Silent Angel

Author: Spellspinner Vincent Valentine

Rating: M - for language mostly…and in later chapters

Pairing: Vincent/Yuffie post DoC

Warnings: Romance/Angst Call it a serious first attempt. Please do not get mad at me if I am not that great at this. I'm not exactly a pro at writing anything besides lemons (and I wouldn't even call myself a pro at that.) Contains minor Dirge of Cerberus spoilers…if you don't want to know play the game first and then come read. If you don't mind read on! If you like Shelke or Lucrecia with or without Vincent…sorry…I'm eliminating Shelke…killing her probably, I really couldn't stand the girl. And Lucrecia…well…as far as I'm concerned she had bad taste if she picked Hojo over Vincent, and clearly wasn't worth Vincent's time. (Maybe you can tell…I hate her…)

Note: Italics are the thoughts of people; bold italics are the thoughts of Chaos.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except this fanfic and the odd idea I had behind it. Vincent and Yuffie are not mine nor are the other final fantasy characters. Vincent, Yuffie, and all the Final Fantasy VII characters are the property of their respective owners. (But if they were mine….wow that would rock.) I tend to borrow the characters and return them in one piece. Well except for Shelke…

Chapter 1

Vision of Heaven

Vincent Valentine was the silent enigma of the heroes of the Jenova War. He was at Midgar with the feisty young ninja, Yuffie Kisaragi, helping with the evacuations before Meteorfall, and was the person that pushed Cloud in the right direction during the outbreak of Geostigma and the appearances of Kadaj, Yazoo, Loz, and the reappearance of Sephiroth. Afterward, he slipped back into the shadows of the world, unwilling to cause more trouble to those around him, content to remain with the woman who held his heart…even if he could never have her.

Then, one year ago, Deepground emerged. At his side appeared the friends he had tried to push away and one in particular had a lot to do with why he came back alive. Yuffie Kisaragi. The girl had matured a good deal in the year since the Second Reunion. He never forgot how she saved his life at the Mako Cannon before Meteorfall. Even though Vincent had told her to evacuate, Yuffie had stayed, and if not for her, he would not have been around to save the planet from Deepground, Weiss, Hojo, and Omega.

Everyone believed life would go on as it was intended to after the destruction of Omega. It appeared to. Half a year went by uneventfully until Shelke grew critically ill. He had been looking after the girl as a little sister of sorts; Shalua had asked him to after all. So when she simply asked everyone to let her return to the planet, to let her return to her mother and sister, the others accepted her wish, while Vincent simply added it to his list of sins. Before her last breath she asked to speak with Vincent. "Lucrecia wants me to…tell you something. I agree…with it."

Vincent watched her struggle to speak as Shelke slowly died in front of him. "…What is it?"

"…Vincent Valentine…Don't let the past keep you from a future…" They were Shelke's last words as her eyes slid shut and her heart flat lined. One more person he could not save. One more sin to add to the list. Some sins, he hoped he had atoned for, while others lingered deep within, sins he knew could never be forgiven. Letting Lucrecia permit herself and unborn child to be used in an experiment, letting Shalua sacrifice herself, letting Shelke slip away were among them. Vincent decided then that he had hurt enough people. After Shelke was laid to rest beside her sister and mother, Vincent Valentine vanished, yet again without a trace.

-Half a year later-

Half a year had passed, and no one had heard from Vincent. They had all searched for him but Vincent was never found. Tifa had Cloud search Nibelheim, Cid searched the Sleeping Forest and the Forgotten City, Nanaki searched every inch of Cosmo Canyon, and even Reeve had heard nothing from Vincent. Yuffie had taken it upon herself to search every square inch of the world when she could. Her gold chocobo had been extremely handy with such a task. With no sign of Vincent anywhere else, Yuffie resigned herself to search the one place she never wanted to see him at again. A dark cavern behind a waterfall, inside would be a spring and crystals, contained in the center crystal pillar…was the only person Yuffie Kisaragi could honestly say she never wished to be face to face with.

After a few hours of riding from Cosmo Canyon, Yuffie approached the cavern entrance, hidden just behind a waterfall. Vincent has to be here…we've searched everywhere else… She thought slowly stepping through the waterfall, not at all minding the frigid water cascading down on her. The darkness of the place was no surprise…Vincent liked the dark. He told her once, that he liked it because it let him vanish. Slowly, Yuffie made her way toward the glowing crystal at the center of the cavern. He only liked to vanish because it made him feel closer to you… She thought glaring at the woman in the crystal.

