Always Ends

AN: I own nothing in this story. This is for OceanSapphire so enjoy. Please R&R.

Her heart was broken. Yuffie Kisaragi was well aware of that. She had given it to Vincent and he had broken it. The former Turk had found someone he cared about, some blond haired woman with curves and legs that went for miles.

As Yuffie stared at her reflection in the full length mirror, she wore a scowl. The young ninja had no real curves to speak of and her face would best be described as cute rather than sexy.

I'm just a kid to him... she thought to herself. She couldn't even get Vincent to smile. Yet she saw how easily a smile came to his lips when he was with the new love of his life. She would always be just a friend to Vincent Valentine and that hurt more than any wound she had ever received.

The weeks passed and every time she saw Vincent she had to stop herself from cursing at him. It wasn't his fault, it was her fault. If she were more mature or beautiful or more serious she might have won him but she could only act like a clumsy materia thief. She was a waste of good air, the ninja came to realize.

Normally Yuffie would talk/bug someone to death to deal with depression but this time she had no one. Cid was in Rocket Town dealing with a new airship and two toddlers. Reeve was busy with WRO, Barret with his quest for oil. Even Tifa wasn't able to be there for her, Cloud having finally come to his senses and married the barmaid. Of course Godo would just bitch about an heir and honor and all of those meaningless words. So here Yuffie was in Seventh Heaven, a few empty shot glasses in front of her along with a bottle of liquor.

Yuffie observed Cloud and Tifa from her stool, watching their little sighs of contentment and the glances they would give each other. It was that kind of sickening puppy dog love you saw on Lifetime. For a moment Yuffie wondered if her and Vincent would act like that if they had been together. Then she refilled a glass and downed it as fast as she could. Someone sat down beside her but Yuffie didn't look at whoever it was, so intent was she on her need to drown her memories.

"Hey bar keep if you're too busy playing tonsil hokey with a Chocobo I'll just help myself, yo." Tifa and Cloud broke apart from each other and stared at the red head who had interrupted them so brazenly. Tifa's face was crimson while Cloud looked like he wanted to skin Reno and mount him on the wall. The barmaid hurried over and served Reno before leaving to check on her other customers.

"Where were you on that one princess?" Reno asked, turning his head to Yuffie.

"Leave me alone Turkey..."

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the tatami mat this morning." Yuffie's response was a middle finger. "You know your head and liver are going to hate you in the morning."

"Reno, leave...me...the fuck...alone." Yuffie replied, her voice in that tone you use when you're trying to import some lesson to a child. Reno just smirked.

"What are you trying to forget?" When Yuffie didn't respond Reno continued talking. "Most people don't drink as much as you have unless they have something ripping them apart on the inside."

"You don't know anything so shut up..." Yuffie murmured.

"Five hundred and thirteen."

"What are you talking about?" Yuffie asked.

"That's how many people I've personally assassinated. Of course that number goes up if you include the plate and the Wutai War. The latter was my first assignment, scouting ahead for SOILDER and the Turks. Some nights I can almost remember all of their names but what I can't forget, no matter how much alcohol or drugs I take, are the looks in their eyes as they died." Reno paused here and took a sip of his beer before continuing. "Some wanted me to die in their last moments, others wanted to forgive me, still others just stared blankly..."

"And you want me to feel sorry for you?" Yuffie said after some moments.

"Nope, I just want you to know that drinking doesn't help you forget."

"Thanks for the advice Turkey but I just need to be alone right now."

"Suit yourself princess, although the vampire must be lonely right about now, don't you think?" Yuffie's hand lashed out then and a bottle crashed against Reno's face, knocking him to the floor. Yuffie then ran out of Seventh Heaven and into the night.

When Reno came to he was staring up at Tifa's worried expression.

"Are you alright?"

"I've taken worse hits from women before." Tifa helped him to his feet and Reno felt around. There wasn't any blood on his face or elsewhere on his person.

"I don't know what Yuffie was thinking..." Tifa said softly, already sweeping up the mess.

"She's hurting. You'd know that if you weren't so wrapped up in your fairy tale life. I'll take care of her, so go back to your husband and those two kids." And with that Reno left, a generous amount of money on the counter and a scowl on his face.

It was ironic, Yuffie thought to herself. Her father was always annoyed by her less than royal or honorable ways and here she was, clad in a kimono, legs neatly folded beneath her, a sheathed katana to her left. It was only honorable to end one's life this way, the blade slicing across her chest, intestines flowing out, and at last taking her head off her shoulders.

Unsheathing the blade, she admired the way the moonlight shown off it's surface. From there her gaze shifted to the stars, clear in the night sky.

"So beautiful...but soon there won't be anymore stars for me to be alone under..." she said softly. She placed the tip of the blade against her stomach. Her body was trembling and she tried to stop herself from doing so. It was cowardly and ill suited for a princess of Wutai. Her old man would be proud of her self control in this moment. Her hand tightened on the hilt, her body was now stock still, and she pushed with all her might...

The ring of metal against metal rang out and Yuffie's hand let go of the sword. Reno stood before her, a fierce look in his eyes.

"You are really stupid..." The Turk muttered. He kicked the sword away and dragged Yuffie to her feet. "Think about everyone you'd be hurting by killing yourself! Your old man would probably die of a heart attack not to mention what example you're showing Marlene and Denzel. 'Hey kids, don't try and move on when you're depressed, just off yourselves!' Is that really what you want?!" Here Reno grabbed Yuffie around the waist and pulled her closer. His emerald eyes were blazing, at once both accusatory and filled with something that might be considered empathy.

"N-no...but how do I move on?" Yuffie asked, sobs escaping her throat. Reno's grip loosened now and soon he was hugging her.

"You just live your life the way you always have." Reno whispered in her ear. At that Yuffie's eyes started watering and tears fell. She buried her head in Reno's shoulder and sobbed once more.

"Now you're crying...I hate to say this but I found you a lot more attractive when you were talking my ears off." Yuffie gave a small chuckle at that and Reno smiled at her.

She would be alright...

Weeks passed and Yuffie dove even more into bugging her friends, pulling pranks and nabbing some great materia with a zeal that seemed inhuman. Cid was certain he was going to kill her if she came by one more time. Barret regretted ever giving her a cell phone. And even Tifa's eyebrows would twitch when she heard Yuffie shrieking upstairs with Marlene and Denzel but the barmaid would smile when Cloud came running down, some horrid combination of eyeliner and lipstick all over his face.

Amid these events it so happened that Reno would be seen hanging out with Yuffie more, sometimes at WRO headquarters, other times at Seventh Heaven. One night at the bar, he placed a hand on hers.

"Do you still need to forget anything princess?" Yuffie placed her other hand on top of his and gave him a beaming smile.

"Yesterday's gone Turkey...you think you can help me find tomorrow?"

"I think I can help you out, yo." Reno replied, a smile gracing his lean features.