(Chapter 6)

Unwanted Help

The weeks that followed the moment of close contact were hard for him. He continued to watch her everyday with even more of a burning desire to be nearer to her. But he knew he couldn't. He promised himself even if he ever saw her in danger again, he wouldn't touch her.

Someone else seemed to be even more determined to get nearer as well. Vincent watched from the roof of a nearby building as Vivina and Officer Preston sat together on a park bench. It didn't bother him though. He could feel her tension and could see the wall she was putting up all the way from where he silently stood. Three decades and the wound in his heart still hadn't been fully repaired. With only two months passed since her lover's death he knew hers must still be gashed wide open.

"You plan on sliding down that chimney, Santa?" a familiar voice followed by a snicker sounded behind him. He hid further behind the tall chimney on the roof he stood by, not that he was close enough for Vivina or Baralai to pick out anyway. He turned to the sound of the voice and was shocked to see his old 'friend' Reno standing there looking as if he hadn't aged anymore than Vincent himself had in the past thirty years.

"Still got another four and a half months until Christmas." He grinned and threw his head back letting a roll of 'ho ho ho's out. Vincent wasn't amused in the slightest. He wouldn't have been even if he did understand Reno's joking.

He sighed, taking a step forward and slapped his old friend on the shoulder. "Haven't changed a bit, I see." His face then got uncharacteristically serious. "Life's probably been real hard on you..."

Vincent swallowed hard and opened his mouth to speak for the first time in a long time, but he couldn't find the words. No matter how hard he tried to remember the language he'd spoken all his life, he couldn't. Reno didn't jump to conclusions yet. Vincent had always been a silent person and his comment hadn't exactly demanded a response.

"What have you been doin', man?" he asked looking his friend over. He was surprised he could even recognize him under all that hair, the bandana he was sporting, and the long black trench coat. Quite different from the short hair and blue suit he used to sport.

Vincent met eyes with Reno and it was then Reno got it. The look of complete confusion and misunderstanding wasn't unfamiliar to him and Vincent wasn't the only one that had been affected at that time.

"Shit! You too! He got Elena and Rude too. We tried to save you from... well..." he paused frustrated. What he wanted him to know was that they were there and they tried to save him. The four of them had always been a team. They were assigned to the Jenova Project as a team, and as far as any of them were concerned they'd die a team. In their cases they all became immortal monsters as a team. Instead of trying to tell him, he showed him.

He looked up at his friend and suddenly his green eyes burned a dark red. His jaw extended beyond a normal human ability, and the huge fangs slid down over his lips. Vincent's eyes widened and before he could gasp, Reno's face returned to normal.

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Reno had slipped into normal human life by doing random part time jobs for a short amount of time before moving on to other things. Most of his income came through his conning abilities. Becoming a monster enhanced a person's normal talents a hundred percent. Being already a persuasive liar to begin with, Reno's talent as a con artist was unmatched by anyone. Seeing that his poor friend wasn't doing as well financially, he forced him to move into his house that he currently shared with his new girlfriend Yuffie.

Vincent didn't like it there, it was too far from her. So he spent most of his time away.

"Apple. Orange. Banana." Yuffie over annunciated for him pointing to the three fruits on the table in front of him. His missing language skills bugged the hell out of her! And if it was the last thing she did, at least while she was living here, it was to teach that man to speak! "Now you say it." she said pointing to her lips and then at him.

He let out an exasperated sigh, but complied knowing the consequences if he didn't. He picked up the banana. "Banana." he said slowly. Then he pointed to the orange. "Orange." then he picked up the apple and took a bite out of it. After properly chewing he spoke the third word. "Apple."

"Yay!" Yuffie clapped loudly and turned around to try and find more food in their sparse kitchen. "Ok ok! Come here!" She pulled his right arm as she dragged him into the living room. "Sofa." she said slowly running her hand over one of the soft cushions. "I sit down on the sofa." she sat down slowly. Vincent followed suit but didn't say anything. He looked at the clock knowing that when it pointed at the nine Reno would be walking through the door. It was almost there, he'd only have to humor his friend's childish girlfriend for a few more minutes before he could go check up on her.

