Yuffie's eyes were locked on Vincent's.
'It can't be the same one. It's freakin' impossible. Even though he looks like him. And sounds like him, kinda. And the date fits. Holy Hell, it is him! I can't believe he was as cute as a kid!'
She reached out and took his small hand into her own, and shook it gently. At this, he smiled lightly.
She swallowed hard before breathing.
"Nice to meet ya!" Yuffie said.
"It is nice to meet you as well." His smiled fell from his face, and he let go of her hand. His eyebrows drew close together, and he began to inspect Yuffie.
"You don't look like an Effie. Is it your really your name? I don't… like it."
Miri laughed, again, too loud for her small form.
"That's not nice. You should say sorry. Effie, I'm sorry. He reads all these mystery novels, and seems to think that everyone has a past that needs to be hidden." She looked down at her son affectionately. She seemed proud of her son, in almost every way.
Yuffie almost didn't hear her. Her mind was still processing the fact that Vincent was indeed young once.
"I don't like my name either. But, I guess we will both have to live with it." Yuffie was trying really hard to connect with him, as if he was another person entirely; however she was slowly realizing that he was another person entirely.
He seemed to forget the conversation, and turned to his mother.
"Will Ms. Ana come back? I don't want her too."
"No she won't."
He smirked.
"This means that you'll stay home now, right? No more weird people?"
Yuffie bit back laughter.
'I never thought that Vincent could be such a momma's boy. This is great material for when I get back!'
She tried not to think about the possibility of never going home. It would just put more weight on this small family.
"I'm sorry, Vince. I have to go to work. You know I would love to stay home with you. You are much more interesting than the people at work. I do promise to bring less 'weird people' here though. Is that ok?"
The doctor brought a hand up to the ring that was dangling from a thin chain around her neck, and tried her best to smile for her son.
"O-Ok…" He tried to hide the great yawn that he just released, but found that it was futile.
"Listen, why don't you show Effie-Chan here your room? I'm sure she'd like that." She glanced at Yuffie, mentally telling her that it was time for the young boy to go to bed.
Vincent nodded once, then grabbed Yuffie's hand and ran up the stairs.
The hallway was narrow, and cramped. Yuffie found the wall's bare of family pictures, and her heart clenched. Yuffie fully remembered what it was like growing up with one parent, and it killed her to think that Vincent had to go through the same thing.
Vincent pointed at the door they were now standing in front of.
"This… is my room."
He opened the door and flicked on the lights.
His room was much like the rest of the house.
'This is more like a closet. I would hate sleeping here.'
He walked over to his bed, which was in the corner of his room. By it, was a small stack of books, which were much bigger than Yuffie had the patience to read.
Vincent reached for the one on top, and handed it to Yuffie. He smiled again, inviting her to look through its pages.
"Is this your favorite?" She asked.
For Yuffie, it was hard enough to talk to the older Vincent. What was she supposed to say to this younger one?
It seems that even in his earlier years he preferred to speak only when necessary. However, her hopes were lifted when he nodded… then they were crushed when he frowned. His eyes were filled with confusion. They also told her that he was a little on the nervous side.
"Are… are you going to leave too?" He asked tentatively.
She gave her official Yuffie Kisaragi Smile, and told him:
"No, I'll stay as long as you want, promise."
Seeing her smile triggered something inside Vincent. His eyes lit up, and his hands came up to cover the biggest smile she'd ever seen grace his face.
"Is that… a smile I see, Vincent Valentine?"
He shook his head violently, with his small hands still clamped around his mouth.
Yuffie put her hands on her hips.
"I'm sure it is, you liar."
Again, he shook his head.
"Well whatever was plastered on that cute face of yours, it's still time to go to bed kid."
His hands dropped, and much to Yuffie's disappointment, his smile had faded. He nodded once, and walked to his bed, pulling out a pair of pajamas from under the pillow.
She waited outside the doorway while he changed, and thought about the previous look on his face.
It was so… happy.
"Ok, I'm ready."
