Author's Note: Yep...I'm starting this chapter immediately after posting the last. Oh, and a word of warning to everyone: Never, ever eat Mexican food, read Kingdom Hearts fanfic, and play Final Fantasy X on the same night...nightmares occur. I woke up at 4 this morning after having a nightmare about Auron having a wild night in Mexico resulting in Squall being his long-lost son...*shudders*... it wasn't pretty.

And I'm starting to feel traitorous to the "Squffie-dom" (pingpong867's word). Even though I've never played FFVII, I've started reading "Yuffentines" and I'm getting addicted to them, although I like the Squffies better. Hmm...I don't know. But, anyways, I'm sure none of you are even reading this, huh?

Still in the past....I think that I'll try and put the rest of the past into this chapter. I'm going to be doing some time skipping in this chapter, I'll clue you in along the way. But, I'm getting impatient and want to move back to the present time with Yuffie's mess and all. But, anyways, we'll find out by the end of this chapter whether I put the rest of the past into it or not, kay?

Also, I'm going to apologize in advance for this chapter. I think my muse has left me again. And I just got a new one last month. I think I scare them off with my writing obsession. Anyways, go read it.

Note to Shadowz: A KH TV series? Nope, haven't heard anything about it. But, if they make one, it had best and better have Squ-er-Leon in it. hehe

Note to Axa: The meaning of my pen-name? Okay, I'll admit it. *blushes* It's my middle name. And I use it because the only other person I know who has that name is my mother. Strange, up until a little while ago, I never used it because it reminds me of the verb "deplore" which means to express a strong dislike to. But, it's a family name for some reason....me, my mother, and my grandmother. Anyways, I'm rambling.

[Disclaimer: If I didn't own Kingdom Hearts in the last five chapters, why would I own it now?]

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Chapter Five

Arranging a vase of flowers on the table in the vacant house in the Third District, Yuffie waited impatiently for Cloud and Aerith to return from their honeymoon. They had been gone for nearly six weeks, traveling to different worlds in their Gummi ship and they had just contacted Yuffie last week to tell her when they would be home and asked if she and Squall could make arrangements for the rental of the vacant house.

Squall walked through the front door of the house, struggling with one of the large boxes of Aerith's stuff that Yuffie had packed to be moved out of the Red Room. "Where do you want this, Yuf?" he asked as he pushed the door closed behind him with his foot.

"Um...what's in it?"

"Yuffie, I can't carry it and open it at the same time," he muttered as she walked over to him.

She stood on tiptoe so she could peek over the edge of the box and see its contents. "Kitchen...it's that set of dishes they got as a wedding present." Following him into the kitchen, she sat on the counter next to where he placed the box so she would be able to easily reach the cabinet to put them up. As she picked one up though, Squall took it out of her hands and lay it down. "C'mon, Squall! I want to get this done," she grumbled as she tried to pick up another dish and put it away, only to have him grab her hands.

"Don't I at least get a 'thank you' for bringing the box in?" He put both of her hands behind his neck and leaned in. "Just one little 'thank you,'" he breathed into her ear before kissing her jaw line. Yuffie turned her head, meeting his mouth with hers and tangling her hand in his long hair.

The kiss ended abruptly when they heard someone coughing in the kitchen door. Turning to look, Yuffie saw Cloud and Aerith standing there, amusement in their eyes. Aerith elbowed her husband's side, saying, "Pay up."

Sighing, the blonde reached into his pocket and pulled out a few munny gems to hand to her. "Yes, Aerith. You win," he conceded as she smiled smugly.

"Dare I ask what you were betting on?" Yuffie asked from her perch on the counter, a faint blush across her cheeks.

"They were betting on us," Squall whispered in her ear, his warm breath causing shivers to race up and down her spine.

Either not hearing Squall or choosing to ignore him, Aerith smiled. "I told Cloud the day we left that by the time we got back, you two would've gotten together." Turning her mirth-filled eyes to her husband, she continued. "Of course, he didn't believe me. So, we made a bet. And I won."

"We're not horses!" Yuffie protested, jumping off the counter and putting her hands on her hips before breaking out into a smile. Running across the small kitchen, she wrapped Aerith in a fierce hug. "I've missed you!"

Noticing the small yawn Aerith tried to stifle, Squall gently pried the ninja away from her. "Yuffie, I think they're tired from all the traveling... among other things." The last part was said softly under his breath, Yuffie being the only one to hear it and choked back a snort.