"Remote." she said holding the TV remote in her hands. "Power on." she shoved the device in his face so he could clearly see the button she was pointing to as she pushed it. She annoyed him so, but he appreciated her efforts. He was actually learning alot from her. He knew her name was Yuffie and he could say it. He could call Reno by his name, and he now could pronounce his own name. If it were at all possible, he could approach her now. At the very least he would be able to introduce himself.

Reno came through the door and Vincent couldn't help the sigh of relief the slipped through his lips. Reno knew that sigh.

"Yuffs, have you been buggin' Vince all day again?" he said with a smirk that showed he didn't really disapprove. She hopped off the couch and attacked him with a hug. He held his petite much younger girlfriend for a moment. Though his relationships usually didn't last long due to his infidelities, he tried to pick them much younger that way if they did happen to stretch out over a few years they wouldn't out grow him. His physical age was 23, a little younger than Vincent's 27. Yuffie was a mere 16.

"I'm...going." Vincent said slowly. They taught him this phrase so that he could let them know when he was leaving. Instead of just disappearing into thin air leaving them to wonder if he even planned on returning.

"Vince, wait! Do you have a girl...friend?" Yuffie asked slowly as she pulled out of Reno's hug. Reno elbowed her and showed her a disapproving glare. He knew that question would make probably him uncomfortable. He was well aware that Lucrecia had died years ago and wasn't so sure whether Vincent was completely over it yet or not. Yuffie did teach him the word girlfriend along with the words: kiss, sex, penis, and vagina along with all of their derogatory terms.

Vincent did his best to try and put together a sentence. They might as well know about his miserable one-sided obsession with Vivina. "Girl... yes. Girlfriend...no." He turned his back and walked through the door before either of them could say anything about it.

Reno just grinned. He looked down at his young girlfriend. "Hey, I'm gonna go spy, ok."

"Aww... I wanna come! I promise I'll be real quiet!" she begged, clasping her hands together in prayer form.

"Shh! You're already too loud, no."

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She honestly hadn't given Officer Preston enough credit in the beginning. He really, truly was a genuinely caring person. She didn't know what he saw in her... She looked down at the cash in her hands that he had just given her before leaving. It was exactly enough to pay her rent this month. As warm as he made her feel, it wasn't the kind of bubbly romantic love that she had felt with Squall. It was the same kind of warmth she felt from her friendship with Paine. Friendship... She knew that was all this could become, but she wondered if he knew that and if he didn't realize, how would she tell him? That was beyond her worries at this point. She stuffed the money away in her underwear drawer and grabbed a jacket.

She'd been walking frequently on her own, hoping maybe one day he'd approach her. She knew he was watching she could feel him. He sent her more pictures. Through all of this all she could think about was that drunken night when he was there. Her walks usually took her by the graveyard. Tonight she went all the way to the bridge. She climbed up on the wall and sat down. She stared down into the black water. She wondered if he was watching now... If she jumped would he save her? She wasn't exactly brave enough for that one. What if he tried to save her and died too? That would be another life she carelessly claimed.

Vincent indeed watched her, but he stood in the muddy grasslands underneath the bridge, next to the river. He didn't wear a hat tonight, he forgot it in his hurry to get away from the happy, slightly annoying couple he lived with now. Though it was nice to be around people like that again, he was truly a loner and preferred to be alone.

Reno snickered. The moon was bright tonight and he could see that look in his friends eyes from where he stood on the other side of the river behind a tree. He looked up at the object of Vincent's affection. She was hot. He'd give her that. Wait! That's Vivina Viera! The girl who killed her boyfriend and best friend in a drunk driving accident! What the hell, Vincent... You sure do know how to pick them. First a mad scientist's wife, now this... He shook his head. Another talent he gained was teleporting. Though he could only do it within short distances. He was beside Vincent in the blink of an eye. Vincent didn't even jump or take his eyes off of her.

