Hey there! Once again, I'm sorry for the delay. I'm so thankful for all of you and your kind words! You're all so wonderful! Please continue to review! I'm sorry this one isn't too lengthy! I'll make it up to you!

-B.

"What are you going to wear?!" Chirped an overly anxious Yuffie as she and her companion exited the hospital that evening. She was referring to the date that Tifa was about to go on this evening with the prestigious doctor who'd had his eye on her since the day he set foot in the building.

"You've got your own date to prepare for, so stop bugging me about mine." Tifa said sharply, looking at Yuffie in annoyance.

The behavior that Tifa displayed signaled to Yuffie that Tifa was pretty nervous. And she had every right to be. However, she was nervous herself about her date, and perhaps she was deferring a bit.

"Seriously, Teef! It's important!" Yuffie nudged as the two entered Tifa's vehicle.

Tifa rolled her eyes. "Okay, what are you wearing then?" Now it was her turn to defer. Inwardly she was very nervous for this date. It had been an extremely long time since anyone had taken her out, and part of her kept thinking about Zack.

"I was thinking about a black cocktail dress, keep it simple but elegant, you know?" Yuffie replied while glancing over at the driver.

"That doesn't sound much like you, Yuffie. You know that." Tifa responded while keeping her eye on the road. "Is this about you wanting to borrow an outfit?"

Yuffie giggled nervously and smiled. "Maybe?"

Tifa shook her dark head and chuckled softly. "Okay, you can raid my closet if you want." Tifa had known Yuffie long enough to know what she was really asking for.

"Thank you!" Yuffie exclaimed in excitement. Tifa had a lot more to chose from than herself, and this way she could ensure that she looked good, with Tifa's help.

As they walked into Tifa's home, Yuffie smiled eagerly to herself. "So where is he taking you?"

Tifa glanced tiger her shoulder as she walked up the staircase. "I don't know yet," she replied before walking into her bedroom and opening the doors to her walk in closet. She was nervous, but hoping things went well. Her fingers grazed over the hanging materials of her wardrobe as she contemplated the night ahead of her.

"I'm so jealous..." Yuffie walked past her and started sorting through different possibilities.

"Don't be, you practically live here." Tifa giggled and continued to looking through her clothing. She stumbled across a fuchsia pencil skirt and she removed it from the hanger and examined it thoroughly.

"That would look good with this!" Yuffie pulled a fitted leather jacket from a hanger with silver plated zippers, and handed it to her friend. "Just wear a black v-neck underneath and some black heels! Sexy!" Yuffie smirked at her friend. "You think you and him will..."

"Yuffie!" Tifa's cheeks flushed and began to heat up with a blush. "No! It's the first date!"

"Don't rule it out, Dr. Lockhart.." Yuffie snickered to herself and picked out a red bi-level skirt with a sheer fabric over top, and a white halter top which she paired with a short jean jacket. She wanted to keep her look slightly more casual since it was only sushi. Still, she was excited to see Vincent, and thought it was comical that she and Tifa both had their first dates on the same night. It felt like they were getting ready for the high school prom.

"That looks like a good choice, Yuffie." Tifa assured her friend before laying her own clothes out on her bed.

"Thanks for letting me borrow it! I owe you!" Yuffie hugged her friend briefly.

"Coffee, tomorrow morning." Tifa smiled at the thought. She wouldn't have to make her coffee run tomorrow and that would save her some valuable time.

"Alright, alright. Have fun tonight Tifa." Yuffie giggled and took her clothes and walked out the door to get herself ready for her own evening out.

She glanced out the window, part of her hoping Cloud would take notice that a handsome and wealthy business man came and picked up what Cloud had taken for granted. But she continually reminded herself that this night wasn't about Cloud at all or their former relationship. It was about getting to know Vincent on a personal level, rather than patient based.

She felt confident in her attire, and she felt ready for the evening. It was a good thing she was prepared because it was at that moment she heard the knock on her door.

Inwardly, she squealed happily and a smile spread across her painted red lips. She snagged her black leather clutch from the kitchen counter and walked to the door, opening it up.

There he stood, looking absolutely stunning. His hair was down, and parted to the side, hanging elegantly but not too nearly around his shoulders and back. He wore a dark gray button up shirt paired with a black tie that probably cost upward of 100 dollars. His pants were a pair of dark designer jeans paired with a pair of black dress shoes.

