A/N: Hopefully, if anyone that was following Low Fidelity Turned On High by TKQ is reading this now, you'll agree that this is a much more well rounded version. In this chapter you'll notice I've cut out some of the random unnecessary humor in favor of a more inside look at Rayne's struggle to rediscover a version of herself she thought was lost. Don't worry, though. This is a heavy Yuffie chapter so it can't possibly be all serious.

Also, if you read my profile, or if you didn't, I have a problem with deadlines and writers block a lot, so please don't hold it against me if I don't update regularly. I'll do my best, but I've been known to take extended hiatuses from one particular story unexpectedly. Reviews definitely help to motivate me into continuously writing but don't let that be the only reason for reviewing if you choose to do so.

Peace, and enjoy!

~Vy

Chapter Two – A Glimpse of Forgiveness

I felt a mild panic rise in my chest the next morning when I found I was unable to move. My alarm was quickly stifled by exasperation; the primary reason for my immobility was due to one Yuffie Kisaragi. She apparently felt the need to ensure I wasn't going to disappear in the night by more or less gluing herself to my side. The secondary cause, one I was much more accepting of, was the sight of my new found nephew curled up against the other side of me. He was completely out and the thought of waking him just to get away from Yuffie was not enough reason for me to move.

A side effect of my decision was the pleasant experience of the aforementioned ninja drooling in my ear for roughly an hour before Zack finally decided to stir from his slumber. Drowsy crystalline eyes stared at me a moment as he came to before he giggled. I couldn't help but smile knowing there wasn't anything that he actually found funny.

As though she was conscious and reading my mind, Yuffie seemed to decide to give Zack something to laugh. I realized I was moving too late and landed in a heap on the floor, half crushing Yuffie underneath the weight. "What's the big idea?" she cried obnoxiously, not inches from my head. She didn't even realize she was still gripping my arm.

"It's your fault," I grumbled, waving off Tifa and Cloud, who was in the room in seconds for fear for their son. "This is what happens when you attach yourself to someone in the middle of the night." Pulling myself from the floor with a frown, I popped my back and shook out my hair before picking up Zack and letting him ride on my shoulders as we all made our way downstairs for breakfast. At least my pain wasn't for nothing; the boy couldn't stop giggling.

Denzel and Marlene were ahead of us already but jumped up and hugged me as soon as Tifa had 'flown' the tike from around my neck to feed him. They both beamed up at me and chattered loudly about how much they missed me and of all the things they wanted to do with me now that I was back. I couldn't tell if Tifa and Cloud had told them I had died or not. They clearly knew I had left for a long time but seemed too cheery to have heard of my passing. I decided not to dwell on it and shooed them back to the table and their forgotten breakfast with promises to spend more time with them from now on.

"He's just as stubborn as his father," Tifa huffed, trying to get the tike, who was adamantly refusing, to use a sippy-cup.

"Just do what you do with him," I nodded in Cloud's direction. "Wait it out," I offered to her inquiring look. "He'll come around in the end. Oh, by the way, Cloud," His head snapped up from the mug in front of him like he was about to fall asleep in it, "Appropriate name for the fruit of your loins. He looks just like him."

"Yeah," he mumbled as he turned, pink cheeked, back to his coffee. He almost buried his nose in the scalding liquid when Marlene asked Denzel what 'fruit of your loins' meant in a poorly attempted whisper.

I laughed to myself and stretched again before sighing, "Well, thanks for letting me stay the night, but I think I'll head home now. You know, revisit some old memories and see where I want to go from-"

"Rayne," Cloud interrupted and stood up with a worried look, "It was sold."

I stared at him a moment then frowned and leaned against the wall, crossing my arms. "That's right; you guys didn't think I was coming back. That means I'll have to try and find somewhere else to live."

"Don't be silly!" Tifa waived off the idea immediately, "You'll stay here with us."

Her inviting smile dropped when I shook my head. "You have a family here already. I don't want to intrude on that, it wouldn't be right of me. I'll find somewhere to live, don't worry. Did you guys keep anything of mine?"

Cloud donned a dark look and angrily turned back to his coffee. I turned to his wife for an explanation. Her expression wasn't much better. "Your apartment was in a Shinra managed building, Rayne. They cleaned the place out before we got a chance to. They sold everything."

"What?" I was stunned, "What?! He can't do that! All of my stuff should have gone to my closest living relative! It should have gone to Cloud! Why did he- Why didn't he-"I was at a loss for words. After a moment I growled and headed out the door, malice bleeding from me like an open wound.

Yuffie was the first out the door and on my trail. "Rayne! Rayne, wait!" She jumped in the way of my path with a huff from having to keep up, "Stop. It isn't worth starting something with Shinra. He had Rude give Cloud the money afterwards; we can get you new things."

No regrets… I heard it echo in my mind and resigned not to hunt down the swine but tears welled in my eyes, "Some things can't be replaced, Yuffie." She gave me sad smile and led me back to the bar. I waited outside, thinking of the most precious things I had owned that were lost to me now, while Yuffie talked to Cloud about the gil.

