A/N: Hi all! Thank you to everybody for the wonderful reviews. Oh, and vincent/tifafan13 (if you're reading this), your idea for the ending of the story was a wonderful idea! Thank you so much (once again) for the great idea! And as always, I'll dedicate the chapter or chapters in which I use your ideas in to YOU!!!! I can't thank you enough! All your ideas are so great! I hope all of you like this chapter! I'll have the next one out soon!

We walked down to the Starlet pub and the manager, a tall, lean man with dark hair and brown eyes, greeted us warmly.

"Good evening! You wouldn't be Tifa Lockheart, Yuffie Kisaragi and Vincent Valentine would you?"

I nodded. "We would."

"Pleased to meet you! I'm Bryan!" He said, thrusting his bony hand my way.

I took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you too, Bryan."

"Come, let's get you seated," he said, grabbing three menus and leading us to a small table in the back. "Please, order anything you wish. No charge!" He said, before rushing off.

I picked up my menu and began flipping through it. After settling for a Caesar Salad and a Grilled Chicken sandwich I set my menu down and began sipping at the water that Bryan had brought us. Many moments later, Bryan returned, took our orders and scuttled off to turn them in.

I slowly looked around the room for a few moments before setting my water down and staring at my placemat, my arms crossed in thought.

"What's up, Teef?" Yuffie asked, resting her hand lightly on my shoulder.

"Oh, nothing," I said, patting her hand reassuringly. "I just have a lot on my mind right now."

Yuffie nodded and continued looking at nothing in particular. Bryan brought our food then disappeared once again. I picked at my salad and barely touched my sandwich. Yuffie even asked me if I was sick. I told her that I wasn't all that hungry to begin with. I could tell that Vincent was a little worried about me too. From time to time he'd nervously tap the index finger of his claw on the table or tap his foot.

After I finished one half of my chicken sandwich I excused myself from the table and walked to the bathroom. I didn't have to go but I just needed to be alone for a bit.

I pushed the door open and walked over to the sink. I washed my hands then splashed water onto my face. I wiped my face off and stared at my reflection in the mirror. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, looking down.

Come on, Lockheart! This is supposed to be a joyous occasion, not a funeral! You're back together with the man you lo-wait! Do I love him? Do I feel as strongly for him as he does for me? You know, you'd think I'd already have it figured out by now. But, really, I still don't know if I love him. I'm overjoyed to see him but.... I don't know. Maybe there's something wrong with me. Maybe the answers right in front of me but I'm too blind to see it.

I looked at the door as someone walked in and wasn't the least bit surprised when Yuffie began walking towards me. She had a genuine look of concern on her face as she gently laid a hand on my shoulder once again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She asked, for the tenth time that night. I was touched that she was so worried about me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, laying my hand on hers. "It was just really hard to think out there. I needed a little time to myself."

"And you came in the bathroom?" Yuffie said, a bit of sarcasm in her voice.

"Well, it's the only place I could go besides outside. Come on, let's go back."

Yuffie nodded and walked out of the bathroom and back over to the table. Vincent was sitting quietly, twiddling his thumbs. He straightened up when Yuffie and I joined him.

"Why don't we go back to the Observatory?" I said, stretching. "I'm getting a little sleepy."

Yuffie nodded and agreed. "Yeah, let's go. I'm tired too."

We left the Starlet pub and began walking back up to the Observatory. Once we arrived, Yuffie walked in but Vincent halted me at the door, saying he wanted to talk with me. I agreed and wrapped my hands around my upper arms. For Cosmo Canyon in the fall, the nights are surprisingly chilly.

Vincent shoved his hands into his pockets and turned around. He walked towards the railing and looked up into the night sky. I took this chance to stifle a yawn. If Vincent knew I was extremely tired he wouldn't say what he wanted to say.

I stood behind him silently and quietly watched him. Every now and then he'd take his hands out of his pockets, run a hand through his hair then return his hands to where they were before. He cleared his throat a few times then turned around, leaned against the railing and crossed his arms. He looked down at his feet before straightening and walking towards me.

He stopped in front of me and gently took a long strand of hair in his claw and wrapped his human hand around mine. He looked up at me then looked back down at the rocky earth beneath us.

