Forlorn

A/N: I have lost two very good friends in one night. So this is to them.

Where ever you are, God bless, and we still love you.

God Bless, We love you.

Vincent ran his hand over the small casket. Cherry wood. They had cut down a beautiful cherry tree for her. The cherry tree dwarfed in comparison of her beauty. As his hand grazed the casket Tifa walked into the room holding Marlene's hand. Marlene was crying and questioning.

"Tifa, Tifa! WHY?" Marlene yelled as tears ran down her face.

"Shhh…baby I don't know. But where ever she is, it doesn't hurt anymore." Tifa leaned down and wiped her adopted daughter's face.

Vincent's hand stopped cold after Tifa and Marlene approached the casket.

Cid walked in the room holding Shera's hand and Shera holding her newborn daughter. Cid was not smoking and his head was bowed.

"Fuckin' brat," He said as he walked over to the casket, "Why ja have to do that?" A tear ran down his face. Everybody knew that Cid was more of a father figure to her than anyone else.

Cloud and Denzel where next to enter the room, Denzel's head bowed and Cloud with the same stern look that was plastered on his face every day since Aerith's death.

He walked over to a sobbing Tifa and picked up his adopted daughter. His eyes shifted to the casket and he nodded and smiled.

"If you're watching," he paused and then trailed off. Marlene knew what he meant. She hugged him and said, "They are watching. They're watching in the sky." And how a child can understand something so complex was beyond him.

Barrett entered the small room next. He said nothing and sat down in a chair. He was silently sulking.

Reeve and Shelke came in after. Shelke nodded to Vincent and said, "My deepest sincerities, Mister Valentine." All Reeve did was stare at the casket.

Godo never came. Nobody from her country sent anything, no flowers, no mourners, and no shrill. The village never came to see their "Single White Rose of Wutai" fall.

After most of AVLANCHE had left, Vincent remained and began to speak, "Yuffie. I know that you're not physically here in any sense," He sighed. Words were not his strong point, "I'll be seeing you soon." He left the room only to have the casket to remain silent and still.

Few words were said to anybody. Vincent was last to speak, but Vincent stood and drained his glass and sat back down. Nobody blamed the stoic man. They agreed.

Four hours past and Vincent sat alone on his bed hoping that she'd walk through the door and tell him to get off his lazy ass and stop brooding. Then she would smile, laugh, and finally hug him so hard his ribs would crack.

He remembered everything and how it happened, he watched, and stood and saw her fall.

"Vinnie!" Yuffie yelled out, "Come on, this way!"

He mumbled and watched as her body slumped to the ground. A deepground solider kicked her and then said, "She's dead let's move on, Vincent Valentine will be around here some where" And they were right.

Soon enough, Vincent lost his temper and lashed out on the Deepground command unit.

He walked carefully over to her and placed a hand on her head.

"Vin-cent?" She panted. She was dying.

"Shhh, don't speak," Vincent's eyes darted to his Cure3 Materia. He used it. It was of no help.

"Vincent, I'm not scared," she said calmly. She reached up and placed hand on his cheek, "You came for me and that's all that matters." She had quoted Aerith directly.

She smiled and said, "I love you…and I'm so- sorry…" her voice dropped off and her hand fell to her side. Her breathing became shallow and a mumble escaped his lips.

"Why? I am one who should apologize," He said gently. He kissed the back of her hand as her smile faded and her eyes closed never to reopen.

Then Vincent Valentine did something that he hadn't done in over thirty years. He cried. He lifted the body and brought her back to the comrades.

Vincent sat in solitude and then finally made his choice. He scrawled a note and attached it to the gun. He chose to be free of all the pain. He held Death Penalty up to his head and took the shot. His body hit the floor and soul was freed, after sixty years, he freed himself.

Tifa heard a thump and ran upstairs to confirm her worst fears. There, the savor of the planet, Vincent Valentine, was lying in a puddle of spilled blood.

Tifa brought a hand to her mouth, and felt the urge to cry. But no tears fell. She knew she would not cry for a man that wanted his happiness. She walked over to the body and picked up Death Penalty. The gun was heavy so she placed it back with him. The note however she took with her. She walked out of the room. Shut the door quietly and then walked down the stairs with a smile on her face.

In Vincent's room the window cracked, a cold whisper of wind came through the room and his body was taken by the Lifestream.

Tifa opened the note and read it silently, swearing she could hear Vincent and Yuffie reading it to her

"Be careful in your next few years, my friends, for trouble lurks. But never fear. If you need us, we are only a call away." She could hear the deep voice say.

Yuffie's giggle then filled her ears, "Oh and Tifa? Good luck with Cloud."

Tifa smiled. She walked over to a cabinet and reached for a box full of photos. She sat down at a bar table and searched the photographs. She pulled out one of Vincent and Yuffie. Found a frame that fit it and hung it on the wall.

"God bless, and we still love you." She said stepping backwards to look at the photograph, "And good luck, Vincent you'll need it, but somehow I always knew."

Stirb Nicht Vor Mir

Ich warte hier

Don't die before I do

I wait here

A/N: So here's to the future. MimiNeko you rock. So Contagious updates... sometime next week. I think.

SE Leine