Chapter Twenty-Five: Hopeless
It had been hours since he reached Costa del Sol. Hours of searching, and he had yet to find even a trace of Cait Sith.
Nanaki had told him the place- the makeshift plot where his tech was buried. When he'd arrived, however, the land where it was supposed to be was smooth, as though no one had touched it. Reeve could only assume it was because of the tide that it was that way, but the longer his search went on the more he feared the water may have uprooted the thing altogether and taken it out to sea.
"Scan the water again," he called back to the pilot of the plane Cid had sent him out in. The poor kid had been awake almost as long as Reeve, but one wouldn't know it. He stayed sharp, obeying orders quickly and without complaint.
"Yes sir!" He went aboard and shut the door, taking off a minute later to go over the water and drop yet another detection sonar, desperate to find even a limb of the robot at this point.
"Gods," he breathed when it was quiet, leaning against the side of the hole he stood in- the hole he'd dug- and pressing a hand firm against the place just above his eyebrows. "Let me find something."
He was exhausted. Hours of digging and sifting had stripped him down to just his slacks and shoes; he was practically covered in sweat and dirt, and he had nothing to show for his efforts but bags under his eyes and a sore back.
He only wallowed in self-pity for a moment before he resumed digging. More time passed until, over the horizon, a sliver of sunlight began to peak. Reeve sighed. He would have to go back soon. As if being unable to find his own materia wasn't bad enough, there was still a good chance Tifa's had fallen into the wrong hands altogether. They needed to go to Edge- and possibly Mideel- to find out.
Nearby the plane touched down again; he waited patiently for the young pilot to emerge.
"Nothing, sir."
It wasn't until that moment, when thinking about the seriousness of Tifa's situation, that Reeve began to worry just whom may have found his orb. Groaning, he hoisted himself out of the grave, picking his jacket and shirt up off the ground and trudging toward the plane.
"We need to hurry back to Kalm. I'm afraid the witch may have found my materia."
...~~~...~~~...
"How the fuck is it so cold?"
Cid chuckled as Barret shifted about next to him, trying to warm up.
"It ain't that bad, you baby. Buck up!"
The larger man grumbled as Cid handed him the lighter. The two were standing on the outskirts of Kalm, smoking their early morning cigarettes.
"Myra wants me to quit. Says she hates the way it makes me smell."
"Quit for a few weeks then. Once she smells what you really smell like, she'll be beggin' ya to start again!"
He laughed heartily. Barret rolled his eyes.
"Piss off."
The pilot settled into a grin. "Ah, lighten up." He thought for a moment. "Shera used to be the same way- always harpin' about how I smelled or how my clothes stunk up the house."
"So? What'd ya do?"
"Well," he flicked down the filter of his first smoke, then pulled out a second. "It was before we got together together- so back then, it was really the only thing she would say something about, besides work anyway. The last time she mentioned it was about two days before you guys came along to fuck everything in my town up."
At that, Barret started laughing.
"Yeah, so when I wound up leaving with y'all, we were gone for what? A year?"
"Somethin' like that."
"She didn't have to worry about it then. I came back from the Crater, she asked me if I'd quit. When I told her I might she said 'Don't.' Said it damn near killed her when the last of the smell went out of the house."
"Ain't that sweet."
"She didn't think it was so sweet when I got the place back to normal in a week."
That time they both laughed. Finishing their smokes, they grounded them out before going back to the underground entrance.
"So, we're gettin' yer materia today, right?"
"Yup, gotta head back to Old Midgar."
"Soon as that nerd Reeve gets back with my goddamn plane we'll be out."
Barret mumbled agreement as they descended the staircase.
"Maybe Tifa'll wanna come?"
"We could ask. Where's her materia, anyway?"
"Who knows. Probably somewhere in Nibelheim."
"Eh."
They walked down the hall and down another staircase, barely acknowledging Reno's snoring form as they passed his cell and rounded the corner to Tifa's room. Barret gave a few light knocks. No answer.
"Maybe she's up somewhere already?" Cid suggested.
"Hold on," Barret raised an eyebrow as the corner of a piece of paper sticking out from under the door caught his eye. He bent down and swiped it up, quickly scanning over what appeared to be Tifa's delicate handwriting.
""You were right- didn't want to waste fuel so I went on to Edge to get my materia. Be back tomorrow."..?"
"The hell?" Cid snatched the letter and read it for himself. "She hid it in Edge?"