I reached up and gently touched his face with my right hand. "What's wrong, Vincent?" I said, faintly, barely loud enough for him to hear.

He wet his lips and his grip on my hand became slightly tighter. "You know I love you more then life itself, but I've been thinking." He paused and licked his lips once more. "Sometimes I don't know if what I'm feeling for you is real, like all of it is a dream. Sometimes I expect myself to wake up, like it's too good to be true."

He lowered his head like he was ashamed of what he had just said. I bit my bottom lip then wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. His body relaxed as he wrapped his arms protectively around my waist. He buried his head in my hair and wove the fingers of his mechanical hand through the chocolate strands.

I bit my lip once again as the phrase "silence means guilt" popped into my mind. Hopefully he wasn't getting the wrong impression out of all of this.

He slowly unhooked his arms from around me and I gently backed away from him. I touched his cheek and gave him a smile before grabbing his human hand and leading him inside.

Naava's voice filled my ears as soon as I stepped inside. She was sitting in front of Red, obviously arguing with him about something.

"But, Daddy!" She pouted, stomping her small paw. "I don't want to wear a headdress!"

"You have to," Red said, calmly. "This is Seto and Nariko's ceremony and I want all of you to look nice. Besides, the headdress you'll be wearing was passed down from your great-grandfather. Because you're my oldest daughter, you get to wear it."

"But what will Nariko wear?" She asked, sounding somewhat interested.

"She'll be wearing my mother's headdress. It was one of her favorites. Seto will be wearing one of my father's headdresses. My father passed it down to me and because Seto is my oldest son he gets the privilege to wear it."

"What about Nova and Kayo?"

"They'll be wearing the new ones their mother bought them just recently. Because all my old headdresses are to big for both of them she had to buy them their own."

"When will I get my own?" She asked, leaning forward slightly.

"I'm still thinking on that one, but you will have your own someday. Don't worry."

"Okay, Daddy."

"Now run along," Red said, getting up and tapping her left side with his paw. "It's way past your bedtime."

"Night, Daddy," she said, scampering into the Observatory Room.

Red saw us and smiled warmly as he padded towards us. He sat and lazily scratched an ear then stretched and shook his mane, tossing long strands of fire red hair this way and that.

"Well, what were you two up to?"

I shook my head quickly. "Nothing. Vincent just had to talk to me."

"Very well," Red said, not pushing the subject. "We'll be holding the ceremony tomorrow evening at five o'clock. If it isn't too much trouble, could you help the cubs with putting their headdresses on?"

"Of course!" I said, smiling, despite my fatigue. "Just show me how."

"Seta and I will be glad to tomorrow. I will see both of you in the morning," he said, turning around and disappearing through the same door his daughter did a few minutes ago.

I turned and looked at Vincent. "You gonna go to bed?"

He nodded and walked past me. He stopped a few paces in front of me though and turned to look at me. He reached out his mechanical arm and I gingerly placed my hand into his. He squeezed my hand gently and led me to the ladder.

"Where are you sleeping?"

"Down here. On the couch," he said, circling his arms around my waist.

"Okay," I said, nodding as I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him.

I backed away from him and slowly climbed up the ladder. I stepped off it and looked around the room. Yuffie was already in her bedclothes. She was sitting on the bed reading a book.

Yuffie lifted her head and looked at me. "Well, about time. I was gettin' ready to go make sure you two were okay."

"Vincent needed to talk with me," I said, getting out a pair of black cloth shorts and a blue tank top. I quickly dressed and began running a brush through my hair.

"Did you tell him?"

I sighed as I set the brush down on the bedside table. I shook my head. "No."

Yuffie let out a frustrated sigh as she rose from the bed. "Come on, Tifa! Quit being so naive! You know Vincent loves you but you're too full of yourself to realize it!"

I sank down onto the couch and hung my head. Yuffie was right. She was one hundred percent right. I looked back up at Yuffie and rose from the couch. "Thanks, Yuf," I said, hugging her. "I really needed that."

"Hey, anytime!" She said, hugging me back. "Now come on, let's get to bed! I'm bushed!"

I nodded and climbed in bed beside Yuffie. I flicked off the light and snuggled into soft sheets as sleep overtook me.