"I'm impressed that you took a lot of time in these cases, Cloud." Angeal analyzes the notes that were in front of him that Cloud gave to him that morning. He sips his black coffee and reviews the notes over again, nodding in approval at certain lines. He appreciates Cloud's dedication, but now this makes things harder on the department. Instead of a serial killer, there are multiple murders occurring in Midgar.

"We'll have to up our patrol and investigate any suspicious activity." Angeal continued. "But that's for us to worry about. You've done your part. Go and take that two-week vacation with your lovely Aeris. I'm sure she's dying to get you away from here."

Cloud straightens his posture. "So, you know about that?"

"Yes." Angeal replied as he slowly directs his vision to Cloud, who now seems a little uncomfortable. Fornicating with employees is completely against company policy. If the situation should ever arise, Angeal would completely deny any allegations. Cloud is one of the best detectives in homicide, and Angeal would hate to see him go over something that's not worth getting worked up over.

"I see the way you look at her, and how you interact with one another when you think no one is looking. Don't worry; your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks Captain." Cloud really appreciates his support.

Angeal nods and motions for Cloud to leave his office. Cloud nods in response and left Angeal's office. Maybe a two week vacation is just what Cloud needs.

Genesis violently drummed his fingers on his desk as he waits for Elena to answer her phone. He couldn't believe Elena was so careless last night. He really wanted to emit the dark, sexual demon that was inside him last night, but she had to ruin it for him. Never, in all his years of dark, foul play, have Genesis been a part of a failed attempt.

"What the hell happened!?" Elena's voiced pierces Genesis's ears.

"Don't get loud with me, bitch." Genesis warns. "I should be asking you the same thing."

"Someone followed you."

"No, someone followed you!" He corrects.

Elena sucks her teeth and rolls her eyes. "It doesn't matter who was followed. I'm more concerned about that woman. She knows what we look like and our names."

Genesis grunts in agreement. Perhaps the two should stop acknowledging each other by names for future activities. "Where did you find her?"

"In Rocket Town at a coffee shop. We have to make a trip to Rocket Town and eliminate her."

"My thoughts exactly." Genesis agreed as he stood up from his chair. He glances outside to see his surroundings. Since the failed attempt last night, he's been experiencing paranoia.

"Let's discuss this some other time." She quickly wants to dismiss the matter from her mind. "I have better things in mind that we can talk about."

Genesis grinned at how sassy and seductive her voice became. "I don't think that's possible." He hears the small gasp on the other end. He denied her, and that rubbed her the wrong way. "You see Elena, I can't dismiss this mistake so easily as you can. I'll contact you when I'm ready to speak with you about that woman."

Before giving her a chance to respond, Genesis taps the 'End' icon on his phone.

The sunlight slowly beams through Vincent's bedroom. The sunlight adorns his hair and made it look more like a dark brown color. He slowly opens his eyes and rose slowly from his bed. He looks at the clock and it reads read 8:00. This is considered a sleep-in for Vincent. Usually he's up by 6:30 in the morning. He walks to his bathroom and did his morning shower. After his shower, he got dressed and heads down the hall towards the left to Yuffie's room. He knocks four times before ending his actions and waits for Yuffie to answer. He frowns when he didn't get a response. It wasn't like her to disappear without letting him know something. He walks back down the hall but this time, he passes his bedroom and descends down the stairs to the main room, where he cut through to head in the kitchen.

He notices a note posted on the fridge door when he began to open it.

Vince,

You looked so peaceful sleeping that I didn't want to disturb you. I'm going out to a coffee shop and to do some sight-seeing. You should get out as well and get some fresh air. If you have any problems, call me.

P.S. Call Sephiroth as soon as you can.

Love Yuffie

Vincent snatches the note from the fridge and threw it in the trash can beside it. He pours himself a glass of orange juice and also grabs a bagel and places it in the toaster. As the bagel began to toast in the toaster, her wondered when was the last time he had a peaceful breakfast. Sure, Yuffie would cook meals all the time, and they would often eat with each other, but his idea of a peaceful breakfast is a hot meal with a nice glass of orange juice and conversation, preferably none, filled with plans for that day or dinner later on if conversations were necessary. It irritates him to talk about a target every morning at breakfast. Since it has been a while since he has had the privilege of enjoying such an activity, he decides to put the phone call to Sephiroth on hold until after breakfast. After his breakfast, he went upstairs into his room and called Sephiroth.

"How's everything going?" Sephiroth spoke in his usual monotone, yet deadly-sounding voice. "Reno has informed me that his target is sexually connected to your target."

"That is correct." Vincent replied as he sits on his bed. "The three of us had been keeping contact with each other since we've discovered this information. Also, we caught them a couple of days ago trying to perform their evil actions on a poor woman."

Sephiroth listens to Vincent's details about what happened a couple of nights ago. Vincent also informs Sephiroth that someone else was there.

"Were you and Yuffie followed?"

"No, we weren't, at least we think we weren't. We took extra precautions. We arrived as soon as Genesis and Elena arrived but by foot. The car was parked on the side of the road about three minutes away from the location. During the walk, we didn't see anyone."