"Maybe at the old bar there? Wonder what she meant by wastin' fuel."
"Beats me. She sure as hell didn't hear me say that."
Cid turned and led the way back up the stairs, folding the letter and tucking it away as he went.
"Better tell Cloud," Barret said, following.
"Already on it. Let's go find his room."
...~~~...~~~...
"It's been...a really long time since I've done this."
"Me too."
Aeris and Vincent stood in the Underground kitchen, staring at the coffee maker on the counter island between them.
"Did you already put water in it?"
"Yes."
"Okay," she turned to the freezer, pulling a small jar of grounds out. "I guess we just... pour this in the top?"
"I feel as though we aren't supposed to use much."
They'd been timidly approaching the tech for nearly fifteen minutes. It was hard for either of them to remember ever making the stuff, what with Vincent not requiring much sustenance to live and Aeris being dead for a while.
"Maybe a spoonful," she said, gingerly scooping out a generous helping and dumping it into the filter.
"Try two. I filled the water chamber full."
She added another scoop, then closed the lid and stepped back, examining the front.
"On? Do you see an 'on' button?"
"There," he reached out and pressed it with his human fingers. Seconds later it gurgled to life, heating the water and eventually dripping out the dark liquid they so desired.
They stood and watched it brew, both of them silently patting themselves on the back for a job well done. Who knew something so simple could be taken for granted?
When it had finished, Vincent pulled two mugs from the cabinet.
"We should try it first."
Aeris looked at him. "You didn't want any for yourself?"
"I might. I had intended to take some to someone else."
"Yuffie," she said, and he nodded. "I'm taking some to Cloud." Taking the mugs from him, she filled them up. "The last thing I remember from last night was finishing my research bundle and resting my head on the desk for a minute. When I woke up, I was in my bed and he was asleep in the one across from me."
"He's worried about you."
"When is he not? Even when I'm dead I can't make him get on with his own life."
They paused to take sips of their coffee. Vincent stifled a cough and Aeris's face soured.
"Too strong!"
"Maybe add milk?"
She grabbed a small pitcher out of the fridge and liberally dosed both cups, then returned it. They waited a minute to recover.
"Is Yuffie going to Wutai today?"
"In a half hour," he nodded. "She is going with Nananki to Cosmo Canyon first."
"Are you not going with them?"
"She asked me not to."
They paused again to test the coffee, this time satisfied with the taste so much that Vincent pulled two more mugs from the cabinet, assuming Aeris would also like some.
"Thank you," she said as she took them, fixing them up just like the ones before. When she had put the milk away again, she looked at him.
"So, you and Yuffie? How long has that been going on?"
"It hasn't."
She only hid a smile in her mug. "Fine, fine. I'll keep it to myself."
Oh, Aeris. Such a girl.
"It's not very warm down here. These won't stay hot for long."
"Right," picking up Cloud's coffee, she led the way out of the kitchen. "See you later!"
...~~~...~~~...
Sephiroth loomed not two feet from where they were, but he wasn't afraid. Not then.
"The cycle of nature and your stupid plan don't mean a thing. Aeris is gone."
She was so pale, and her skin was getting colder by the second.
"Aeris will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry... or get angry..."
Distantly he could hear Yuffie screaming, but he didn't move. He couldn't. Every part of him was numb.
"What about us... what are WE supposed to do?"
Aeris was gone.
"What about my pain?"
He said more, but as he spoke his voice became muffled. Beside him, someone gripped his shoulder and shook him...over...and over... And-.
"Cloud?"
With a start Cloud awoke- eyes snapping open, SOLDIER sense on edge. His instincts went into overdrive as he grabbed the perpetrator by the arm and yanked them down, twisting around so that both of them tumbled across the bed and into the floor.
He had no weapons on him, which turned out to be a good thing. As the fog of his flashback/nightmare cleared he found himself staring down at Aeris, who- despite the circumstances- looked incredibly calm.
"I brought you coffee."
He blinked, absorbing the reality that was him literally lying on top of her. Her wrists were pinned to the floor by his hands, but she never squirmed, never fought to get away. She just watched him and waited.
Snapping out of his trance he pulled back, shaking his head.
"Aeris, I'm so sorry. I was-."
"Having a nightmare." She sat up, checking her hair. "I could tell."
He winced. "Was I talking?"
"No. You just...looked upset."