"Okay, Squall, you're right," Yuffie consented, allowing him to guide her towards the door. "I'll be back tomorrow," she called back to Cloud and Aerith.

Before the door closed behind her, Yuffie heard Cloud asking Aerith in disbelief, "Did she just call him Squall? And he didn't correct her?"

Once back at the Green Room, Squall settled onto the bed with his back against the wall and Yuffie sitting between his legs with her back against his chest while they watched a movie on the TV across the room. Sighing in contentment as Squall placed a few soft kisses on her neck and shoulder, Yuffie began running her hand absently up and down his leg. After a few minutes she stopped, turning around to face him. Her hands gliding across his chest, she whispered, "Squall, don't stop tonight."

He jerked his head up, his lips leaving the crook of her neck to look at her questioningly. "Are you sure about this, Yuf?" he asked softly. Seeing her nod, Squall gently lowered her to the mattress, his mouth on hers in a passionate kiss.

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Five Months Later

Lying in the darkened room, Yuffie had her arm draped across Squall's bare chest and her head resting on his shoulder, savoring the feel of his arms encircling her as she slowly began to fall asleep. "Squall?" she whispered softly.

His arms tightened around her as he shifted his head to look at her. "Hm?"

"I love you," she murmured for the first time right before she finally fell asleep, not noticing how Squall's body tensed up at that word.

Love? he silently asked himself as he lay there holding her, thousands of thoughts criss-crossing across his mind. Slowly disentangling himself from her, he slid out from under the sheets, pulling his clothes on, leaving his trademark jacket off as the night was warm.

Yuffie groggily lifted her head. "Where're you going?" she slurred through the sleep that threatened to claim her once again.

"I'm going to take a walk. Go back to sleep. Don't worry, I'll be back," he reassured her, leaning over and kissing her cheek.

Laying her head back down, she muttered something that sounded like 'okay,' but it was hard to tell. Squall gave her another quick glance before he carefully opened the door and walked into the hotel hallway. Striding down the hall, he left the hotel and entered the Second District, his lip curling in disgust as he saw the crowds. "They just had to have the Celebration tonight," he muttered under his breath.

He felt around his pants pocket, grabbing the set of rarely used keys. Fingering the lion head keychain, he started walking for the World Exit in the First District, deciding that a short drive in his Gummi would help him clear his head since the crowded streets of Traverse Town wouldn't allow it. He just needed some time to think...in peace and quiet, something he could normally find by taking a walk at night.

In his Gummi ship, Squall started the engine and slowly raised the ship from launch pad, heading upwards towards the invisible and passable barrier of this world. Once he had left the atmosphere of Traverse Town, he put the ship on auto-pilot while he leaned back in the pilot's seat to think while staring out the windshield into the vast expanse of space before him.

Love? he asked himself again. Could she really love me? Or does she even know the meaning of the word? Was it just something she said in a moment of passion? So many questions raced through his mind, causing him to close his eyes and massage his temples as he felt a migraine coming on.

More importantly, do I love her? That was the question that haunted him the most. He knew he felt strong emotions towards her, but love? Could I truly love her? He turned this thought over and over in his head, realizing, in the end, that he did love her.

Reaching for the auto-pilot button, he reset the course for Traverse Town, intent on barging into the Green Room and waking Yuffie up with confession of love. But, something went wrong with the ship when he pushed the button. Lights started flashing, alarms started going off, and the ship started veering towards a black hole that he hadn't seen a moment before. Before he knew it, the ship started rolling and he was thrown against the control panel, his last conscious thoughts on Yuffie.

At that same moment, Yuffie shivered slightly in the Green Room, rolling over to curl up next to Squall for warmth, only to find that she was alone in the bed. Her head jerked up to look at the clock over the door, finding it was around three in the morning. Rubbing her forehead in confusion, she sat up in the bed and looked around the dark room. "Squall?" she asked the empty room quietly.

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Despite the heat, Yuffie continued her search for Squall through Traverse Town wrapped in his jacket that she had found lying where he had thrown it the night before. She had been out here since she had awakened alone in the room and it was now well into the afternoon. Her tears had stopped hours ago, having been dried up by the time she had finished her first circuit around the town.

"Yuffie?" a soft voice called, which she ignored and continued walking. Soft hands grabbed her shoulders. "Yuffie, come on, you haven't eaten all day," Aerith persisted, pulling the ninja to her and Cloud's house.