Yuffie sat on the cavern floor looking up at Lucrecia Crescent, the woman who had destroyed Vincent's life, tried to fix it, and still managed to ruin it for him. At least, in Yuffie's "humble" opinion that was how it was. Echoing distantly in her memories were the words of Lucrecia, spoken by Shelke. Words about Omega…

The Omega Report, that was what Shelke used to show them the heavens in all of their glory. Yuffie had been certain Cid was going to squeal with joy when he realized where virtual reality had taken them. Yuffie would not deny that the power of virtual reality had caught her off guard. She allowed herself to slip into a dream land while the beauty of the cosmos flew past, the entire time, almost aching to be closer to Vincent. Every few seconds she would glance at him. He looked like an angel…a perfect angel. She recalled sighing softly. The way the light hit him, the way he stared off into the cosmos… Oh he really was something else that Vincent, to her on that day, he was a vision of heaven. A heaven she came to realize…she would never experience.

Omega…the ultimate life form. Supposedly… Yuffie thought wrapping her arms around her legs and drawing them close to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees and looked at the spring. Personally, I always thought Chaos was the REAL ultimate life form…and if Chaos IS the ultimate life form…that would make Vincent, logically, the ultimate man… Her own thoughts brought soft laughter to her lips. She slowly lifted her stormy eyes to the crystal. When Omega lifted the life force from the planet…life would end. Yuffie understood this quite well, but when she had read the report concerning what would happen to Chaos…to Vincent...she began to hate the woman in the crystal with every fiber of her being. It wasn't a sudden hatred though, she hadn't liked Lucrecia since the day she found out about Vincent's past, but it was the type of hatred that flared up at times…right then and there just happened to be one of them. When Omega lifted life from the planet, all that would remain would be an empty shell destined to die in the dark silence of space…this too would be the fate of Chaos.

Yuffie found herself staring bitterly at the woman in the crystal. "Yeah…so your little experiment saved his life…nice work…but what if Vincent hadn't been able to stop Omega huh!? How could you do that to someone you claimed to love!?" Yuffie's eyes narrowed as she glanced at her reflection in the spring. The anger…it was not like her. The hatred in her voice sounded foreign to her own ears. "He still blames himself for your mistakes. He had nightmares all the time…I'm sure he still does…He loved you and you broke his heart!!!" Yuffie sighed. This really was out of character. Usually when she yelled at someone she liked to get their reactions out of it. "…Now his heart is so much a prisoner of the past that…I-I don't think he even knows I exist…"

The crystal pillar's glowing reflection in the spring caused her to glare back at Lucrecia. "You hear me!? I can't win against you! There! I said it! Are you happy now?!" She looked down. Yuffie really could not stand staring at Lucrecia for more than a few seconds; she was after all, the woman who held the heart of the only man Yuffie had felt more than a shred of simple lustful teenage desire for. "I KNOW he will never love me… no matter how much I love him…and no matter how much, just once, I wish…that he would say my name…the way he says yours." The young ninja found her voice breaking. Tears had filled her eyes. Tears she had been desperately trying to hold back for months. "I'm just…such an idiot."

Unbeknownst to Yuffie, Vincent Valentine watched silently from the dark depths of the cavern. His breath was caught in his throat. Had Yuffie really said what he thought she said? Did she really say she loved him? Why? Why would she be in love with a monster? he thought gazing at his reflection in a dull crystal. Why would she wish to be with a monster such as myself? All I have managed to do in my life…is let down the people I should have been able to protect and hurt the ones I have tried to heal. Yuffie…you don't love me…you don't even know what I really am…but how could you? Sometimes I wonder myself…if I'm really fit to be called human. Vincent slowly lifted his gaze from the dull crystal, to the crying ninja. Why had she come? Was she truly that worried about him? Did she really miss him that much? He shook his head to clear the thoughts from his mind. It really didn't matter after all. She would be just another sin to bear alone if he tried to comfort her; he knew that he would only hurt her in the long run.