He stood, offering her a hand which she took and pulled herself up, then retrieved his coffee.
"Here, maybe this will help."
"Thanks." He sat back down on the bed he'd rolled off of and she curled up next to him, leaning her back against the footboard as she hugged her knees in and faced him.
"What was it about?"
"Hm?"
"The nightmare? What was it about?"
"Oh," he hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "I...don't remember."
"Last night must've been pretty crazy, for you to be having such eventful dreams."
He shrugged. "Not really. No one found anything in the research; the Turks came into town; Yuffie almost killed Reno."
"How does that qualify as 'not really'?" she crowed. "I can't believe I missed so much! What did the Turks want?"
"Can't say for sure. Rude's locked up down the hall. Reno's downstairs."
"We're holding them?"
"Well," he shifted uncomfortably, glancing at her. "They came here asking about you. When we said they couldn't see you, they opted to just leave."
She furrowed her brow. "Suspicious."
"Yeah."
"Why couldn't they see me?"
He paused, caught off-guard by the question. "Be...cause they tried to kill you?"
"Technically Vecena tried to kill all of us. In my personal experience the Turks have only ever tried to capture me."
"That still isn't OK."
"Well, no, but the chances of them walking out with me aren't that great when everyone knows they're here."
The conversation was amusingly confusing to Cloud. He shook his head.
"Well, if you want to see them, you know where they are."
Just then, the door to the room opened and in tromped Cid and Barret.
"Aeris, have you seen- oh," the big man stopped when he saw the pair sitting on the bed. "Cloud...you're in here..."
"Well, well, well- what the hell do we have here?" Cid teased, stepping out beside Barret. "You two shackin' up or what?"
Cloud choked. Aeris laughed, patting him on the arm as she stood.
"He was just bringing me up to speed on things- everyone's research and the Turks."
"Useless," Barret grunted. "...both of 'em."
"Well, we got more up-to-speediness for your early-bird asses." Cid pulled the note from his front pocket and handed it to Cloud. "From Tifa."
He unfolded the letter, holding it out when Aeris leaned in next to him to read it.
"Her materia's in Edge?"
"She went alone?"
Cloud shook his head. "She can't be out there by herself."
"She ain't." Cid snuffed his nose. "I'm guessing she took Ladybird to get there- it's the only way she'd make it back by the morning."
"We have to go after her," Cloud stood, pacing the room to find his equipment before remembering he wasn't in his room.
Normally everyone would have been right behind him, but with things the way they were, they all already knew what he was suggesting was a bad idea.
"Cloud, we can't." Cid said. "We've only got two spare planes. Reeve's got one and Red an' Yuffie are takin' the other one today."
He turned to face them. "What? Why not take the ship then?"
They didn't answer, but they didn't have to. Cloud knew they couldn't take the Shera to find a needle in a haystack, not when Rufus and Vecena could show up at any moment.
"She'll come back, man," Barret tried to reassure him. "She's grown. She's strong. Just trust her."
"Something about this doesn't feel right," he said quietly, pulling his PHS out to try and call her. It went to voicemail. Grumbling he snapped his phone shut. "Maybe I could go with you guys to Old Midgar, then travel on to Edge and see if she's there...?" Even as he said it, he knew that wouldn't work either, muttering to himself, "She may already be gone by then. Dammit."
He continued pacing. Cid and Barret patiently waited for him to sort through his inner turmoil. Behind him, Aeris stood quietly. She sipped her coffee, seeming to be thinking about something, all the while listening to the hushed voice in the back of her mind.
Go to Reno.
"Excuse me," she murmured as she moved forward, barely disturbing the older men as she passed them to go out into the hallway. Everyone was so focused on the situation with Tifa that they didn't notice when she left to go down the hall to the stairs leading to Reno's cell.
...~~~...~~~...
Reeve stroked his beard thoughtfully as he stared out the airplane window.
"I hope we're not too late."
He gave the pilot a puzzled look, and the young man went on.
"For the materia."
A pause, and Reeve nodded. "Me too."
Never before had it occurred to him that Cid's crew actually listened to what was going on around them in between their Captain barking out orders. It was enlightening.
"What was your name?"
"Davies, sir."
"How long have you been a pilot, Davies?"
"About six years, sir."
"And how long have you worked for Cid?"
"Coming up on a year, sir."
"No need for the formality, Davies."
"Thank you, sir- I mean, thank you."
