Disclaimer: All right, I'm done with this disclaimer B.S. SO, from here on out, for the rest of the additions to Times of Separation, SQUARE OWNS EVERYTHING. I said it, but I will say it no more…
A/N: Well, there's seems to be a bit of confusion about exactly what went on last chapter (mostly with what's up with Yuffie). Too much suspense is a bad thing, eh? Well, all will hopefully be explained in this pretty much all Vinnie chapter. I love little wanna-be vamps. They're so angsty…
Chapter 13: A Watchful EyeA sweat dampened green shirt clung to a frail chest as the slow movements of respiration gave a visible sign of life. It was the only sign being given. But Yuffie hadn't passed out, simply fallen asleep.
Her fever wasn't that far along yet. It wouldn't be for at the very least a few more hours, but most likely the sickness would spare her until mid-day tomorrow. Or at least that's what Vincent Valentine hoped for.
Despite all of Tifa's efforts to get the cold man to come down for dinner, he had not moved a muscle. He even refused to put to use the chair placed at Yuffie's bedside by her. He was content standing inches to the left of the open door to Miss Kissiragi's room.
He wouldn't leave her side. Not when it was his fault…
"I think she's got Mako poisoning…"Vincent didn't need to hear the explanation Reno was preparing himself to offer. He knew the reason she was sick. He could still picture the exact moment that caused this.
But that didn't stop Reno from vocalizing the reason. "Valentine, didn't you find her in the sewer? That's probably what did it. That Meteor thing caused all sorts of shit to go wrong with the Reactors. About a fourth of all the Mako in Midgar ended up leaking into the waterways and sewer system."
Cid was quick to the point the finger. The pilot never took a liking to the ex-Turk, and Vincent knew it. That's why his words didn't surprise him. It was like Cid had been waiting for Vincent to slip up…
"The brats sick 'cause o' you! Why'da hell'd you separate 'er from us anyway!?"Why did he separate her from them? There was too much confusion. He let himself get too caught up in the battle. His judgment slipped. He put her in the first place he could find, without thinking.
Why did he let her get captured? He let himself get too carried away. He was more focused on helping Reno than he was on protecting her.
Helping Reno!? Ha! Vincent knew better than that. We wasn't helping Reno, he was killing. He was killing three people instead of watching out for Yuffie. Like a true monster.
This was another sin for him. He left her alone. He didn't protect her. He didn't run fast enough to catch up to that thing before it entered the sewer. He did react quick enough to catch her before she fell.
He, more than anyone, knew those were sins, not mistakes. He was one of the best Turks ever to live. He was a genetically enhanced soldier. All of those things were possible for him, he just didn't do them.
What a monster!A soft creak from a floorboard was all it took to wake Yuffie. As tired as she was, the heat from the fever didn't make sleep easy. She wearily peaked open an eye to see the disturbance. "Oh… Hi Cloud…"
"Hey, Yuffie. How are you feeling?" His voice seemed a little detached. Vincent couldn't help but wonder what was wrong.
A single, weak shrug was the girl's only response. She could've replied, but she didn't want to waste the energy.
It was all the same to Cloud, because she wasn't the one he was here to see. "Vince, can I talk to you outside for a minute?"
Valentine would've protested, but before he could, he picked up on the look in Cloud's eyes. What needed to be said couldn't be said in front of Yuffie, for whatever reason. He silently followed Cloud out into the hallway.
The hall, along with the rest of the building, seemed oddly devoid of activity. Almost everyone had retired to their sleeping quarters already. How long have I been in there?
"Vincent…" The single word from Cloud's lips held such heaviness in it that a bit of worry crept up in Vincent's chest. It took quiet sometime for the spikey-haired leader to follow that one word. "Look, you're by far the most experienced of all of us. As much slack as everyone gives you, I think we all know that…"
Cloud paused to gauge Vincent's reaction so far. The only response Vincent gave was a look that silently spoke the words his mind was saying: "get to the point."
"All right. I think there's a spy." Again, no vocal reply, so Cloud continued. "Things have seemed a little off. I took a good look at the times on the surveillance tapes. The Kidnapper high-tailed it apparently just a few hours before we showed. That's about the same time Tif and I were calling everyone. Then, there's an army of those… things, just waiting for the Turks in Midgar. And, I kept getting this strange feeling in Junon. Like everything was fake – it had just been set up before we got there, ya know?"
Vincent listened fully, but didn't exactly give much thought to the subject. If this was all Cloud had to go on, then they had no leads what-so-ever, just suspicions. There was nothing they could do about it.
He could tell Cloud wouldn't be satisfied without some encouragement or advice. That's what he came to Vincent for after all. "Without a suspect, all we can do is be careful, and observant."
Cloud didn't need Vincent to elaborate. During their travels Cloud had grown accustomed to interpreting any suggestions Vincent had to offer. Be careful and observant meant: "Don't let out any secrets. Only say what you must to the people you must tell them to. Keep an eye on everyone and everything, most importantly, on your own back."