Yuffie stayed with me all day while I rebought everything I was now without. I had to rebuy all my clothes, which in retrospect was the vast majority of my possessions other than furniture that I had owned before and that I couldn't get until I had a place to live. I had to rebuy the materia I had before and start from scratch to retrain it. The last thing that was left to buy at the end of the day was a new weapon. It was something I had thought about when I was in the materia shop and I had decided that while it was possible to retrieve my old sword from Mideel, I didn't want it. I needed to get a new sword, because I was forging a new path for myself. I needed a weapon that wasn't tainted with bad blood.

Yuffie immediately left my side in favor of the case for throwing knives and the like while I perused the extensive sword collection along the store walls. I lingered by the buster swords but I didn't have the strength to effectively wield one, mako enhancement or not. I had always wanted to follow in line behind Cloud to use the behemoth of a weapon, but it was never a possibility for me. Instead I moved on to more manageable looking blades.

"Vinnie!" The chirpy cry startled and confused me. I wasn't familiar with the nickname any more but that didn't stop me from recognizing who Yuffie was standing by when I automatically turned to the sound of her voice. The shock of red was all I saw before my head snapped back around. My blood ran cold and my heart dropped like a stone as harsh words screamed at me from the past. Instinct dictated I look for an escape route and take it.

"Rayne."

"What? Are you going to try to stop me, too?"

"What will this solve?"

"Does it matter? At least I'm doing something instead of sitting around on my ass!"

"It won't change anything."

"I know that, but brooding about it isn't gonna do it either. Or haven't you figured that out yet? Fighting, even if it's just fighting fiends, may not bring back the people Shinra stole from me, but at least it makes me feel better. How does talking to Lucrecia's body make you feel, huh? Do you feel better staring at her corpse all the time? Does it feel good to look your failure in the face? Do you like not knowing if she blames you for everything that happened?"

"Stop."

"Well, you know what? Fine. If you like staring at your losses, go right ahead. Be pathetic. I don't give a shit. But don't try to make me do the same."

I felt my veins pump ice. Vincent was only guilty of trying to help me see reason like Cloud had, to keep me from running off to what eventually lead to my death. He was only trying to save me and I repaid him by throwing what I knew haunted him the most back in his face.

'Don't hide from this...' I wasn't sure if I had heard it or imagined Aerith's voice, but it didn't make a difference. Either way, she was right. Making amends was part of why I was alive again in the first place. I had to start somewhere.

"There she is. Rayne!" Yuffie waived me over to the gun case and proceeded to poke and prod me, "See? She's really here! In the flesh and everything!"

"Yuffie," her senseless chatter ceased immediately, "Could you give us a minute?" I wasn't sure if it was how serious I was, or the empty look in Vincent's eyes that made her leave but she quickly snuck away from the heavy atmosphere. I wished I could do the same.

"She's easy to ask forgiveness from. Yuffie, I mean." I glanced at the fire arms without really seeing them. Anything to avoid confronting those contemptuous eyes. "It's not so easy with you. Not after the things I said. I could try to explain what was going through my head that day, but it won't change anything. It's no excuse for what I did."

"No," his voice was cold and hard, like polished marble, "It's not."

I nodded. I deserved his resentment. "I had no right to say what I said to you, and I couldn't feel worse about being so heartless. I know you struggle with the things in your past just like everyone else. I shouldn't have even brought it up." 'Am I even saying the right thing now?' I sighed and looked him in the eye and I hoped he saw my sincerity, "I don't deserve your forgiveness, Vincent, but I hope one day you won't hate me as much."

His eyes weren't quite as harsh as they were before, but his face, or what could be seen of it, was still guarded. "You're serious." It wasn't a question and I was glad he was certain of at least that much.

I nodded, "Yeah. And I want you to know that I didn't mean what I said that day, when I called you pathetic. I actually think it shows how strong you are, to be able to face your demons. I couldn't and I was angry that I couldn't find it in myself to be that strong, so I ran away." A dark smile crept onto my face. It was hard to admit my faults. Harder to admit them out loud.

"It's there," he muttered after a moment, brushing past me towards the door, "You just have to look." He left without a backwards glance but my heart felt lighter for having talked to him.

Feeling in much higher spirits than I started the day with, I quickly finished my business in the shop and started back in the direction of the bar with Yuffie in tow. However, as we approached the bar I remembered what I told Tifa just that morning, and my pace slowed.

"What are we waiting for?" Yuffie asked when she realized I had dragged to a stop. I was almost surprised she didn't stomp her foot like a child.

I didn't like asking people for favors - a trait I shared with my brother - but I disliked going back on my word more. I hesitated, watching her expectant face twist into confused curiosity. "Do you think I could stay with you tonight?" I spit it out like vomit you try to swallow that just won't go down.

For a moment it seemed like she would say 'no', then she reminded me of who she was. "Of course you can!" Her tone said it should have been obvious. She slung a bag loaded arm over my shoulders and steered me in the direction of her apartment in Edge, chattering away about everything we would do that night and the nights that would follow.

"We can't stay up too late," I reminded her, "I have to get up early to look for a place of my own." But, of course, she barely seemed to hear me at all. I should have expected as much. How could I ever forget who I was dealing with?

"Your nerves gather with the altitude
Exhale the stress so you don't come unglued
Somewhere there is a happy affair, a ghost of a good mood"

-'Rainbow Veins' by Owl City