"Did you know what you were getting into when you applied to work on Highwind's crew?"
"Oh, yes," he grinned. "I've heard the stories. We all have. It's why most of us signed up."
"Oh really?"
"Who wouldn't want to be a part of helping to keep the Planet safe?"
"It can get dangerous, you know."
"That's alright. I'm not afraid."
Reeve smiled, admiring his spirit.
"And do you enjoy flying these smaller planes, too?"
He shrugged. "I like it just fine. I prefer the airships though."
"Yes, so do I. It seems they have to go through quite a bit of repair after use though, correct?"
"The ones that were deployed from the Shera when that giant water monster attacked weren't designed for continuous use. Once they landed, a lot of them fell apart. Captain Highwind said he wants to upgrade as many as we can afford to so that never happens again."
"That will take a while."
"That's why we're back to the planes."
"Hm."
As if it heard them talking about it, the plane gave a sudden lurch, dropping about a hundred feet in the sky.
"What's happening?" Reeve said, gripping the armrests of his seat. "Is the engine failing?"
"It's a mechanized reaction," Davies replied, flipping a few switches and checking the radar. "There's something nearby sucking out the energy."
Reeve twisted in his seat, craning his neck to see what might be around.
"There's nothing near us."
"Wait a tic." the young pilot flipped another switch and hit a button. Behind them, a door opened in the bottom of the plane, releasing a small, round object.
Without hesitation Davies picked up his radio and held it close.
"Detonate."
A loud 'ping' sounded. Reeve stared at the man, then followed his gaze to the screen between them. The ball was a detection sonar, and he'd activated it in the air to show what was sucking out their power.
It was an airship. A very large airship. And it was right below them.
"It has an invisibility shield."
"How did you know to do that?"
"Space Exploration Theory 101, Mr. Tuesti." He picked the radio up again, glancing at him. "Should I call the Captain?"
"No." He reached over and pressed a hand over his, pushing it down. "Not yet."
"You don't seem concerned."
"I'm not."
He was surprised. "It has ShinRa's signature all over it- and an invisibility shield. You aren't even a little worried?"
"I should hope not," Reeve sighed, pulling out his PHS and checking a few things. "It's my ship."
Davies hesitated, but quickly regained his composure.
"Orders then?"
Reeve looked at the radar again, then down through the glass window in the floor at what appeared to just be the ground below them.
"Think you can land on the ship?"
"An invisible runway?"
"That's right."
"With my eyes closed, sir."
...~~~...~~~...
Reno was bored. You know, like he usually is.
His face didn't hurt like it had the night before. After a few more hi-potions and some rest, the swelling was practically gone and the mark was down to a slight purple discoloration. Still, the biggest bruise was on his ego, which smarted every time he thought of the night before.
"Twiggy little ninja brat," he muttered as he examined the wound in the mirror for what was probably the tenth time that morning. It was probably the thirtieth time in the last five minutes he'd cursed at Yuffie, but that was normal for him. Something about swearing at the ninja- even when she wasn't around- made him feel better.
"I will never admit defeat to her scrawny ass."
In the reflection, Aeris appeared in the doorway.
"Gah!" he yelped, jumping around to face the Ancient as she stared at him from the other side of the bars. Grappling for something to hold on to, he knocked most of the complimentary items off the dresser he leaned against, eventually sitting down in the floor and scooting underneath it in an attempt to put more distance between them.
When the sound of things falling over had stopped and his whimpering quieted, Aeris knelt down to eye level with him.
"Are you done?"
"You're dead."
"No. I'm not."
"I saw your corpse."
"Rufus and Yuffie accidentally resurrected me." She paused. "More so an accident on Yuffie's part."
"Why are you here? Are you going to kill me?"
She rolled her eyes. "Didn't you come here looking for me?"
"I just wanted to see you. I didn't actually want to talk."
They were quiet for a moment. Reno cleared his throat.
"What do you want?"
Aeris sighed. "I need you to tell me where Tifa went."
He blinked. "What makes you think I-," when he caught her impatient look, he dropped his facade. "Right. Planet-speak or some otherworld bullshit."
She waited. He crawled out from under the dresser.
"You really aren't going to kill me, are you?"
Again, no answer. She stood up when he did.
"So she ran, did she? I fuckin' knew she would run. I always say I know a runner when I see one-."
"Reno."
He looked at her, still too cautious to walk closer.