"Thanks." There was a hint of displeasure in Cloud's voice, but not because of a lack of gratefulness. He truly took to heart Vincent's help, and thought it would be effective. His displeasure was at the fact that he indeed had no one in mind. Who could the traitor be?
Vincent didn't pay much mind to Cloud's worries. Sure, a double agent would hinder their plans, but what could Vincent do about it? He knew next to nothing about anyone in their ranks, other than Tifa. Everyone knew she would never betray them. So, the detective work would be left up to Cloud.
Yuffie could barely make sense of anything around her. All she could feel was the heat that had over taken her body. Nothing could touch her senses other than that, besides the occasional sensation of a rolling drop of sweat.
GAWD, it's hot! I'd take off these gawd-forsaken clothes if Vinnie wasn't around so much. Where'd that over protective vampire go, anyway?
In all honesty, Yuffie was barely aware of Vincent's presence most of the time. Occasionally, the haze around her vision would fade and she would catch a swatch of crimson cloth out of the corner of her eye. She didn't know why, but she found it oddly soothing.
The soft murmur of Valentine's voice also brought comfort to Yuffie's aching soul. Though most of the time all she could make out were sounds, she could recall one conversation in depth. She always paid attention to matters that involved her.
"How's she holdin' up?"
The voice was familiar. If Yuffie would guess, she'd say it was Reno's, though she couldn't figure out why the handsome Turk would be worried about an immature thief like herself…
"She is doing well, considering the amount of Mako in her bloodstream."
Ahh, the sweet soothing sounds of Vincent Valentine. Short, sweet and to the point. Wait, what the hell was she thinking? Did she just mentally say that? She REALLY must be sick…
"You can tell how much of that shit's in her blood just by looking at her?"
"The eyes."
Vincent was a Turk before Shinra Inc had so much help. Reno's generation of Turks were assassins and kidnappers. Vincent's were everything from assassins, to soldiers, to librarians, to personal assistants and everything in between. He personally chose to spend his time with Lucrecia in the labs when he was instructed to "find something to do." He knew the glow of Mako very well.
"Shit… She's not gonna go comatoce like hero boy, is she?"
"No. Cloud was exposed to a much higher amount of Mako. As much of it as there was in the reactors, it's nothing compared to the lifestream."
"So just a couple of days of this fever BS and she'll be all right?"
Only a few days. She guessed that was good, in the long run, but for right now, another day seemed like it would kill her. At least she wasn't in a coma. She had almost completely forgotten about Cloud's dip in the lifestream.
Vincent slowly opened the door to Yuffie's room. Despite how new the inn was, the doors still had a tendency to creek. Most couldn't pick it up, but Vincent often forgot about his heightened senses. He assumed if he could hear it, everyone else could.
There she was, laying so very peacefully. But Valentine knew better. She was in a world of unseen torture, and it was all because of him. His lack of foresight, his flaw in judgment, his cowardice, his impatience, his distrust. It was his fault.
Just another sin to add to his list. He helped bring power the most corrupt corporation ever to exist. He had killed countless numbers of people. He inadvertently aided Hojo's quest for domination. He stood by idly as his one love fell victim to a madman. He helped kill Sephiroth. He failed to restore his beloved Lucrecia's health. He had let her be taken away by whatever threat they face now.
And now, worst of all, he let this poor, innocent adolescent fall ill. All because of his flaws. All because of his weakness. All because of his misjudgment. All because of him.
It wasn't until the small form of Yuffie stirred beneath her sheets that Vincent was brought out of his dark reverie.
"Vinnie… you came back…" Her voice was so weak, so pitiful. It reminded Vincent of the weakness in Lucrecia's voice when she spoke the last words he heard before Hojo's bullet tore through his flesh.
He couldn't find it in him to speak. He rarely could. It was his responsibility to care for her, but he would leave it at that. He would not subject her to his words. A long, slender, gloved finger stretched vertically across his lips. Yuffie needed her rest. She didn't need to speak to anyone like him.
The sweat was beginning to take its toll on Yuffie frail body. Dehydration had hit her while she slept. It was an event Vincent had prepared for. Before she could call out to her guardian for help, Yuffie felt the cold rim of a glass being pressed to her lips.
Vincent didn't bother to tell her to drink it, he knew her inherent survival instincts would kick in. She wasted no time in hurriedly drinking the entire contents of the glass. At first, she had trouble swallowing the water. The harsh dryness in her throat provided a long, difficult journey for the liquid.
The young girl couldn't even find the energy to hold the glass herself. Vincent found himself standing at her bedside aiding her in the most basic action a human could have – drinking water. It would be another long night for Vincent Valentine.
A/N: Ok. Recently I've had a few guesses that this is going to be a Yuffentine, and I'm sure this chapter just helped "confirm" those beliefs. But I say this to you: things are never as simple as they seem. Anyway, in the next few chapters, we'll have more of the other characters, don't worry. And the identity of the traitor will be revealed. And lots more action. Then, after the action, some mush, and then this fic is finito! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!