He remained silent and still in the cavern. For minutes on end he heard Yuffie's words in the back of his mind. Her secret wish to hear him say her name the way he would so often say Lucrecia's was a complete system shock to him. Do I really say Lucrecia's name any differently than another's? He thought glancing at the crystal pillar. Yuffie's words continued to grip a part of his soul like he had never expected. Vincent tried to push the feeling away. Lucrecia and Yuffie were two very different sides of two very different coins. The woman inside the crystal had not haunted his dreams for a year now, nor was he coming to the cavern as often, he found himself thinking of her still, but not seeing her everywhere he looked. To be honest he didn't wish to see her everywhere he looked. After all…Shelke said…that Lucrecia wanted me to move on… so he had tried. No future seemed to be waiting for him though. The haunting past was all he could see. He remembered the warmth of her smile, the softness of her voice, her radiant eyes…his thoughts were rudely interrupted by images of Yuffie, Lucrecia's polar opposite. The rambunctious, clumsy, and very devious girl's laughter, her whining, and her carefree nature were the first thoughts that came to him. …Girl? Yuffie isn't even a girl anymore…she's a young woman now. And it was true. Yuffie had turned twenty years old in the year that had passed. She certainly didn't look like the arrogant child she had been when he first met her. Her thin tomboyish legs had filled out to that of a woman's and her small waist had filled out as well, giving her more feminine curves…

Vincent shook his head again. It was not right for him to be thinking of his friend in such a way.

But why is it wrong? A darker voice in his head kept asking, a voice that was strangely familiar, yet not his own. Why is it wrong to think of her as a woman instead of a girl? He tried to ignore the voice, because it agreed with the little part of him that had been silently aching for the touch of another since he was awoken from his sleep. Why will you not acknowledge her as a woman? It is always one excuse after another, first she is too young, then she is a friend, then she is a comrade …When will you quit denying your attraction to her? This voice was relentless. Vincent knew this was Chaos speaking to him.

I can not… I will only shroud the light in her with darkness…she deserves someone who can reflect that light, not someone who will negate it.

At that moment, Vincent was forced deeper into the shadows, as Yuffie got up and ran out of the cavern. When he was sure she was gone he exited the cave. He and Yuffie had been in the cavern for hours. Night had fallen and he watched silently as the young ninja vanished into the distance on her chocobo. Yuffie would return to Wutai, he was certain of it. The pale glow of the moon above bathed the crystalline lake in pale blue light. Vincent looked at his reflection in the water. "Don't you see Chaos? I can't be with her…She deserves someone better." Vincent narrowed his eyes at his reflection. "…I don't want to hurt her any more than I already am…"

For the longest time he stared at his reflection before gazing at a large bush. Hidden behind it was a small cave, and inside that cave was one of the gold chocobos he had raised before vanishing without a word to the others. "Shiryu…come on…" He said softly walking toward the edge of the lake. More waterfalls cascaded down the mountain canyon. This was precisely why he required Shiryu. The gold chocobo was perfect for the high cliffs, and it wasn't afraid of the raging waters. Vincent waited, gazing down at the falling waters as the golden bird hurried over to its master. The bird let out an affectionate 'wark' and nudged his hand gently with its beak. Vincent lifted his hand and gently pat the bird's head before turning to mount it. "…We're going…to Wutai." He told Shiryu before taking hold of the reins. …I shouldn't follow Yuffie though... He sighed softly and nudged the chocobo by its wings with his boots.

And yet…here you are…following her. What will you do once you get to Wutai? Stalk the girl?

Vincent sighed. With Chaos interrupting his thoughts every few minutes it was bound to be a long trip to Wutai. …I don't know what I will do Chaos…but I can not let her go off alone after what happened. She was too emotional; she may drop her guard and get hurt.

…So…you are stalking her under the pretense of concern for her safety…Hmph…keep telling yourself what you are doing is noble…

Chaos would continue to irritate him for the rest of the journey. He would do so by pointing out everything Vincent loved about Yuffie. Her smile, her eyes, her optimistic attitude, and her innocence….all in an attempt to force Vincent to mentally admit he was in love with the young ninja. …I care for her. She is a friend. I am not in love with her. Vincent would silently repeat this to himself until Wutai came into sight.

Yuffie would most likely be home and so, after dismounting, Vincent walked to her home in Wutai all the while keeping to the sanctity of the shadows. If anyone saw him, they really would think him a stalker. When he approached her home, he noted that the door was not completely shut. Yuffie had probably neglected to push her door completely shut. He would go in, simply to make sure she was alright, and then leave. So, Vincent silently entered the house. It was dark in the room. The only light came from the faint glow of a paper lantern near Yuffie's bed and a light down at the bottom of the stairs. She's probably training… Vincent thought as the sound of…something being knocked around reached his ears.

So go watch...You'd be lying if you said you didn't want to.