"Why should I tell you? What do I get out of it?"
Aeris quirked her lips in irritation, then reached into one of the pockets on her skirt and pulled out a bright blue materia.
"This was sent back with me from the Lifestream," she said. "It gives me the power to extract souls and stay young forever."
A look of horror crossed his face. "W...what?!"
"If you tell me where Tifa went. I won't use it."
"H-holy hell-," he stammered. "Look, I just told her where her materia is, yo! It's in my old apartment, above the factory in Mideel. I tried to tell her she needed to tell Cloud-."
"Why didn't you tell Cloud?"
"I didn't get the chance, not that I cared. I don't like talking to that prick, OK? Tifa's nice to me- she's nice to everybody. She's too good for him. The poor bastard doesn't know good he's got it! Please don't suck out my soul!"
Aeris took his blubbering in stride.
"Why did you come here?"
"To see you, like I said-," she held up the materia, and he jumped back. "A-and to tell Cloud about the materia! I was gonna tell him before Yuffie jumped me, then he locked us up before I could say anything. I swear I'm telling the truth, yo. You gotta believe me!"
She studied him, narrowing her eyes.
"Why tell him now? Why tell him at all?"
"We don't want the planet to die any more than you do! We knew you guys were setting out to look for the materia, and after Tifa went to Reeve about throwing out hers in Mideel, the Boss left for the Tower in Edge to see if it's there." He caught her inquisitive look and groaned, swiping a hand down his face. "Son of a- Reeve is wired, OK? He doesn't know it, it's only been a couple days since the bug was planted in his jacket!"
He squirmed, waiting for her to absorb the massive amount of information.
"So, Reeve is wired, and you overheard him and Tifa talking about her materia. You don't want Vecena to kill us all so you came here to tell Cloud; Yuffie attacked you and you got put in here before anyone could hear your story."
"Right."
"Cloud told me you had said you were leaving after he told you you couldn't see me."
"We would have found Red and told him before we left. That was the backup plan."
"But you got locked up in here, so you told Tifa."
"Honestly, I would have told anyone. She was just the first one of you guys to wander by."
"Lucky," she muttered, then, "She left a note saying she's gone to Edge."
"Probably a decoy- that's where she and Reeve had planned to go first. When he gets back from Costa he'll probably push to go after her, thinking she's walking into ShinRa Tower alone."
"He'll have to tell Cloud what's going on."
"Right, and then they'll leave for Edge."
"But she won't be there," she looked at him. "She's going to Mideel."
"Which is stupid, because if Rufus heard the transmission, he probably went to the Tower to look and left Vecena-."
"-To go to Mideel," she finished, looking slightly panicked as she tried to focus. "She would kill her if she found her. Cloud-," she turned from the cell, starting down the hall. "I have to tell Cloud-."
She was stopped when what felt like electricity rocked through her body. Letting out a weak yelp she dropped to her knees, clutching her chest as a distantly familiar warmth enveloped her.
Cloud cannot go. That will only seal Our fate. If Reno follows, she will live.
The spark left her, and she gasped for air.
"I haven't missed that," she choked, sitting back on her legs.
Behind her, Reno had walked to the bars to look out at her.
"Are you OK?"
"I'm fine," she stood back up and turned to him. He shrank a few steps away.
"What was that about?"
"Change of plans- you have to go get Tifa."
He raised his eyebrows. "...Come again?"
"You. You have to follow after her and make sure she gets back here."
He wrinkled his nose. "That's the worst idea I've heard in a long time. Why would you think me following her would-," he paused, a realization dawning over him. "Wait, did...did the Planet tell you to send me? Was that what that whole 'tripping over air' bit was?"
"Yes." She didn't feel the need to hide her ability from him, busying herself with picking the lock to his cell with a couple of pins she'd pulled from her hair.
"Holy shit, this is getting real then." Seeing what she was doing, he shook his head. "Bobby pins? No no, here-."
Reaching into his goggles he pulled out a small switchblade and flipped it open. A few seconds of digging in the keyhole and the cell door popped open.
Aeris looked at him dully. "You've been able to get out this entire time?"
"Babe, when you've spent most of the last two years being ordered around by some faceless witch, you take R and R whenever you can get it. Quiet space? Soft bed? Decent food? It's alright with me."
She couldn't argue with that. Stepping out to face her, he looked down nervously.
"So, what now? Can you teleport me to where she is or something?"