"Talk to her." Reno whispered to him.

Vincent sighed. "No..." his face twisted in pain as he turned away from her and began to walk away. Reno shook his head. Vincent glanced behind him to see if Reno was following, and gasped. Reno teleported himself up on the bridge and was standing a few feet behind her. She hadn't heard a sound and didn't turn around.

Vincent took off at lightning speed and didn't stop until he'd reached his new home. He rushed passed Yuffie ignoring a question that he couldn't understand anyway and locked himself into his new room ready to drown in the despair he knew Reno was about to bring upon him.

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Reno cleared his throat before taking a seat beside her on the wall. Vivina gasped and lost her balance. His quick reflexes and impossible strength grabbed her arm and yanked her back before she could even anticipate the fall.

"Wow...thanks... I guess. Who are you?" she asked staring up at the unfamiliar red head. His interesting hair style had her wondering....

"Reno." he said smiling at her and extending his hand to her. She shook it lightly. "I know who you are. And don't worry, I'm not here to judge. I have a friend who seems to be pretty smitten with you so I thought I'd sniff you out." he leaned over close to her and took a whiff jokingly. She couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Sorry, but I'm not interested. If you know me and my situation, then you know I'm obviously not dating material right now." she looked back down in the black water as the memories suddenly came rushing forward.

"I see..." he said letting the quiet set in for a while. Only the sound of the river rushing south could be heard. There was not even a car in sight. Not even Officer Preston was making his rounds to try and catch her out walking like he usually did. They'd sat on this very wall just a few days ago.

His phone rang loudly and he answered it with a sigh, knowing it was just Yuffie.

"Where are you?" she asked in a sing song tone.

"I'll be home in a few. Is Vince there?"

"Yeah, he looked really peeved though. What did you guys do?" she was already laying in bed with the TV on mute. The room brightened and darkened according to the scene changes.

"I found the girl." he said elbowing Vivina playfully. "And I'm talking to her for him right now." he laughed evilly. "But I'll be there in a few, babe. Don't fall asleep without me." he still hadn't gotten his treat for the day. He hung up the phone and turned to Vivina.

She put on a fake smile. "You should probably be going..."

"Yeah... look, my friend he... I don't want to put his business out there like this, but I'm doing it for his benefit damnit." he laughed. "His first love died a while back and even though I haven't seen him in forever I can still tell that its hurting him. But I when I caught him watching you today, I noticed something different in his eyes. Something I'd never seen before... he"

Vivina stopped him. "Watching me? Your friend... he's the one who... tall, long black hair, pale skin...?" she quit her rambling and looked up at him for answers.

"Yeah! So you two've met already?" he looked down at his phone as it lit up with a text message letting him know in ten minutes she was falling asleep and he'd be getting none of her treats tonight.

"Not exactly." she could see the text too and didn't want to keep him from his night of passionate love making so she quickly pulled out her cell phone. "Just give him my number. I'd really like to talk to him."

"He...can't. Look I've said too much, he's already mad at me right now for even talking to you in the first place. I... I've gotta run. Just... know that if he ever does approach you, it's gonna be hard for him. Please give him a chance." He took off running at a normal human speed at first then as soon as he was sure he was out of her view he used his teleporting skills to get him home quickly.

Sure enough, Yuffie was already asleep. He teleported into Vincent's room to find it empty. You stubborn prick...

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He didn't know why it made him so angry that Reno had spoken with her. Maybe it was because he didn't want it to happen that way. He didn't want her to know him, though the torture of looking without touching was driving him insane, he knew it couldn't be any different. He looked down at his left appendage and down at his scarred chest. He put his shirt back on along with his oversized coat that hid his left arm. He took them off ahead of time knowing that a transformation was near. Blood from an unsuspecting victim stained the grass around him, but there were no remains insight. Vincent didn't even want to think about what the demon may have done with the body...

It was time for him to find a new home.