Author: Welcome back to chapter two of my Vincent/Tifa fic! Wow! What a response! I feel so loved. Six reviews in a day. Yay for me! :D I know, I know. I'm so modest. Any how, I'm gonna give you guys a longer chapter this time because Spring break starts tomorrow and I won't have access to a computer with the internet for about a week and three days (10 days) so I probably won't be able to update until I have class on the monday after the one coming up. So sad. :'( I hope you'll all bare with me. I can't promise anything, but I'll try to post sometime next week. (Maybe at the library..... Hmmmmm)

Sephiroth: *looks around* Hmmmm. I don't like this story. There aren't any attractive silver haired villains in it.

Author: *shakes her head* So?

Sephiroth: *smiles hopefully* Need one?

Author: Nope. *smiles suggestively* Not for my story anyway.............

Sephiroth: I'll be in the living room when you want me *winks and leaves*

Author: *ahem* OH OH OH!!! GUESS WHAT?! My Inuyasha plushie is here! Yay! I just have to go pick it up from the comic book shop! I'm soooooooooo happy!!!!!! *dances around and the wall looks at her like she's insane* Sorry bout that. *looks apologetically at all the inanimate objects around her*

Chair: *sighs* The things I have to put up with.

Author: Anyway, before I scare you all too much further I'm going to start the chapter. Here I go. (For an interesting read, finish ALL of the author's notes at the end of this chapter. Heeheehee. I'm insane)

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Tifa opened her eyes and whimpered pitifully at the wave of pain that hit her. A dim light was shining in the window so she assumed it was still early morning. Painfully rolling over, she saw a familiar red cloaked man sleeping with his head hanging down and resting on his chest. He looked so cute, sleeping like that. Tifa swung her legs over the edge of the couch and winced. She looked down at her legs. Small white bandages covered the places where glass had cut her. Her forehead was throbbing painfully and she dizzily fell back against the cushions. Seconds later a half-hidden face was peering into hers.

"How are you feeling?" Vincent asked in his usual monotone voice.

"N...not so great, but I'll be fine," Tifa replied, trying not to cry. Helping her sit up, Vincent smiled sadly behind his cloak. It was obvious that she was trying to hide her pain from him. What a bad actress. Tifa shivered and leaned her forehead against Vincent's shoulder. He had to restrain himself from pulling away from the unwanted contact. Placing his un-clawed hand against her forehead, he frowned.

"Your face is burning. You must have a fever or severe migraine from the wound you suffered last night." Tifa tried to muster up her usual perkiness and chipper attitude, but her smile seemed pasted on.

"I'm good. You've already done more then enough. Thank you so much for your help last night, or morning, whichever it may be......"

Vincent stared blankly at the floor.

"Vincent?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you listening to me?" Vincent blinked and seemed to be seeing her for the first time.

"....oh. Sorry." Smiling, Tifa shook her head and instantly regretted it. Vincent made her lie down and fetched a cold cloth to cover her eyes and forehead. She could feel him checking the bandages on her legs and covering her with a light blanket. When had he become such a good friend?

"I guess I should say good morning," she joked quietly. Vincent glanced at the wall clock hanging above the fridge.

"You would be more accurate to say good night. We've slept through the entire day." Tifa realized what she had taken for a sun rise must have really been twilight. Her head throbbed painfully and she got the feeling someone was watching her. She pulled the cloth up a little and piercing red eyes caught hers. Blushing, she pulled the cloth back down. Laying in awkward silence, she felt a sudden weight on the couch beside her.

"So.......," she began shyly, "how have you been lately?"

"..."

"Vincent?"

"I've been myself." Tifa could tell he was hiding something and moved her hand in the direction of his voice.

"Oh, come on. I wanna hear something new. Something exciting. Anything."

"..........."

"Please?"

"Such as?" Tifa thought for a moment.

"Well, any cute girls visit the mansion?" she teased.

"If I had been lucky enough to be graced with visitors they would have been driven away by one look at me." Vincent stated.

"Oh come on now," Tifa huffed," stop putting yourself down. You still have me. You haven't driven me away and I'm not that hard to get rid of.......or forget....." Vincent heard the bitter meaning behind her words and cursed Cloud under his breath for what he had done to Tifa's self confidence. Patting her hand in a very un-Vincent gesture, he sighed.

"I wouldn't trade a visit from you for a visit from a million cute girls," he told Tifa truthfully. Tifa smirked.

"What are you saying? I'm not cute?" She faked a pout and Vincent felt flustered, not knowing what to say.

"Um, you seem to have misunderstood what I was trying to say." Tifa laughed and groaned at the pain in her head.

"Don't worry. I was just teasing. I won't make you answer that since we both know the answer already."