When he saw she didn't seem appeased he scratched his neck.
"Hey, you can't fault me for askin'. I don't know how that Ancient stuff works."
"It doesn't work like that."
She started down the hallway toward the stairs. He followed.
"Looked uncomfortable- the way it hit you."
"It doesn't usually do it that way. Only when it's desperate for me to pay attention and I'm having trouble listening."
"You're having trouble listening?"
"Maybe- no-...I don't know." She shook her head, not wanting to talk about it. Carefully they made their way to the surface, moving quickly and casually so not to attract unwanted attention. Luckily it was still early enough that most of the underground was asleep. When they passed the room where Cloud, Barret and Cid were, they overheard the men explaining the situation to someone else- probably Nanaki- so they were distracted.
When they finally reached the surface, Reno stretched and pulled out a cigarette.
"Thank the gods. It's sunny."
"You know which way she went?"
"If she took a bird, yeah."
"She did."
"If she left last night, she's got a pretty good jump on me. Lucky for us, I know a shortcut." shoving a hand in his coat pocket, he began strolling out into the field beside them.
"Where are you going?" she called after him.
He kept walking, pausing after thirty feet or so to look at the ground and shuffle about. He waved his arm in the air a few times, and it took about that long for Aeris to see he was hitting something.
The air in front of him wavered, and a small airship appeared.
Aeris ran up to him, staring at the tech in awe.
He grinned. "New model."
"It's beautiful," she admired, touching the side. "I really did miss a lot, didn't I?"
"Eh, this is brand new, so you actually came back just in time."
She smiled. He opened the door.
"I'd better get going if I wanna get to her before she gets there."
"Wait."
He turned to her on the stairs just in time to catch her blue "soul materia" as she tossed it to him.
"Holy sh-!" he squeaked. When she started giggling he waved it at her. "What the hell is this about?"
"It's a mastered All. You could probably use it on the trip."
He narrowed his eyes, grumbling. "You played me like a goddamn board game, dead girl."
"Yes I did."
"But the thing about Tifa?"
Her face sobered. "Completely true, I'm afraid."
"Fine," he tucked the materia away and slid through the doorway. "I'm off! Tell Rude I'm sorry for ditching him!"
"Tell him yourself when you get back."
But he didn't hear her through the shut door. Aeris stood back and watched as the ship fired up and lifted off, the wind from the engines blowing mercilessly about her as she silently prayed Tifa would be alright.
...~~~...~~~...
The landing atop Reeve's invisible airship had been flawless.
"By the gods, Davies. You would think this thing had a runway."
"Thank you, sir."
The airship had entered stationary mode the moment the small plane had touched down, making it much easier to land. Whomever was following was apparently watching them closely.
As Reeve prepared to exit the plane, Davies cleared his throat.
"Sir?" When Reeve looked at him he averted his gaze. "This isn't some...double agent business, is it? I mean- am I going to be killed for being here?"
"Davies, I believe it might be an unforgivable sin to kill a pilot with your talent, but no- this isn't something you need to worry about dying for. Come along, if you'd like."
"Yes, sir."
They both got out, and Reeve led the way to the door that was already open and waiting for them to enter.
When they descended into the airship, Tseng was there to greet them.
"Reeve," he said, handing the man a glass of scotch. Then, to Davies, "Impressive landing, pilot."
"Thank you."
"Davies," Reeve looked at him. "The kitchen is just down those stairs on the right. Help yourself to anything. We won't be long-." he glanced at Tseng. "Right?"
"No, we won't."
Davies was happy to oblige, quickly leaving the two alone.
"What's this about?"
"Come with me."
He followed the Turk down the hall and into the ship's tactics chamber.
"Shut the door."
He did so, then turned after Tseng.
"Tseng this isn't the time for-."
Before he could finish, Tseng had grabbed him by the front of his jacket and pulled it open, reaching inside. Reeve startled, but said nothing as he ripped a part of the lining and pulled out a small fray of wires, dropping them into a nearby glass of water.
"You were bugged. The signal's been scrambled since you left the beach, so anything you've said since then hasn't been heard, but it picked up plenty before that."
Reeve moaned, sinking into the nearest chair and dropping his face into his hands.
"Blessed Mother- how long?"
"I'm assuming since the last time you were at the Tower, just before you left for Rocket Town."
Reeve moaned again, leaning back.
"He knows, then. He knows everything- about me, about the materia."