Yuffie shook the woman's hands off, and started walking away. "No, he could be hurt somewhere. He could be de--" she stopped herself from saying that last word as tears began to flow again. "Aerith, I'm not stopping until I find him." She started walking again, but was stopped by the sight of Cloud walking towards them, his expression unusually downcast.

"Aerith..." he began, trailing off as he didn't know if he should tell her in front of the distraught Yuffie.

Realizing that he knew something, Yuffie's head jerked up. "Cloud, did you find him? Is he alright?" She grabbed the blonde's arm beseechingly. "Cloud, tell me!"

Cloud closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Yuffie, his Gummi ship is gone."

Aerith immediately pulled the ninja into a comforting hug, rubbing her back as the girl broke down into the tears she thought were gone. "Shh... just let it all out, Yuf. Just let it all out," she murmured while giving her husband a helpless look.

"It's my fault, Aerith. It's my fault," the sobbing Yuffie gasped out onto her friend's shoulder.

"It's not your fau--" the pink-clad woman began before she was cut off by Yuffie pulling away from her and running towards the Secret Waterway. "Yuffie!" she called out as the ninja disappeared from her view.

Tears streaming down her face, Yuffie continued to run blindly through the cool water of the cavern until she reached the shore, where she leaned against the wall and slid to the ground, wrapping her arms around her drawn-up knees. "I told him... that...I loved him....and he left me..." she gasped out in between the sobs as she lay her head between her knees.

Despite Aerith and Cloud's protests, Yuffie spent the next week mindlessly walking around Traverse Town, mumbling Squall's name and refusing to remove his black jacket. She would have continued doing this for another week if it hadn't been for the fact that her body had weakened considerably as she had not eaten hardly anything since the morning she found herself alone. It was only at Aerith's insistence that she ate the little bit that she did. And the morning she had been found unconscious in the Waterway, Cloud carried her to the infirmary to be force fed and kept calm.

Lying in the infirmary bed without the strength or will to get up, a thousand suicidal thoughts raced through Yuffie's head. Just when she decided that jumping off the Gizmo Shop would be an easy to accomplish death, the doctor walked in, carrying his charts. Groaning, Yuffie glared at him. "No more tests, doctor. I want to go home," she said in a demanding tone.

"Miss Kisaragi, please...no more dramatics. You're in no condition to leave right now." He barely even looked up from her chart while he said this. "You'll be able to leave tomorrow. I'm just going to run one more test."

The next morning, Yuffie was released from the infirmary, much to her relief. But, instead of jumping off the Gizmo Shop like she had planned, she followed Cloud and Aerith to their house, all suicidal thoughts having left her mind that morning when the doctor gave her the results of the last test he had run. She had discovered that if she killed herself, she would kill a part of Squall as well. She was carrying his child.

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Present

Wiping her face with a wet washrag, Yuffie hoped the tear stains would fade from her cheeks soon. The last thing she needed was for the wedding guests to see them. It was supposed to be a happy day for her. A knock on the door took her attention from the reflection in the mirror. Hastily putting the black leather jacket into the closet, she opened the door.

"Yuffie, you're not dressed yet?" Aerith demanded as she walked into the room, carrying a young child with blue eyes and light brown downy hair. The child wearing a pink dress, a gift from her Aunty Aerith, appeared to be a little less than two years old.

Opening her arms, Yuffie took the girl from Aerith's arms, hugging her close. "Nope, not yet. I was just doing some thinking." Yuffie turned her attention to the girl in her arms. "And, you, Miss Amaya, what are you doing in here? I thought you wanted to play with Aunty Aerith?"

Amaya smiled broadly. "Mommy dress pretty," she said, pointing to the lacy white wedding dress lying on the bed.

Nuzzling her daughter's downy hair, Yuffie smiled wanly. "Yes, it is, Amaya. And so are you." She kissed her nose before setting her on the floor to play with the toys over in the corner. "Well, Aerith, I guess I should get dressed, huh?"

"If you plan on marrying today, you might better."

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Author's Note: Okay...the past is done with. Now, at least you all know what happened to Squall. I just feel so evil right now. But, anyways, I apologize if the chapter seems a bit rushed or anything. My muse left me and I only wrote this right now because I was afraid if I didn't someone, namely Vulpes Lapis, would kill me. ^_^ You know I'm kidding, VL. Anyways, read and review.