"....."

Peeking out at Vincent, Tifa was surprised to see his cheeks blushing red.

"What?" she asked curiously. His eyes widened when he saw she was watching him. He still felt nothing inside, just emptiness, but this woman was slowly and surely changing him.

"The answer is quite obvious," he agreed, knowing that Tifa was burning with curiosity, but he didn't say anything further. After covering her eyes with the cloth again, Tifa's mind buzzed with questions. What did he find obvious about it? What did he mean by that? What did he think of her? A warm hand took hers absentmindedly and fiddled with her fingers.

Vincent jerked his hand back, realizing what he was doing. "Rest, you should rest," he stammered. Jumping up from the couch, he tucked the blanket around Tifa and headed outdoors to check on their "guest". The man looked a little blue, but he'd live. Vincent carried the still unconscious man and dumped him, tied up, onto the doorstep of the local police station, not far from the bar. As silently as he had come, he was gone and headed back to the new 7th Heaven. 'Gods,' he thought to himself, 'I need a drink.'

Upon entering the bar, he noticed a sign on the door that said the bar was opening in half an hour. Hanging a "sorry, we're closed" sign in the door window, he headed into the kitchen and began collecting supplies to make soup for Tifa. When he was a Turk, he had lived off the stuff. He didn't know how to make anything else, but his homemade soup was phenomenal. A scared voice called from the inside of the bar.

"Vincent?" the weak voice choked, "please don't tell me you've left me all alone here. Vincent?!" He heard thumping and muffled sobs and left the soup base to simmer on the stove. Running into the front he found a tearstained Tifa curled up on the floor, crying. Vincent cleared his throat and she jerked her head in his direction. A look of sheer relief passed over her features and she pushed herself up and flung herself on Vincent, knocking him to the ground.

"Don't do that to me!" she cried, hitting his chest pitifully, "what if that guy came back?! Then what would I have done?! Please. Don't ever leave me!" Vincent gently pushed her off him.

"Your soup is almost ready," he said quietly, standing and helping her up with him. Guilt broke through his mostly emotionless barrier when a hurt look came over her face.

"Don't you even care?" she whispered, "I was so scared.......I thought that.............oh whatever." Tifa walked over to the couch, ignoring her intensifying migraine, and slumped down on it, covering her face with her hands. No one was supposed to see her cry. 'Stupid girl,' she cursed herself.

Vincent walked slowly to the kitchen and returned with a delicious smelling stew a while later. He silently set it down on the table next to her with a spoon and she grabbed his arm, stopping him from leaving again.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. Vincent sat next to her and shook his head. "Don't be. It is I who should swallow my pride and ask your forgiveness. I tend to be a bit cruel and unfeeling sometimes."

"Vincent.....," Tifa started, not knowing what to say that would cheer him up. Was he ever happy? Completely changing the subject she glanced at the soup. "Will you eat with me?" Shrugging, he stood and removed his cloak, revealing the black dress shirt and pants underneath. Draping the cloak over a chair he looked at her.

"If you wish me to." Tifa nodded her consent and Vincent went into the kitchen, returning with a bowl of soup for himself. They ate in silence and were interrupted by a loud banging on the door. Vincent put down his dinner and drew Death Penalty, carefully walking towards the offending sounds. A woman was peering inside with both hands around her face and jumped in surprise when Vincent passed by, weapon drawn.

"Tifa!" Max yelled frantically. She busted her way through the door and drop-kicked Vincent, knocking the wind of him and causing him to fall to the floor. "Pervert! Get away from my Tifa! I won't let you lay a hand on her! Get the fuck out!" Max emphasized each word with sharp kicks to Vincent's side. Vincent grabbed one of her legs and pulled her to the ground.

"I don't recommend you do that again," he growled angrily, pointing his deadly weapon in her direction. Tifa hurried over and hugged the girl, gently pushing Vincent back.

"It's all right Max! Calm down! This is Vincent," Tifa said, gesturing to him," he helped protect me last night when we were robbed."

"Oh," Max smiled sheepishly, "sorry bout that." Vincent glared at her and didn't speak.

"He's kind of the strong silent type," Tifa grinned. Holding his stomach, Vincent got up and went to grab himself a glass of wine, sitting at the bar to give the ladies time to talk. That girl sure could kick. If she had done it for any other reason besides protecting Tifa he would've shot her instantly. She had even caught him off guard. That was an extremely rare thing for someone to do.

"So who's your cutie?" Max teased, discreetly pointing in Vincent's direction. Tifa blushed.

"He's just a friend. We were both members of Avalanche and after we stopped Meteor the group kind of split up, but I've kept in contact with Vincent and another member. Vincent has always been quiet and he keeps to himself. Don't take his silence personally. It just what he does."