"He knows you're looking for it, and he knows both you and Tifa have misplaced yours."
"My materia-."
"Is here," he walked to the end of the table and removed a sheet from a heap that lay on the surface, revealing the mangled Cait Sith.
"Cait," he breathed his first inkling of relief, rushing to check the tech and remove his materia. He looked to Tseng. "You retrieved it after hearing our conversation in Rocket Town."
"Yes."
"What else does the President know?"
"Everything, but right now your biggest concern is finding Tifa's materia before he does."
Reeve struggled to think through the panic that was trying to overcome him.
"We need to go to Edge- now."
"I've already made the call. Many of my subordinates on the inside have begun moving boxes with strangely colored materia in them to one of the storage rooms on the lower level. If we can get there in the next hour the guards will be changing shift, so it will be easy to sneak in.
"Then we should go."
"And Tifa?"
"I'll call and tell her what's happening. Perhaps she and the others could start for Mideel just in case?"
"That would be a safe idea, but you won't be able to make the call until we reach Edge- we're traveling in stealth mode."
"Fine," he picked up Cait Sith. "I'll need to bring Davies up to speed and send him back-."
"Reeve, we don't have time-."
"It won't take but a few minutes. They need that plane to retrieve the rest of their materia."
Tseng hesitated, then sighed compliance. Once Reeve had left, the Turk sat down in the recently vacated chair and took a sip of Reeve's abandoned drink.
"I believe it's going to be a long day."
...~~~...~~~...~~~...
She knew there was coffee nearby, she could smell it.
"Hmm." Her eyes dared to open, momentarily bracing for an onslaught of sunlight before remembering where she was. Underground equaled no sunshine. There was, however, a decent amount of lantern light in the room.
(Not too bad, I could get used to that.)
She breathed deeply, taking in another whiff of coffee as she did so. Stretching, she rolled from her side to her back, freezing when she caught sight of Vincent sitting quietly next to her.
"...How long have you been there?"
"Not very long."
He held out a mug, revealing that there was indeed coffee nearby- right next to her, even.
"What time is it?" She pushed up and turned to face him, tentatively setting her bare feet on the cold hardwood beneath her.
"Nearly five-thirty," she took the cup from his hand, and he leaned back in his chair. "You have some time to get ready."
"I'm surprised Red hasn't come down here to see if I'm up."
"I believe I saw him going into a room where Cloud, Cid and Barret were. Something seems to be going on."
"And you weren't the least bit curious as to what that might've been?"
"I felt this was a better way to spend my morning."
She turned her head in a feeble attempt to hide the blush creeping into her cheeks. Sipping the warm drink in her hands, she scrambled to think of something to say.
"Any plans for today?"
"To stay here, if you'd consider that a plan."
"Cid and Barret are going to Old Midgar. You could go with them?"
"I've already been there once in the last month, that's enough for me." He caught her confused look. "We went there to find Cloud after you were taken."
"Ah."
"I hear the weather will be nice in Cosmo Canyon," he noted, voice slightly suggestive.
The way he said it made her chuckle. "You know, if you just told Red you were coming I wouldn't be able to stop you."
She couldn't see the slight smile behind his ascot.
"I would rather you be happy with me."
"I'm always happy with you."
She froze. (Holy hell, you just said that out loud. Good gawd, Yuffie, pull it together!)
So busy was she with scolding herself that she didn't notice Vincent sit upright in his chair and set his coffee on the nightstand. It wasn't until he took the mug out of her hands that she snapped out of it, only to be re-entranced almost immediately by his eyes on her.
There was no warning. He pulled the cloth below his chin, took her face in his hands and leaned in to kiss her.
"Vincent," she breathed, her body aching as his hands slid to her shoulders. The feel of his metal claw against her skin made her shudder involuntarily, but she didn't care.
He wanted this. He wanted her. As much as his subconscious whined at him for the way he felt, the sight of her smile and the sound of her voice had triggered something dormant inside him, something he'd never thought he'd feel again.
She reached up and nimbly unbuckled the belts that held his cloak. When it slid to the floor he let go of her and moved forward, sitting beside her on the bed and guiding her to straddle his waist.
"Is this happening?" she murmured, but he was so enamored with her lips he couldn't respond.
It didn't bother her. Stripping off her shirt she leaned against him, kissing his neck while helping him get his own shirt over his head and into the floor with hers. His skin was surprisingly warm- a heat she was quick to absorb as they fell back in the bed.