I assure you…I am fully aware of this Chaos. Vincent thought silently descending the stairs. Glancing into to the training room, Vincent saw her. She was wearing dark shorts and a tank top. He watched her. She moved with flawless grace, something Vincent would admit, Yuffie never exemplified when she knew people where watching. She executed a perfect back flip, and his eyes followed her every move. Her arm moved swiftly through the air, slicing through whatever she imagined to be there. Yuffie was focused, more so than Vincent had ever seen, with the exception of being in combat. Vincent did not even see her pull out the kunai she threw, but he heard them strike her targets. …She has improved...Vincent noted watching Yuffie. Her accuracy was becoming as deadly as his, her speed was phenomenal, and her balance had improved remarkably.

It was only as she executed a series of flips that he noticed something shimmer in the light. …The Cerberus Relief…the one I lost in Midgar… His eyes moved to his gun. It had taken forever to track down the smith who had cast the original and even longer to wait for the new one to be finished. He had scoured Midgar for the original but to no avail. The Cerberus Relief had been lost for good. At least…that's what he thought then. Vincent had always wondered what had become of it. So Yuffie has had it all this time….why?

Fool…you will not allow yourself to get close to her and it is the only thing she desires. She keeps it, so that she may keep you beside her in a sense…

Keep me…beside her? He sunk deeper into the shadows. Does she wish me to be beside her that badly? Vincent shook his head lightly. All this thinking was bound to give him a headache. She was a friend, a comrade, and he was not going to get involved with her. I will not be the one to hurt her...I do not wish to be the one who breaks her heart or causes her pain. I've done that to enough people….Vincent was stirred suddenly from his thoughts by a loud, all too familiar, angry voice.

"Damn you Vincent!!!" He glanced into the room just in time to see her break through a large stack of fire wood with a swift kick. "I oughta break every bone in your body!!!!" He moved back out of sight.

One minute she wants me here the next minute she wants to break every bone in my body…

You'll get used to it…

Vincent moved far from the door, completely out of sight, as Yuffie turned and left her training room and began heading up the stairs. He tensed when she stopped and glanced over her shoulder into the darkness of the hall. "Vincent…" she said softly.

….Does she know I am here?

Be calm and patient…

Yuffie sighed within a moment and shook her head lightly. "…Guess I'm just fooling myself…hoping you'll be there each time…just watching out for me…like always…" He watched her run her fingers through her slightly sweaty bangs before she turned and continued to climb the stairs.

Vincent followed her in silence. Moving silently was a skill he prided himself on. If he were to venture a guess, he would have to say he was better at it than Yuffie. He entered the upstairs and glanced past the screen that parted her room. Part of him would be forever grateful for the sight that he witnessed from the space between the wall and the screen. She had pulled her tank top over her head; her shorts lay on the floor. Vincent's mind waged war with itself. Chaos and that part of him he had forgotten about were winning.

She is magnificent…Do you honestly mean to tell me you do not think her a woman?

She is my friend…Vincent averted his eyes. I will not…and must not think of a friend in such a way. I should not be here now. Yuffie is safe...that is the only reason I came. I will not sit here and watch her like…

Like you want to?

Chaos…I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't interrupt me…

Then simply quit denying it…you are in love with this girl…

I do not love her. She is my friend. Vincent was relieved when Yuffie blew out the candle behind the paper lantern. He could see her clearly in the darkness. She however, would be unable to see him. That was how he preferred it. So he watched, ignoring for the first time, the rational voice that told him not to watch. This time, he was siding with Chaos and the darkness in him. He watched her until she crawled into her bed and fell asleep before quietly moving to kneel beside her. The leather glove that normally covered his hand had been removed, and he slowly reached out to touch her cheek. Yuffie's soft, warm skin briefly warmed his icy heart.

You don't plan on leaving now do you?

….No….I do not. Vincent's garnet eyes looked her over. The curve of her body under the blanket, the softness of her hair and skin, the soft voice that muttered indistinctly as she slept... Yuffie does not wish to be alone…so I will remain. I will look after her from the shadows…until she can find another…someone worthy of her.

Minutes passed like hours as he watched her sleep. Each time she would shift he would move back so that if she were to wake, she would not see him. A few times he heard her muttering something about the Omega Report. Broken parts of the report…from the day Shelke's synaptic net dive had revealed the cosmos, the purpose of Omega, and the destiny of the planet to them. Vincent listened to her as she whispered his name softly in her sleep and pulled her blankets tightly to her.

…Is she…dreaming about me? He could not help but wonder as he gently pushed her bangs back from her face. Yuffie…why? Why are you so focused…on me? She looked peaceful in her sleep and though he would never admit it to any one else, as she slept he regarded her as only one thing.

A vision of heaven…