Yuffie pushed her thoughts back into her mind, saving them for later.
She walked back into the room, and watched him crawl into the bed. Yuffie, though feeling extremely awkward, pulled the thin blankets over his small form. It was a surreal feeling, tucking in the young Vincent Valentine.
The thoughts came back, pushing harder than she anticipated.
Had his older self recognized her, would he have been angry with her? It was impossible to tell. Perhaps he already had known, but didn't want to freak her out. (?) Maybe this wasn't supposed to happen, and she was just screwing things up. 'I should just… leave. This isn't a good idea.'
However she couldn't stop herself. She wanted to know what happened to him. Know, and see why he was they way he was. He never really talked about the past. Especially to her. Especially to her.
"Comfortable?" She asked.
"Yes, thank you." He smiled gently, and put his head down on the pillow. His black hair fell back into his eyes.
She flicked the lights off, and the bright room went dark.
It wasn't long before soft contented sighs invaded the silence.
The young Valentine had fallen asleep rather quickly. A skill in which he would carry through the years. The difference was, his facial features. The Vincent she knew looked worried, or even scared in his sleep. When he woke up, the usual blank expression would return, which to Yuffie was even worse than crying.
The Vincent before her, the young naïve Vincent, looked innocent and happy. He actually looked happy.
'What will the world do to you, Vince?' It was one of the saddest realizations she had ever had. His smile, in time, would shatter. He would one day become cold, silent, and somewhat afraid of emotions.
He did care for his friends. It was just himself he didn't care for.
True, he had gotten better after the Omega incident. But he still didn't like himself. He still didn't forgive himself, Yuffie could tell. Even after the song and dance he gave to AVALANCHE.
Of course, they didn't know Vincent like Yuffie did. This is why it made her so mad that he never talked to her.
Maybe, this was her chance.
"Sweet, isn't he?" Miri had stolen Yuffie's train of thought. However, that wasn't what concerned her. The doctor actually managed to sneak up on the ninja!
"Uh… yeah. He's a real cutie."
Yuffie looked at Miri, and realized how much she and Vincent looked alike. The same tousled black hair, the quiet smiles that tended to grow into something more, the dangerous look in their eyes when they had gotten angry. Not to mention their grace.
"It's… hard. Taking care of him. I have trained fighters to watch him because… I'm afraid for him."
It was strange how much emotion laced the doctor's hushed whispers. She was reaching for the ring again.
"I think we have to get out of here. It isn't safe for him, and…" It seemed she always paused in the tense moments.
"I think we may be in…"
'Danger.'
She didn't need to finish the sentence. It was easy to see. The way she panicked when that coward of a baby sitter quit, the way she looked at her son now.
"I understand." Yuffie said.
She turned to watch Vincent as he slept. Watching him made her forget all the chaos that was going on. She remembered watching Marlene and Denzel falling asleep on the couch one night. This was a different kind of serenity.
This peace, was like the calm before the storm.
'I've got a baaad feeling about his.'
-x-
"Yuffie, this isn't a good idea." Tifa said.
"Oh, stop worrying. I'm a master material hunter. You of all people should remember that." Yuffie stuck out her tongue out at her friend."
"That wasn't hunting. Besides, this is in an old cave. A bunch of rubble, loose rocks, and thousands of tunnels may not be so good for the great clumsy ninja."
"Stop treating me like a child!" Yuffie stomped her foot for emphasis.
"Besides, I'm not going alone."
"You're not? Who else is going with you?"
"Vinnie, o' course."
Tifa snickered. Yuffie always managed to drag the stoic gunslinger into her wild adventures.
"Oh, OK. I get it now." Tifa said in a sing-song voice.
"Huh? What are you talking about, Teef?" How was it, that even though they were talking about her, she was still clueless?
"Never mind. Just… be careful, ok?"
'I'm the great ninja Yuffie! What could possibly go wrong?"
That was when Tifa knew for sure that something would indeed go wrong.
"What's this legendary material supposed to do anyway?"
"Time travel! Isn't that cool?"