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. The couple stilled.
"Yuffie, are you awake?"
It was Nanaki.
"Yes," she called back, praying her voice didn't sound as strangled as it felt.
"It's fifteen til six. We need to get going."
"Okay, I'll be right out."
Silence, then the sound of his paws shuffling about. Her heart was nearly pounding out of her chest. Had he actually left? After that?
Vincent was quick to pull her back into the moment, carefully wrapping his metal arm around her and rolling to put her beneath him. She whimpered as he pressed his lips to the nape of her neck, her body begging him to remove her-.
"Reeve still hasn't returned from Costa del Sol, you know."
OK, so he hadn't left.
"Ifrit's ass!" she hissed.
"Is everything OK?"
"Fine," she groaned.
In that instant Yuffie and Vincent knew they couldn't go any further- cursing their screaming hormones as they sat upright. Without thinking about the casualty of their affection, she leaned against his chest and he kissed the top of her head, both of them distantly listening to Nanaki as he went on to tell her the events of the morning.
It was like listening the news, in a sense. After the first minute the two broke apart to retrieve their clothes, finishing their coffee as they went. As the beast wrapped up his impromptu broadcast, Yuffie helped Vincent re-buckle his cape. They walked to the door and he grabbed her shoulder, turning her around and pulling her into one last long kiss before she opened the door.
"And that's everything, I think," Nanaki finished, looking up at her. He tilted his head curiously when he saw the gunslinger. "Oh, Vincent. I didn't know you were in there too."
"I saw you were busy with the others, so I came to bring her coffee and make sure she was awake."
"That was thoughtful."
"I try."
He looked at the ninja. "You could have let me come in then, instead of keeping me out here."
"It was more fun this way," her frustration was still present, but it ebbed slightly at the thought of Red being just as annoyed as she was.
(Though for an entirely different reason.)
They left the Underground and entered a nearby field. A plane was waiting for them on the other side.
"We'll be back by morning," Nanaki said to Vincent. "I suppose you, Cloud and Aeris will just have to wait here for everyone to come back."
"I suppose you're right."
"Well," Yuffie started with a big sigh. "See you then, Vinnie!"
She waved to him and went ahead to board. When she was a good distance away, Nanaki glanced up at his old friend.
"I don't believe she realizes the more she attempts to act 'normal' the more obvious she becomes."
He smiled, but said nothing. There was no further exchange as the beast walked on to the plane. Not that Vincent had expected one- he and Nanaki had never really been creatures of verbal communication. It didn't surprise him that he knew- or at least suspected- what was going on, but right then wasn't the time to talk about it.
Then again, even if it had been the time, he still wasn't entirely certain he would have been able to explain himself.
From the window, Yuffie looked out at him. Unlike he and Nanaki she was a creature of verbal communication, but so far they'd only spoken in body language and vague, brief sentences.
(You'll figure things out soon enough,) he tried to tell himself. Even still, there was a strange sense of urgency that tickled his mind when he looked at her- something that warned him to keep her close, to look after her.
And there he was, letting her go.
She waved to him as they started to move, and and held up a hand to bid her good-bye.
"She'll be back tomorrow," he said aloud, finding it didn't help at all. In fact, the moment he said the words he couldn't help but feel he'd jinxed them both.
Oh, how right he was.
...~~~...~~~...
A/N: Thank you to the following!
Reviews:
Guest: I know! Poor Tifa. Cloud needs to get his crap together! :D
Celestia N Luna: :) I love Tifa and Yuffie, too. I WILL try to keep it up! Thanks!
CupofTeaforAliceandHatter: Better? ;D And you're definitely right about Tifa/Cloud. With all the things he's kept from her, I don't think one little half-truth will hurt anything (or WILL it?!). XD
penelos: Welcome aboard! Thank you for all the compliments! I love a good Yuffentine as well, I hope this one continues to be on your 'good' list! :)
Blackstar Angel: No worries, hope you had a great break! :D Everyone loves to hate/love Reno. I know I do! Something about him is so frustratingly handsome, which makes him fun to write. Thanks for reviewing!
New Favs/Followers:
Hereticome, Soulless Scotsman, kieli13, Quenya, and penelos!
I don't know if I ever mentioned it on here, but the oneshot Tired has been up for a bit. It'll explain some of the weirdness between Reno and Tifa.
Thanks for reading!