Chapter 3: Paine's Pain?

Paine glanced over at Rikku. "You shouldn't really pick on him till he gets to know you better Rikku."

Rikku looked at Paine then Vincent and nodded. "Sorry."

Yuna looked at the group and rubbed her chin. "Let me get this straight Paine you turned him and then he disappeared on you and now poof he's back?" Yuna's two tone eyes looked blankly into Paine's crimson ones.

Paine chuckled. "Something like that angel."

Rikku looked at everyone then flopped down on her butt. "Ah! You guys are making my head hurt!"

"Let's just say I stayed with Paine for a while but some things came up that needed to be taken care of." Vincent looked down at his gun and disassembled the weapon in an instant and began cleaning the tri-barreled weapon. "I regret leaving. Paine could have needed me and I wasn't there." The tormented gunner added.

"What did I tell you about being so hard on yourself!" Paine said smacking Vincent on the back of the head. "What happened wasn't your fault. I told you that. You agreed."

Yuna looked between the two then softly rubbed the spot Paine hit. "Don't be so hard on him."

Paine sighed. "Vinnie to live in the shadows of the past is to forsake the light of the future. You need to let the things go."

"You're right, I apologize. So let's catch up on old times shall we." Vincent said as he softly grabbed Yuna's hand and examined her and Rikku for a minute. He let Yuna go and walked over to his Master and placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a soft smile. "Let's just say I had some demon problems."

"Oh…so I'm a demon now!" Chaos said aloud for everyone to hear.

"That's Chaos…an annoyance beyond measure." Vincent said flapping his cloak.

Paine simply raised her left eyebrow. Yuna and Rikku giggled. "I think you hurt his feelings Vinnie." Paine said her eyebrow still raised.

"Yes, you are a demon. You told me so yourself." Vincent shrugged and looked around the room. "So why don't you fill me in on what happened to them? Did they ask to be turned or did you save them?

"It's a long story I'll tell you later...but right now I want to know where in the nine hells you ran off to? I didn't tell you that you could run off like that!" Paine demanded.

"OOH...pushy...is Dr. P actually showing concern!" Rikku teased.

"That's it! I warned you now you get hurt." Paine said getting up from her chair and chasing Rikku around the room.

Red XIII walked into the cabin and hid under the table to dodge Rikku and Paine running past him. He whimpered and went and sat next to Yuna and handed her a bag of glowing marbles. Yuna shook her head. "Red you know she'll want these back."

Red just looked up at her and chuckled then looked over at Vincent. "Bout time you showed up."

"I had some things to take care of." Vincent said looking down at Red XIII. Vincent looked down at the bag of materia. "Those aren't…" he was cut off by a hand pushing him aside. Vincent fell to the floor as Yuffie pounced oat Red XIII who jumped out of the way. Yuffie's head smashed into the wall as Red XIII ran away laughing.

"Gimme those!" Yuffie screamed as she took chase after Red. she stopped after a few steps realizing who she knocked over. "Vinnie are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I've been through worse." Vincent said taking Yuffie's hand as she helped him to his feet.

Yuffie blushed as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I didn't realize you were there." Yuffie said finally letting go of Vincent's claw.

Yuna shook her head. "Before you kill Red he gave them to me." Yuna held up the bag.

Before Yuffie could react Rikku grabbed the bag on her way by. "Thanks Yunie I can use these to...OOF!"

Paine dove and tackled Rikku. She tossed the bag back to Yuna and glared at Rikku. "I don't think so."

Rikku looked at Paine wide eyed. "Sorry..."

Vincent walked over and grabbed the bag from Yuna. "Now these I could use…especially after what Yuffie did last time with our materia."

"Hey I gave them back didn't I!" Yuffie said recalling their incident in Wutai.

"Yes but after that you constantly stole mine. I had to fight Ruby Weapon without any materia and spent a week in sick bay because I didn't have a barrier spell!" Vincent said towering over Yuffie.

"Hey but you're fine now…right!" Yuffie said dusting off Vincent's cloak before running off.

"She's more hyper then usual, what's up?" Rikku said as she tried to squirm out of Paine's hold.

"Hmm…not jealous are you Rikku?" Paine said tightening her grip on Rikku.

"No! Now lemme go!" Rikku said twisting and turning frantically. "Don't make me…"

Paine tightend the hold with her thighs. "Don't make you what?"

"This." Rikku said kissing Paine on the lips.

Paine's eyes got wide as she at first kissed the theif back then pulled away and looked at her. "What the hell...where did THAT come from?"

Yuna laughed. "She's had a crush for awhile huh Rikku."

"Rikku what are you doing?" Yuffie said blushing as she pulled Paine off of Rikku.

"Damn...Rikku...hey Yuna looks like you have some competition." Vincent chuckled.

"Hey she could join if she just asked." Yuna said giggling.

"Is Vinnie...laughing." Yuffie whispered under her breath.

Paine stood slowly. "Am I um hearing this right..." Paine looked at Yuna. "She's your blood cousin..."

"Never said I would touch her just that she could join."

