I have been off the grid (ha ha) for a long time due to publishing a couple of novels on my own. Now I'm at a rough spot trying to sort out my next idea for a published piece. Then it hit me. BAM! A cute Vincent and Yuffie idea. I tried to ignore it, but well, obviously that failed. I have to get this out of my head now. Read on!

Disclaimer: I do not own a single bit of Final Fantasy VII or anything related to the franchise. I only own this creative story and I hope this is an enjoyable story for you!

Yuffie drummed her fingers absent mindedly on the desk as she waited for the professor to collect their tests. She felt pretty confident in her finished piece. History became one of her favorite subjects in college due to her slight partake in helping keep it as clean as possible. All the cleaning up left Yuffie with only a few options with what to do to pass her time. Oddly enough, she chose to earn herself a college degree. The choice startled her more than it startled the gang of Avalanche.

The professor released class for the day and Yuffie walked out slowly. It was her final class of the day marking her week at an end. There were only a few more days of classes left until summer vacation started. And then she would be on her final year of school. Amazing how fate played out for her.

Yuffie adjusted her computer bag on her shoulder as it dug awkwardly into her skin. Her tummy craved a sweet strawberry smoothie from the local coffee shop by the parking garage. As she approached the shop a man dressed in dark jeans with a fitted black shirt leaned against the edge of the shop. His leather boots screamed sex to a group of young girls eyeing him up and whispering about his hot style. Long, black hair and dark black sunglasses hid his red eyes from their catch.

"Vinnie?" Yuffie mumbled with a tilt of her head. His own head pop up as if he heard her call his name. She moved closer so she could speak more directly to her friend. "W-What brings you onto campus?"

"The only reason I would be on this campus is for you," he said. She knew he didn't mean his words to be heated or romantic in any way, but her imagine nation made her blush the slightest amount. His eyebrow inched a tad at her coloring. "There's some matter our team has been contacted about and I was asked to pick you up."

His dodging of her question told her about everything she needed to know. They were well-known as heroes in the world, but the peace remained for so long most forgot or chose to ignore the past. The listening ears nearby did not need to know the fine details of their latest mission. His avoidance of information also told Yuffie Vincent was well aware of the eyes taking all of him in. It was possible he could be enjoying the attention. She might not know Vincent as well as she once thought.

"7th Heaven then?" Yuffie asked as she brought her mind to the current matter and approached Vincent as if he hadn't knocked her heart out.

"You got it," he answered as they walked away from the peering eyes to his motorcycle. "Think you can make it that long?"

Yuffie stuck out her tongue before she locked up her computer case into his saddlebags. Her stomach wasn't as sensitive to traveling as it once had been, but after some weird hypnotism through a psychiatrist she was able to make it without much sickness hitting her on a good day. And once her helmet was buckled on she hopped onto Vincent's bike and placed her hands on his hips as if they worked together all the time.

True to her belief, she made it to 7th Heaven without a single stop needed. She probably would have loved a stop about twenty minutes ago when her body really craved the bathroom but she was old enough to hold it out. As soon as Vincent's feet were on the ground to steady the motorcycle she hopped off and ran into the bar. Her bladder was about to burst open if she waited any longer.

When she walked out of the restroom with a sigh of relief she was greeted by a hug from Tifa and smiles from the rest of the team.

"I rarely see you move that fast," Tifa joked. "Vince didn't let you take a break on the drive here?"

"Well, it was only an hour drive," Yuffie said and gave a forgiving smile to Vincent. "It's not like he knows the amount of caffeine I intake every morning to make it through my classes."

"It's gross," Tifa confirmed as she glanced over to the man they spoke about. "But let's sit down and talk now that we have everyone here. Cloud?"

"Thanks," Cloud said as seats were filled and silence followed. "There's nothing too major to report at the moment. Honestly, most of this story is based on simple worries and whatnot. But knowing how things have played out in the past I can't rest to easily until we have everything gathered."

Vincent felt his chest grow heavy as Cloud's eyes looked to everyone in the room for a short time. The heaviness hit when his friend's eyes stopped dead on his own without leaving.

"Vincent, this matter pertains a bit more of your history than any of our own," Cloud said and Vincent almost knew the words Cloud was about to say before they left his mouth. "There is a rumor dancing through the allies we did not destroy all the research gathered by the Deepground team as we originally thought."

"What research?" Yuffie asked completely missing the stare between the two men. She was a little less lost in the world these days, but not entirely grounded.

"They have gathered the information about creating an immortal being using Mako," Cloud said and shook his head. "But almost everyone knows your story, Vincent. I don't see what kind of person would think they could make it work as Lucrecia also once thought."

"They'll only create another monster if they try anything," Vincent sighed. "I hope mankind has learned from our past."

Yuffie remained quiet as the men spoke. She hated how Vincent still felt as if he were a monster even after everything he had done. He saved them countless times just as they saved him. If they truly thought he was a monster they would have let him die. Vincent was a kind soul. A dark one, but more kind than he thought.

"Yuffie, do you think you could come along?" Tifa asked with a sad face. "I know there's only a week left of this semester, but your help is always welcomed."

"What?" she asked escaping her own thoughts. She hated when she spaced out like that.

Tifa smirked as if she could read Yuffie's mind. Honestly, Yuffie wouldn't be surprised if she could. "Do you think you could join us on the search of the back streets to see what kind of dirt we can did up about the Mako?"

"Sure," Yuffie said shrugging. "But if someone knew the papers weren't destroyed are we looking in the right place?"

Everyone looked to Yuffie with puzzled faces and some shook their heads as if she were missing the point entirely. She felt as if they were missing more of it. The sad part is she was spacing out through most of their conversation.

"When we all teamed up to help Vinnie with the destruction of Deepground not many knew what they were trying to do. Heck, we weren't entirely sure if we knew it all," she said and scratched her chin. It was a reflex habit she developed in her first year of college. She barely recognized when it was done anymore. "The people able to gather the information we missed have to know a little more about Deepground than anyone else. True, the back streets are a bit darker areas and I could see them knowing a bit more than most, but how would they know where the private information was hidden? It makes sense to me someone involved with Deepground is at least the leader behind this. They may have people from the streets working for them, but they would need to know the best way to get the info to risk not being caught. Reeve's team would catch a foolish street thug without trouble."

The rest of the Avalanche team looked around to one another and smiles appeared on their faces to Yuffie's words.

"F #$! Maybe we should have sent this brat to school a lot sooner!" Cid laughed and slapped his knee as if she had told them all a joke. "She's makes a damn good point."

"That she does," Vincent said and gave her a small nod of approval. "We need to do some more research on Deepground's team before we go jumping around out there."

"I'll contact Reeve and have him send us what information he can get away with sharing," Cloud said and took out his cellphone. As he spoke with their friend Yuffie was given props for thinking up an obvious point they all missed.

Yuffie smiled to herself and sent a mental thank you to the college classes she took. Getting her head straightened out a bit helped her team. What more could she ask for? If everything worked out well enough they could dig up who they missed on the Deepground team and end it all in a snap. Before she knew it she would be back in school and once again away from the fighting she didn't entirely miss. Eyes drilled into her as she hoped for the best. When she met the blood red eyes she could almost feel more than a simple mission coming from their next adventure together.

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So, the only reason this is rated 'M' is because I have no idea where this new adult Yuffie and steady Vincent are going to take their relationship in this story. I won't lie, I'm hoping for some hot romance and possibly some true love. But this is no promise and it could change in a snap. I'm a little rusty and my mind is everywhere as of late so I also can't promise to when or how long this story will end.

I hope you stick around for more!