"Is he..........single?" Max asked with interest. Tifa bit her lip, not wanting to act like she cared.

"In a manner of speaking, I guess he is." Max grinned.

"Awww Tif. You should see your face. Don't worry. I won't steal your man." Tifa could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"He's not my.......man." Max giggled and hugged her. Flinching away, Tifa gasped in pain. Max had hit her cut with one of her hands.

"Sorry boss. I didn't realize you were hurt. What happened to the prick who robbed you anyway? Did you get the gil back?" Tifa glanced at the full pillowcase Vincent had placed by the door and nodded.

"Vincent took care of everything." Nodding, Max smiled and glanced at her watch.

"Shoot, I gotta go. Brad's waiting for me. So when do you think we'll be open again?"

"Maybe tomorrow, or Monday," Tifa said thoughtfully. Max smiled.

"Allrighty then. Phone me when you need me to work my next shift. Tell grumpy over there I'm sorry."

"Will do," Tifa smiled back.

"Feel better," Max called as she headed out the door. Tifa went over to the bar and leaned her chin on Vincent's shoulder. His eyes shifted to her face and he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?" Tifa grinned and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thanks for being such an awesome friend," she smiled, squeezing him tightly. Vincent stiffened under her touch and tried to pull away without being obvious about it.

"I don't deserve your gratitude," he simply replied. She sat down on the stool next to him and peered up into his face.

"You know, you're kind of cute when you don't have five layers of cloth covering your face." Vincent's cheeks tinged with red and he turned his head away from her. "Awww come on Vincent. I'm just teasing." Tifa brushed his hair out of his face and kissed his cheek.

"Cheer up. I manage to stay happy enough, so you can take some of that for yourself and smile more." Vincent's wide eyes were focused on her and the side of his mouth turned up in a half-smile.

"So you wish me to be happy?" he asked her, amused and a little embarrassed. Tifa nodded silently. "You have no idea how much you're asking of me......" She looked at him strangely and was surprised to see his face break into a smile.

"You remind me so much of her," he whispered, "she never wanted me to join the Turks or to suffer through all the things I did. My angel........." His eyes misted over and Tifa still had no clue what he was talking about.

"Who?" her voice asked quietly, trying to mask her jealousy. Blinking quickly, Vincent's mind snapped back to reality and he stared at her blankly. Tifa could see a deep sorrow overtake him and he stood, wandering over to the window, staring at nothing. Shaking her head, she went behind the bar and blended up some fresh fruits, that she kept on hand for herself, and ice chips and added a shot of vodka. After pouring the mixture into two cups, she gulped down hers and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Drink?" she offered at Vincent's back. No reply came. "You'd better decide quick or I'm gonna drink it," she warned. Vincent's mind swirled with thoughts. Lucretia was frequently on his mind, but he'd never been this overcome with emotions. He faintly heard Tifa's voice and turned to face her. There was a drink in her outstretched hand and she looked like she was trying not to cry.

Accepting the drink, he kept his eyes to the counter, briefly scanning the fliers that were scattered over a part of it. One in particular caught his attention and he picked it up to get a closer look. This may be just what he needed to lift Tifa's spirits. Of course, it was completely un-Vincent. He would make a sacrifice for her.

Tifa watched him as he sipped his drink. Vincent still hadn't made eye contact with her and her throbbing head was making her grumpy and impatient. She could feel itchy spots on her legs where the bandages covered her cuts. As she was about to snap at him his head lifted and she saw a look of nervous fear in his eyes. He cleared his throat.

"How are you feeling?" Vincent asked softly. Tifa laughed slightly and raised an eyebrow.

"Well that came out of nowhere....." Vincent continued to look at her intently. "Um....," she said biting her lip, "if you really must know, my head is throbbing and I feel like crap."

"Come here." The command surprised her more then anything, but she complied and came around the counter to sit next to him. Vincent turned her until her back was to him and gently inspected her bandages. He nodded to himself when he saw the wound wasn't getting worse or infected.

"Well, you seem well enough," he stated. Tifa turned back around and glared at him.

"Is this going somewhere?" Vincent sighed and shifted nervously. Tifa had never seen him act this way and wondered what was up.

"Are YOU feeling okay?" she teased. His face remained serious and he handed her the flier he had been examining.

"Read it." Tifa searched his face for a hint of what was going on in his mind, but his face was a mask. Silent and emotionless. Vincent waited until she began reading over the paper and leaned forward a little. "Think you'll be feeling well enough for that?" Tifa regrettably didn't think she could handle this kind of thing so soon.