He looked her up and down with great subtlety, the petite girl before him had taken his breath away. He'd never seen her out of her nurses attire, and he could see her for who she was. Because nursing was what she did, but it wasn't who she was. And he was ready to see more of that person tonight. "You look lovely," he uttered with a smile.

Yuffie blushed, flattered by his compliment. "So do you." She said before giggling and shaking her head, "I mean.. You look handsome."

Vincent chuckled and smiled at her comment, one of the things he was growing to love about her was her laugh. He gently reached out and took her hand with his. "Shall we?"

"Absolutely!" Yuffie said before following him to his car, which she found to be incredibly intimidating. It must've costed him a fortune. He was quite the gentleman though, opening her door for her. Smiling and thanking him, she climbed into the car and placed her clutch on her lap. She watched him walk around the car and couldn't help but smile, she felt like the luckiest girl in the world, to have the opportunity to get to know such a unique man. She had been so caught up watching him, she didn't notice Cloud standing on his front step, watching them with a look of detest.

Vincent got into the car and the two were off. "So, did you return to work today?" Yuffie asked him, turning to look at the admirable man beside her.

"I certainly did." He said with a light chuckle. "Did you return to your rightful job?"

"Yep. Taking care of pregnant women and babies. It's the best." Yuffie replied happily.

"It sounds like you really enjoy your job. I have a lot of respect for people in the medical field. It's hard work." Vincent smiled warmly, though he kept his eye on the road.

"That must be why Chief Lockhart loves you so much." Yuffie stated.

"Why? Because of my donations to the hospital?" Vincent inquired, raising a curious brow.

"Of course. Everyone knows he's a little greedy, right? But it isn't a bad thing that you donate to the hospital, it's very thoughtful." Yuffie smiled happily, hoping that she hadn't offended him with her statement.

"Well thank you. It has a lot to do with Tifa. I could care less about her father. I doubt he'll be chief of medicine for long anyway."

Yuffie looked at him curiously, "do you know something we don't?"

Vincent pulled up to the restaurant and parked his car. "I'm not permitted to say anything about that." He smiled over at her. "Let's enjoy our dinner, shall we?"

"Of course." Yuffie brushed off the question, but she didn't plan on forgetting what he mentioned. It sounded fishy to her.

Before she knew it, he was opening her door once again and offering his hand to her. Yuffie smiled up at him and placed her hand delicately in his own and got out of the car.

The restaurant looked a little more fancy than Yuffie had anticipated, however she didn't mind. It was gorgeous inside. The lighting was dim, and the setting was elegant and romantic.

Their table was secluded and lit with a soft flamed candle and a fresh bundle of carnations on the table. "This is so pretty." Yuffie said softly as she delicately touched the petals of the light pink carnation.

"You think so?" Vincent asked rhetorically.

A waitress was soon at the table and giving the two fresh iced water and their menus for the evening. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She said kindly before walking away once more.

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you had chosen a different path in life?" Yuffie inquired as she looked after the waitress. "Like where would you be now if you hadn't decided to be a businessman?" She turned her attention to the man sitting across from her with thoughtful eyes.

"I probably wouldn't be sitting here across from you."

"Well I'm glad that you are." Yuffie offered him a smile, which he returned.

"Me too, Yuffie."

Tifa sat on her couch waiting for Doctoe Sephiroth to show up, but he was already an hour late. She should've known that something like this would've happened to her. Of course she had gotten her hopes up for something that wouldn't even take place.

Finally, she took her shoes off, set them aside and made her way to her kitchen to pour herself a big glass of wine, but as she did she heard a knock at the door. She rolled her eyes, preparing to give him an angry lashing.

When she swung the door open she saw Sephiroth standing there, holding a large bouquet of flowers with a sorrowful expression on his face. "I'm so sorry." He sighed painfully. "I lost a patient in surgery and spent the last hour with the family."

Tifa's eyes grew wide and she looked at him in shock. He had lost his very first patient ever. Every physician remembers the first time they lose their first patient, and they never forget as long as they live. It's a painful process that usually happens during residency, and eventually they use the experience to help them in the future. But it must've been extremely hard for the man to fall so far from his pedestal. He'd been a doctor for several years, but hadn't lost anyone once. Until now.

Tifa took the flowers from him and took his hand with her other, and lead him inside. Placing the flowers on her kitchen counter, Tifa went to the man and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so sorry." She said softly. She knew how hard it must be on him.

