned one of his weaknesses, whether he still had them or not. But he was above such pettiness of put-downs and ignored it.
"I would enjoy doing any of those things, if it helped Gaia get back on its feet faster," he answered. "But I get the job of overseeing everything, which leaves absolutely no time for anything else."
"Bullshit."
His gaze focused on hers at her vulgar language.
"If you really cared," she continued, "you'd make the time."
"Obviously," he replied quietly. "you have never run a multi-million gil company, and especially during a worldwide crisis."
"And it's obvious," she retorted, coldly, "that you've never realized what a figure like yourself down in the dredges with the victims can do for morale. Showing that you care. For all they know, you have an assistant writing out your checks without your knowing.
Putting Reeve as the face of your company isn't enough. Do you know how many clients he's had to sweet talk into letting him help them out because of his association with you?"
Rufus had known. He simply hadn't known how to fix it other than throw more money at them. But from what he'd heard of this young woman, he was surprised the angrily given advice she spewed actually sounded prudent. His bodyguards had told him she was obnoxious, arrogant and headstrong. Reeve had even mentioned Yuffie's overly cheerful personality and her ability to get ahead of herself sometimes. He'd said it fondly, though, but that didn't endear said qualities to him at all.
But there was apparently much more to her than he gave her credit for.
"So," he started. "if I take your…advice, than you will help me out when asked?"
Yuffie tilted her head at him. He seemed serious. And that he said she'd be helping 'him' out rather his Academy wasn't lost on her, making it more of a personal request. He was the ultimate strategist and knew how to work people. Which is why she hadn't thought he would take anything she said into account. Seeing her skepticism, he continued.
"I honestly hold no hostility towards you or your homeland, and I regret what my… 'dickhead of a father', I believe it was, did there in the past. While being the only available heroine of the Jenova War, you are also the only one with the proper training to track down the more elusive criminals. Even Cloud cannot match your stealth, and to keep peace, I would prefer these matters to be taken care of quietly, so as not to alarm or traumatize the civilians anymore than they already have been."
"You want an assassin," she stated flatly.
Rufus held her gaze. "Is that not another name for a 'ninja'?"
Yuffie didn't answer. Essentially it was true, but she didn't use her training for such.
"Look," Rufus sighed. "You needn't bring them in dead. If you can manage them alive, that is more than enough. But there are more insane Remnants and the like out there and we've had enough Jenova Crisis' to last several lifetimes."
Yuffie jutted her head at him. "What do you think I'm doing for Reeve? Saving kittens from trees?"
"I know you're searching for traces of Jenova, but your colleagues can do that just the same. They cannot handle the criminals and you can. It's that simple." Rufus relaxed back into his chair. He watched her mull over what he said.
Finally, she looked at him. "You work personally with the public and we'll talk."
Rufus tilted his head ever so slightly. "What about right now?"
She lifted her eyebrows. "You already got one freebie."
"Yes, but…" Rufus said slowly in protest.
"But nothing," Yuffie cut him off. "Pull strings, knock heads together, whatever. Just arrange a visit to see any of the most affected areas and fast – I'd start with here, or they might think you care more for the outlying areas than them and you'd be defeating the purpose."
Rufus was staring at her, considering. She frowned at him.
"What?"
"Would you consider a position on my personal staff?" he asked, still regarding her oddly.
Yuffie choked on a laugh. "You're joking, right?"
Rufus blinked and looked away. "Think about it."
"Sure. In your dreams," she scoffed, turning for the door. Calling over her shoulder, she said, "Gimme a ring when you get everything going."
In less than two weeks, he was scheduled to visit the newest orphanage in Edge, funded by him. He gave out toys and helped serve them lunch.
Yuffie brought in the latest baddie less than a week after that, alive. She continued to take jobs from him only in the extreme cases. Vincent resurfaced sometime after that and the Omega Crisis began. After tackling that planetary threat, and he said goodbye to his dead chick for the last time, he helped her out occasionally. There was an uncomfortable time when she'd regained her old crush from during the meteor crisis on him, and he actually returned her feelings.
It didn't work out in the end and he disappeared once again. So she hopped around the world, throwing herself into her work to forget him. She was quicker to take jobs then and ending up killing one of the targets for the first time since she'd started.
She'd had a nervous breakdown then, and returned home. After spending a month simply wallowing, she finally returned to work, a little tougher, but essentially herself again. That was six years ago.
Looking around her living space, she saw someone had kept it clean, seeing a distinct lack of dust. Lina must've seen to it. No matter how many times she left, the older woman was always certain she would return, alive and well.
Taking her bag to the bedroom she opened the closet. All her old clothes hung neatly as she'd left them, including her formal kimono and her moogle-pink yukata. She briefly wondered if it would still fit, since she had filled out slightly the past six years. She would have to wear it to the festival tonight.
Leaving her bag to unpack later, she headed to the kitchen. Checking the cabinets and fridge out of curiosity, she confirmed she indeed needed to go shopping right away. She decided she might as well stay until New Year's day, which was five days away. She'd have to call Reeve and let him know.
After making a list of food stuffs that she didn't want to forget, she headed back out. She headed to the shopping mart and picked up all her favourite Wutainese food that she'd been missing. She grabbed some sake as well, and chatted with the salesgirl for a bit, before taking her bags home.
"Yuffs? Is that you?"
Yuffie's eyes narrowed at the disliked nickname and turned.
"Shuji?"
A tall jovial man jogged towards her, laughing. "It is you!" He made to hug her but her arms were loaded with bags and she didn't want to put them down in the dusty street.
"Yeah, and it's gonna be my foot up your ass if you keep calling me that. Come on, help me with these, will ya?"