-x-
"Effie-Chan, I have a cot made up for you down stairs. I'm sorry that you don't have your own room…"
"No, it's no problem at all. I'm more worried about what you have in you fridge, I am STARVING!" She rubbed her stomach, as if to show the doctor how hungry she was.
"I have some Wutain take-out. I could heat it up, if you'd like. Although, you should probably get to bed. Don't think I haven't forgotten about that head injury of yours."
"Dang. I guess I'll raid your fridge for that take-out tomorrow."
'So she didn't forget. I really meant it when I said dang.'
Miri shifted slightly.
"Listen, tomorrow would you watch Vincent? I… really can't afford another… Didn't you say something about being a ninja?" There was a lot of weary hope in her voice. Another trait she possessed that made her seem older than she actually was.
"The great ninja, Effie. I can handle anything!"
"Thank you… so much."
Miri's face went blank.
"Anyway, I've been looking for a better job. Somewhere far, preferably. No one wants to hire a young, female doctor. Except for…" She trailed off. It looked like she had been through a lot of problems as well, but it didn't show through her personality as is did in Vincent's.
It was… kind of amazing. As well as sad.
"Anyway, you should get to bed. It's getting pretty late. In fact, you should have been asleep a long time ago."
For once, Yuffie admitted to herself that she was tired, and did need her sleep. She nodded, and proceeded to drag her feet down to that wonderful cot the doctor had spoken of.
She fell asleep as soon as soon as her head hit the pillow.
She didn't even bother to ask for spare clothes.
-x-
Yuffie woke up, and fell to the floor. Two scarlet eyes faintly glowed above her.
"Vincent Valentine, you scared the sh- bejesus out of me!"
"I'm sorry." He said softly.
"Mmph, do you know what time it is?" Yuffie's words were slurred to the point where she sounded drunk.
"It's about two a.m."
She rubbed her eyes, which were still adjusting to the lack of light.
"So… what are you doing up?"
He shifted uncomfortably. He never was one to talk about his problems.
"Nightmare…"
"You had a bad dream?"
Half a nod. They were getting somewhere.
"I was a monster."
Yuffie looked at him sympathetically.
'That word always bothered him. Even now, I guess.'
"D'you want me to get your mom?"
"No… she needs her sleep."
Yuffie was at a loss. What did he want? Sure, she was good with kids, but this was Vincent Valentine. Quiet, and a little strange, no matter what age. She had no idea as to what to do.
"If… well… Would it be alright if…" More shifting on his part.
However, Yuffie finally seemed to get what he was trying to say, and it had amused her to no end.
"Would you like to sleep with me?" She couldn't help but put a giant smile on.
"I suppose, if you need the company." He said with a quiet smile in return.
He crawled onto Yuffie's small cot, and hid under the blankets. Moments later, he emerged, and placed his head tentatively on her chest. She was surprised that he trusted her that much. But… it was defiantly a good thing.
"Remember this, Vincent. No matter what, you will never be the monster you claim to be. Trust me, I know."
"Thank you, Yuffie." He said as he drifted to sleep. It never crossed her mind that he had called her by her real name.
-x-
A foreign scent drifted into the living room. It woke the young boy up. After his nightmare the night before, it would be nice to wake up to something pleasant.
He shifted slightly, and realized that he was not in his own bed.
Last night's events came flooding into his mind.
New babysitter. More problems for his mother. That spine tingling dream. How vivid it had been! He hoped to never witness it again. He bounced out off of the tiny cot, and headed towards the kitchen, where that wonderful smell was coming from.
"Hey, Kiddo!" He was greeted by the oddly named girl. He found no reason to respond to her greeting, but politely nodded anyway.
For some reason, he didn't see her as the type who could cook. She handed him a small plate full of…. Checkered bread. (?) He never seen this before.
"What is this?"
"Waffles?! Do not tell me you've never had waffles."
"I… haven't."
She smiled.
"Well, you won't be able to say that anymore. Go ahead, try some!"
He hesitantly tried it, and he was surprised to find that he liked it.