"I.....I don't think so." Vincent looked immensely disappointed, but shrugged it off. "But......look Vincent.......there's another one in a couple of weeks. You could come visit me again......" Her face was pleading. Eager to please. Vincent allowed his rare smile to spread across his face.

"I agree. Your plan seems much more logical. How would you like to have a quiet dinner out tonight?" Tifa blushed.

"What's up with you?" she asked, questioning his sudden change in attitude. He shrugged and went to make reservations.

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Author: Duh duh duh! (evil theme music) If you want to know where Vincent is taking her for dinner, then you'll just have to read......THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!! lol. I know it's not that suspenseful, but I thought it was funny that instead of my regular cliffhanger, I made Vincent go for the phone. *goes into reporter mode* And in this weeks headlines: 'Man begins deadly journey to behind the bar. What dangers lay ahead for him? Stools? Ice chips? Only time will tell. Tune in next chapter for Vincent's Perilous Phone Call!

Readers: Oooooooh ahhhhhhhh.

Author: Back to you Dave.

Dave: On a lighter note: Martha Stewart has been convicted of smuggling cotton from third world countries, causing the ban of all tea towels in most common households. It is a sad, sad day in bathrooms, worldwide. Now what will we dry our hands on after washing them?! Experts believe this will lead to the death of all mankind. There have also been rumors circulating that underground up rises of cats have been preparing to snatch control once we are gone. Back to you Author.

Author: Thanks Dave. Hey! I wanna go out for dinner with Vincent! Stupid Tifa, stealing all the hot guys. Damn her. *sniffles* He never asked me.......

Vincent: *hides in coffin*

Sephiroth: Hey! I'm hot!

Author: Shut up. You don't count. You're already my sex slave........I mean......*ahem*

Sephiroth: Oh......right. *goes back into living room*

Chelsey: *appears and smiles happily* Hello. I'll take you out for dinner! How about White Spot? 6:30pm tonight! Okay?

Author: *smiles* Okay, but only if you disappear now.

Chelsey: See ya! *disappears*

Author: I hope you all liked that chapter. The next one has LOTS of fluff. I should put a warning on: Danger: Fluff (those with repulsions towards any romantic activity, do not read!) lol. It's really cute though. I loved writing it. DAMN THEM! KISS ALREADY! I can't stand it! Wait a minute.......I wrote it......didn't I? heh heh. *clears throat* Well thanks for reading. *huggles readers* Remember to review and please make it more then three words. *glares at two reviewers that had three word reviews* I will make the all mighty smiter smite you if you have less then ten words in your review. Heehee. I'm evil. Oh. And as for rules. You cannot write the same word ten times. lol. Sorry. That's what I would do just to spite the person and sorry to all of you who are saying, "Damn. She saw that one coming." :P See you all in awhile for the next chapter. I'll post as soon as I can. *leaves quickly in direction of living room with disturbingly happy smile on her face*

Random lacrosse ball: Don't forget to brush your teeth before reviewing! Mmmmmm cake is good. (Yes, the lacrosse ball is high. lol)

Dave: This just in! I take you all to the small town of Head smashed in buffalo jump, where thousands witnessed a horrifying event first hand. Today, enraged Canadian Kingdom Hearts players attacked Disneyland for revenge on Donald Duck. Cries of, "you're a crappy fighter!" and, "you made me die, you wimp," and, "get the hell out of the way you stupid cops," and let's not forget, "Ansem you pansy, STOP BLOCKING!", could be heard for miles. But then disaster struck! Somewhere in the vicinity of Claytonbury, a missile was launched, destroying all brave enough to remain inside Walt Disney's gates. *clears throat and looks down at desk with fake 'what a truly tragic event look' on his face* A truly tragic event. *smiles brightly* On a lighter note: today is 75 cent hamburger day at MacDonalds. Enjoy! :D *insane people with pointy objects glare threatingly at him* Oh......right........And don't forget to review this story.

(still Dave talking) *whispers into camera* Help me! Someone! Anyone! I'm being held here against my will! If you can hear this message then please.......... *story turns to white fuzz as insane person pulls plug*

Story: *flickers back to life*

Author: *looks up from couch and Sephiroth underneath her* *brushes back hair from her face* Okay people. The story is actually over now. For those of you who are still reading you either have no lives, or are very very very patient. Or you might be insane like me. Anyhow, go now. *shoes readers* No seriously! Stop reading! Go away! Araghh! I'm a little busy here! GET OUT! *sighs*

Sephiroth: *pulls her back to him*

Author: No! Sephiroth! Not while the readers are watching! *smiles innocently* See ya. *clicks off light in story* *your computer screens goes black and you feel a compelling urge to go and read the rest of the stories that 'Dumber then a Moogle ass' wrote*