Sephiroth hugged her slowly, surprised at her sudden gesture of affection. It was very unexpected, however it was appreciated. He felt terrible, and perhaps in the back of his mind he knew that it was bound to happen, but he wasn't ready for it. It was a slap in the face and the pain never seemed to alleviate itself. Suddenly, he raised his hand and strokes the back of her head, his long fingers finding their way through silky black tresses.

Tifa was surprised at the feelings that began to arise as his arms wrapped around her. She pressed her head to his chest and inhaled deeply. He smelled like faded cologne and still had the lingering sent that only the hospital could leave. "I'm so sorry." She mumbled again.

"Thank you for your comfort. I'm sorry I was late." He admitted, as he reluctantly pulled away. "Are you ready?"

"Why don't we stay here." Tifa suggested. "I'm sure the last thing you need is to be around people." She walked to her kitchen and handed him the glass of wine that she had intended to drink. Afterward she poured herself one and lead him to her living room and promoted him to sit on the couch beside her.

Sephiroth obliged, and inwardly was very grateful for her offer to stay in. He felt like hell, and the last thing he wanted was to pretend like he didn't.

"I remember the first patient I lost. It was during my residency." Tifa said before taking a light sip of wine. "I neglected to treat a patient with hypertension during a delivery and she had a bleed on the brain because of sever edema." Tifa admitted sorrowfully. "It was the worst day of my life."

"I just..."

"It doesn't really get easier. But I know without a doubt that you did everything you could. You're a great doctor." Tifa assured.

Sephiroth smiled a little. "Thank you for your kindness, Tifa." He offered. "I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it." Tifa smiled back.

"You look beautiful, by the way." Sephiroth offered before taking a sip of wine.

Tifa blushed, "thank you."

"How's Marlene? The little girl in the NICU?" Sephiroth inquired, longing to change the subject.

"CPS is looking for a family to adopt her." Tifa started, her finger tracing the rim of her glass.

"Her mother lost custody?" Sephiroth asked.

"She nearly killed herself and the baby because of her addiction. She doesn't deserve to be a mother." Tifa spat.

"Sometimes people just can't recover on their own."

"I'm thinking of adopting her." Tifa blurted, looking to Sephiroth from some type of approval.

"Really?" He asked curiously. He was finding Tifa to be one of the most compassionate people he had ever met. And he admired that deeply.

Tifa nodded. "I don't know what it is, Sephiroth. But that baby, I think I need her."

"Don't adopt a baby for your own selfish reasons, do it for her." Sephiroth stated, looking at Tifa firmly.

"You're right. I feel like I can give her a good life." Tifa seemed to be mulling it over within her mind.

"I think you would be a wonderful mother." Sephiroth admitted. "I don't think I know another person with as much compassion as yourself."

Tifa smiled and blushed, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Thank you, that's sweet of you."

Suddenly she felt his hand cup the side of her cheek and their eyes locked. Her heart began to pound in her chest and both of them leaned in close and then their lips collided softly.

Yuffie linked her arm in Vincent's and walked with him from the restaurant to his car with the widest smile spread across her face. "Tonight was wonderful, thank you so much."

"I really enjoyed your company, Yuffie." Vincent admitted as they stopped in front of his car.

Yuffie sprang up on her tippy toes and kissed the man on the cheek. The two had enjoyed their evening together, and surprisingly they hit it off quite better than either had anticipated.

Vincent chuckled at her gesture before patting the top of her head and kissing her forehead. "Thank you for coming tonight." He said kindly before he opened her car door for her.

"I had a great time." Yuffie said as she climbed into his car. It was refreshing to spend an evening with a man who was a real gentleman. Cloud wasn't rude or anything, but he had never treated her so kindly. She actually felt like a princess.

Vincent got into the car and started it up. He had never enjoyed an evening out so much. Yuffie was funny, and sweet and beautiful all in one. She was extremely unique, and he couldn't get enough of it. "I'd like to do this again, if that's okay?"

"Of course! I'd love to, Vincent." Yuffie stated happily.

"Can I cook you dinner?"

"Tall, dark, handsome and you can cook?! I really found myself a catch, didn't I?" Yuffie folded her arms across her chest and smiled even more. "Alright, I'll let you cook me dinner."

"Are you free tomorrow night?" He inquired looking over at her.

"I am." Yuffie returned his gaze and sighed happily. "Can I kiss you?" She asked without a thought before blushing wildly and covering her mouth.

Vincent chuckled again and smiled. "Come here, Yuffie." Gently he pried her hand away from her mouth, and leaned in to kiss her.

Yuffie blushed even more and leaned in, closing her eyes she pressed her lips against his.