"It's really… good. Thank you, Effie-Nee-San." He smiled, and then continued to devour his breakfast.
Yuffie just sighed. He really was to polite for his age.
The day had passed quickly, however, it was dull and uneventful. He did a lot of reading, and she tried to figure out how to operate the ancient machines in the house. It was amazing how much could be done in fifty years.
Finally, at 9:00 p.m., Yuffie heard the keys jingle from outside, and the sorry excuse of a door open. Miri came in, tired and stressed. However, when Vincent came down the stairs, the mood of… well everything, changed. It seemed brighter. The smile on Miri's face was indescribable, and Vincent…
If Yuffie had seen him like this as an adult, she would have accused him of being a fake.
He was so happy. His smile seemed to out-shine everyone's.
Sure, Yuffie had seen of this, when she tucked him in the night before, but this was like the very definition of the emotion happy.
Though their family was small, poor, and were in possible danger, the couldn't be happier.
"Alright honey, you have a half an hour before bed. Anything you want to do?"
Vincent smirked. He knew exactly what he wanted to do.
"Ah, you want to play some CARDS. You think that wise, boy?" It seemed as if they had done this before. Many times.
Before long, they were sitting at a small table, with cards it hand.
They were, of course, playing poker.
'As opposed to gold fish, and old maid. You know, regular seven-year-old card games? The games I'm good at?!'
She looked down at her pitiful hand. She had two threes, a queen, a six, and a nine. Bluffing was not one of her strong suits.
"I fold." She said, pouting. She hated this game.
A contest between mother and son ensued.
"You're bluffing." Miri said to her son.
"You think so?" His composure never broke. It was impossible to tell what either of them had in their hands. It was It was mostly a competition of will, or lack of expression. It was scary how Vincent looked so much older without his smile. She started to think what he would look like with a big smile.
Miri held her gaze for what seemed like ages until finally…
"I fold as well. You win, Vince."
He laid down his cards, and showed that it was no better than Yuffie's.
"He is way too good." Miri muttered.
He smirked, and headed upstairs.
"Yuffie turned to the doctor, who was fiddling with the necklace again.
"How come he has a different last name than you?"
Leave it to Yuffie to be unintentionally BLUNT.
Miri shifted a little (in a very similar fashion to Vincent.).
"… When I was pregnant with him, I was in love with the name Vincent. I was going to name my child that no matter what." She laughed a little.
"When he was born, I remembered his father, and his own scarlet eyes. Suddenly, Vincent Griffon didn't sound right. So… I signed it Vincent Valentine. I think it fits him." Her mind was ages away, and shown with something Yuffie couldn't quite comprehend.
"It does." Yuffie said, half to herself.
"So what happened to Vincent's father? Mr. Valentine…"
The doctor rolled her eyes.
"Grimoire Valentine. I don't know what I se- saw in him. He's like the opposite of my type. He was good looking though, and brilliant. He works for some company now, as the head scientist. ShinRe… ShinRay… something like that."
She sighed heavily.
"He knew he had a son, but was so caught up in work. Though I hated him for it then, I'm glad he did so now. Honestly, what kind of father would he be?"
"I dunno. I never met the guy."
"The most depressive man I ever met. I would rather my son become a happy man."
Yuffie almost started crying at that one phrase.
'What am I supposed to say to that?' Yuffie thought.
It was defiantly a form of torture, getting to know this young woman. She tried so hard, and only wanted that one thing. It wasn't even for her.
'I wish I could help her wish come true, but that would mean changing the past. But do I have the right to do that? Would it really be for the better?'
It seemed their were infinite questions, and Yuffie couldn't seem to find any of the answers.
-x-
There you go, the second chapter.
I'm glad That I got nine reviews last time. However, I'm a greedy S.O.B., lets see if we can get more this time.... I hope you liked it. I knwo this chapter was a little dull, I promise it will get better. I am still seventeen, and I know there are things that I've yet to experience. Please be paitient with me!
Love, Sorrelstar