Rikku looked at her cousin and blushed and then back at Yuffie and blushed more. "Yuffie..." Rikku whispered under her breath.

Paine looked over at Vincent. "What is so funny that actually got you to laugh Vin?"

"Is it strange that I can laugh at one of Rikku's secrets gettin out after she's been pestering me about mine." Vincent sat down next to Red XIII. "So how have things been around here lately?"

Paine chuckled. "No its not."

Red whimpered. "Crazy these vampires are psycho." A chuckle escaped Red's lips. "But when they aren't acting like infants its pretty quiet. What have you been up to?"

"I'd rather not say...it's not a happy story." Vincent looked at Red XIII and smiled. "...so what's so wrong with acting childish it's fun...sometimes."

Red huffed. "Much too much energy."

"You can say that again." Vincent said as Yuffie tried desperatly to get rid of all the energy building up inside her.

"Yuffie...in the name of Spira stop bouncing!" Paine screamed at the hyper active ninja.

"I can't help it I've just got all this energy since Vinnie turned me! I just can't get rid of it all." Yuffie screamed smacking her hands down in her lap.

Paine rubbed her temples and sighed. "Damn you Vinnie how the hell did you turn her?"

Yuna rubbed her lover's back. "Calm down ai."

"Same way you did, with these." Vincent said laughing, bearing his fangs as they grew to longer lengths. "It's a long story I'll tell you later...that is if it's okay with Yuffie."

"Yeah Vinnie it's okay. I want to be there with you when you tell them though." Yuffie said bouncing in her seat.

"If you keep bounceing I'm gonna toss you overboard..." Paine looked at the hyper ninja and sighed.

"OOOH Dr. P is touchy."

"Keep it up Rikku and you'll join her."

"Someone's a little pushy." Red XIII said laughing at Paine's comeback.

"I think she's serious Rikku watch out." Yuffie said jumping out of her chair and walking around the room.

Yuna put her hand on Paine's shoulder and sat her back down. "Um Yuffie if I were you I'd sit."

"Someone calm her down. I'm getting tired just watching her." Chaos said aloud.

Vincent walked over to Yuffie and wrapped his arms around her. "Stay down and trust me it's for your own good. Sorry." A green glow emitted from Vincent's claws as a sleep spell targeted Yuffie. "There...What the..." Almost as soon as she was asleep Yuffie was back on her feet.

"Hey what was that for." Yuffie said stretching.

"She's too hyper for a sleep spell!" Red XIII starred at the ninja amazed.

Paine cracked her knuckles. "I'll put her out..."

Yuffie squeaked and hide inside Vincent's cloak. "Don't hurt me. I'll calm down I promise." Yuffie screamed putting Vincent's cloak over her head.

"You better."

Yuna put a hand on Paine's shoulder. "Calm down babe."

Rikku looked at everyone then watched anther blonde walk in. "Hey Quistie bout time you joined us."

Quistis fixed her glasses. "Nice to see you too Rikku." Quistis looked at Vincent. "And you are?"

"A friend." Vincent said looking out the window of the airship. His eyes following random clouds until they disappeared from view.

"Aww…Vinnie why so depressed all of a sudden." Yuffie said throwing her arms around his neck, jumping.

"I'm not, I'm just enjoying the view." Vincent said turning his gaze from the window.

"Yeah right." Yuffie said jumping once again.

"Stop bouncing now." Paine said cracking her knuckles, walking towards Yuffie. Yuffie squeaked and ducked under the table.

"I'll handle this." Vincent said grabbing Yuffie by the back of her shirt. He picked her up and set her down on the chair next to him. "Just sit and talk no bouncing, if you move I'll let Paine tie you down."

Yuna laughed. "Yes, Paine is quit the bondage queen."

Paine blushed horribly. "I might be the bondage queen but Quistis has the dominatrix title cornerd. I mean she does have a whip."

It was Quistis's turn to blush. "Paine..."

Rikku ran up and tickled Yuffie's sides. "Tag your it!"

"Oh great." Vincente sighed as Yuffie jumped over his head and chased after Rikku.

"Surrender thief."

"Never Ninja." Rikku screamed as she slid jumped over a chair.

"You gonna stop 'em or you want me to do it?" Vincent said looking up at Paine.

"I will." Paine looked at Quistis. "Give me your whip." Quistis smirked and handed her chain whip to Paine. Paine walked away from them and cracked it once.

Rikku stopped dead and looked over her shoulder. "Yeowch."

Vincente and Red XIII's head snapped in Paine's direction, both of them slowly backed away.

"What was that for?" Rikku shouted.

Yuffie saw Paine holding the whip and immediatly sat down on the floor, hiding back laughter at Rikku's expence.

Paine looked at Rikku. "Never touched you with the whip so stop." Her gaze fell on Yuffie. "Now I see no reason for you tgo be laughing I cracked it to chill you out."

Quistis walked over and snagged her whip back. "Your worse thten me with this."

Yuna laughed. "Poor little ninja and theif got in trouble."

Garnet walked in and saw the group and scratched her head. "Ok what did I miss?"