Obliging, Shuji grabbed two of the three bags and followed her the short distance to her house.
Setting the stuff down on the counter inside, he finally gave her a tight hug. Pulling back, he looked her up and down with a grin.
"Damn, you filled out nicely."
Yuffie hit him in the stomach and turned away to start putting her groceries away.
"And you grew into a pervert," she retorted over her shoulder. "How's the family business?" Shuji became a weaponsmith last she knew, like his father before him.
"Good, good." He answered, hopping up on the counter next to her. "How's WRO business? I heard you're also working for Shinra," he added with a raise of his eyebrow.
Wutai and Shinra were still not on the best of terms, but Shuji's inquiry was simply that, an inquiry. He was the least judgmental person she knew and didn't care what she did, as long as she was happy.
"He gives me jobs here and there," she replied.
" 'He?'" Shuji became more interested. "You talk to the president regularly, then?"
Yuffie shrugged and nodded. "So?"
Shuji shrugged back. "I don't know. Just seems like a big important guy like that would have every minute of everyday planned. That he pens in time to speak with the infamous Wutai Heiress is something of note. Especially around here."
Yuffie watched his body language. There was something he wasn't telling her.
"What are you on about?"
Shuji held up his hands. "I don't know. I just hear things," he said, backing out of the kitchen and heading for the door. "You should talk to your pops."
Yuffie frowned and called after him. "Wait. What's going on? What've you heard?"
But Shuji had left, and her food would spoil if she didn't get it put away. Promising to use her more extreme methods of extracting information she'd learned over the years on her friend later, she finished putting away the food.
Deciding to go get the scoop from the horse's mouth, she headed for her father's place. Knocking on the door as she opened it, she called out, "Hello? Anyone home?"
"Who's there?" called a deeper voice.
"It's me, pops. Your pride and joy," she called back wryly.
Godo appeared, a crease in his brow. "More like my everlasting despair."
Yuffie smiled fakely and crossed her arms. "So. What's the big to-do?"
"Can't a father just want to see his only daughter?" Godo returned.
"Yes," Yuffie cocked a hip, "they can. But that's what separates you from the norm. What's going on?"
Godo looked uncomfortable. "Look, I have to prepare for the festival tonight. It won't kill you to just relax in your home town that you haven't been to for seven years."
"Six," Yuffie corrected. "Fine. But if you don't tell me what's up by New Year's, I'm leaving anyway."
She left then, deciding to find someone to help her with her kimono, not sure if she remembered how to put it on. Finding what she remembered to be the right house, she knocked on the front door.
Someone inside yelled 'I got it', before the door slid open to reveal a woman around Yuffie's age. Recognition lit the other woman's eyes.
"Yuffie?!"
Yuffie nodded. "Yumiko?"
"Of course, it's me!" Yumiko exclaimed, jumping forward for a hug. "Where else would I be?" Pulling back, she bounced slightly with excitement. "I can't believe it's you. Where've you been? Oh, come on inside. Mama will wanna see that you're still alive."
Yumiko grabbed her hand and Yuffie followed her into the house with a smile. After greeting Yumiko's mother, and explaining briefly what she'd been up to, she asked about the festival.
Yumiko clapped her hands. "Oh, yes! I just got a new kimono."
Yuffie' eyebrows lifted. "Really?" The townspeople were still rather old-fashioned when it came to formal wear and the only time they bought new things was when they grew out of their child size or from their adolescent size to their adult size and after that, it was only for weddings. Yumiko had been an adult almost as long as her, so she'd have no reason to buy a new one, unless…
Yumiko glanced from her mother and back to Yuffie, beaming. Finally, she burst out, "I'm getting married!"
Yuffie's eyes widened. "Really?"
Yumiko nodded. Yuffie smiled and hugged her old friend. "Congratulations." Pulling back she asked, "To who?"
"Hayato-san."
Yuffie eyebrows shot up. "Shuji?"
Yumiko nodded happily.
Yuffie cocked a hip. "That stinker. He didn't say a word."
"You saw him?" asked Yumiko.
"Yeah, he caught me on the way home from the store."
Yumiko giggled. "He probably thought I'd want to tell you."
Yuffie nodded. "Sure," she said wryly. "I still don't forgive him."
Yumiko giggled again, shoving her playfully. "Oh, you two. Like siblings still."
Yumiko's mother, Aiya smiled at the reunited friends listening as Yuffie spoke in a long-suffering tone.
"I can't say I envy you being stuck with him for life. Does he still chew grass? And crack his knuckles in your ears?"
Yumiko laughed, and nodded. "Not to me, but to others yes." Lowering her voice, she leaned close so her mother couldn't hear. "He doesn't get any from me if he does."
Yuffie couldn't help it and laughed.
"Yuffie," Aiya spoke up. "Since the festival is tonight, we weren't having dinner, but I could whip up a snack for you both. You are positively stick thin. Doesn't the WRO pay you enough to feed yourself?"
Yuffie smiled and nodded. "It's just the lack of time to actually eat it."
"Well come in and sit down. We'll have some noodles and chicken, okay?"
Yuffie nodded and started removing her boots, so she could sit at the table. She spent the next hour there, reminiscing and laughing as she enjoyed the much missed Wutainese fare. Afterward, she asked slightly embarrassed if she could have some help with her kimono. Mother and daughter laughed and agreed. So Yuffie left to go shower and grab hers while Yumiko started to get ready.
AN:Alright, this is my Rufus/Yuffie story. It was inspired by "Memento Vivere" by Enkida, which is a Yuffentine but has a one-sided Rufus/Yuffie twist to it that I thought was sweet. I have the next part written so let me know what you think so I remember to post it ;D
Do be kind - flames reflect more on you than it does me.