"Hmm…." Sephiroth thought for a moment. "Whoever was there, assuming the two of you weren't followed, must have been following Genesis and Elena. Be on your guard while you're in Nibelheim. I don't want your identities compromised. "

Vincent agrees and ends the conversation. He sighs heavily as he glances at his prized possessions, his father's gun and an old photograph of his father . His father smiled brightly and just looking at that picture always lifts Vincent's spirits whenever he looks at it. It amazes him how much he's changed over the years. The boy that was clinging to his father's side in the photograph is the same boy on the bed, only he's now a man who has changed drastically. Sighing heavily again, he got up from his bed and begins putting on his boots. Yuffie's right; fresh air will do him some good.

Tifa couldn't wait for the weekend to come. There's no work or school to disturb her from her much needed alone time. After what she had seen a couple of nights ago, she's been paranoid. Curiosity got the best of her and she'd seen something that she could never erase from her head. She thought about calling the police but what good would that do? She's sure the poor woman is too scared to testify in court and not to mention a terrible accusation like that have to be backed up with concrete evidence.

It's not what you know or saw, Tifa. It's what you can prove. Between work, school, and her Papa, Tifa could barely keep track of everything in her life as it is, but morally, what Tyler's father is doing is wrong, and he needs to be brought to justice, but how to do it? Shaking her head uncontrollably, she heads out the front door. She needs to breathe after what happened a few nights ago. She honestly wanted to look at some houses as well today. Don't get her wrong, she loves her Papa with every fiber in her body, but she's a 22 year-old woman who still lives with her father. She's more than financially stable to live on her own. Ever since her mother's passing, she felt like it's an obligation to live with her father because who would be there whenever he would get sick or hungry? The idea of moving out is appealing to her, but to see the disappointed look on her Papa's face is something she's not looking forward to. Her brows furrowed as she realizes that the mansion that's been abandoned for two years finally has the 'For Sale' sign taken out of the front yard.

Someone finally bought that place huh? I wonder what it looks like inside. The home had endured a complete remodel since the last tenants occupied the mansion. They were a bunch of rich snobs that Tifa didn't really associate with. She hopes the new neighbors were at least kind. Pushing the derogatory thoughts from her mind, she continued to walk up the road. Minutes later she's in the market strip. She grabs a few fruits and vegetables for snacks and dinner. She saw an empty bench nearby and decided to rest there after making her purchases.

Over the years, Nibelheim has been attracting more life and people over the years. She noticed that there were a lot of unfamiliar faces in town. In a town like Nibelheim, everyone knows everyone, or at least seen everyone. She figures people were tired of the city life and decided to take a more peaceful route. Tifa grabs an apple from the brown bag where the rest of the fruit were in. She was so busy in her own thoughts that she didn't realize that more people began to gather around the area. She notices a tall, slender man with long raven locks standing around looking for a spot to sit at.

She figured it would be the kind thing to do and offer him a seat next to her since all the other benches were occupied. She got up and began approaching the man, swallowing apple chunks in the process.

"Excuses me sir?"

The man whips around and saw Tifa smiling at him. For a split second, Tifa knew she had seen the man before. Vincent stares back at her, realizing it was the young lady at the restaurant he and Yuffie went to on their first day moving to Nibelheim.

"Yes?" Vincent spoke.

His voice is monotone and deep but it sends involuntary shivers through Tifa's spine. Never has she been so close to a person that would seem so repulsive to others. His crimson-red eyes glistens brightly against the sunlight. For a moment, she didn't have anything to say.

Vincent slightly glares at the young woman. She interrupted him from his search for somewhere to sit just to stare at him. He looks at his reflection in her eyes and noticed why she's staring. He forgot his contacts. Vincent mentally curses himself for being so careless.

"…Um..." Tifa finally spoke up. "Were you looking for a seat? I have an available spot next to me if you want to sit down." Tifa points to her spot on the bench.

Vincent is skeptical but accepts the young woman's offer. Tifa and Vincent sits down on the bench and tilted the bag full of fruit towards Vincent. "It's not much but it's healthy."

Vincent took a peek inside the bag and sees a peach. He garbs it and takes a huge bite from it. "Thank you."

Tifa nods and continues to eat her apple. For minutes, all that's shared between the two were the constant noises of teeth chewing fruit. As the minutes ticked by, more people were coming and going through the market area.

"Wow. Nibelheim has attracted a lot of people in the recent years." Tifa spoke as she observes a family of four picking out vegetables.

"The produce seems fresh here." Vincent replies.

"Oh yes it is, but I mean in general. Before we know it, Nibelheim is going to be a city." Tifa pauses to toss her apple core in a nearby trash bin. "I hope not. I like a quiet, peaceful town."

Vincent listener carefully to the woman. She seems like a bright woman who has been here her entire life. He threw away his peach pit and turns his attention back to Tifa. "Have you been here since you were born?"

"Yep." She smiles heartily at Vincent. Her smile is beautiful and her cheerful nature made Vincent more relaxed in having a conversation with her. "I couldn't have asked for a better place to be born and raised in."

Her smile slightly fades as she took a closer look at Vincent. She could tell he's Wutainese, and being born in Wutai is a hardship for a lot of people since the war between Wutai and Midgar. She knew that Wutainese people were dangerous and protective of themselves. Vincent notices her sudden change in mood, and how the young woman starts to gnaw at her bottom lip. She wants to ask him, but she's afraid that she may anger him.

"Um…..what was it like in Wutai?"

"Hn…" Vincent isn't too surprised that she picked up on his culture. "I'm not sure." He replies honestly. "I haven't been in years."

"I see. Well….maybe one day things will get better there."

Vincent simply nods and Tifa remained quiet, unsure of what to say next. She didn't mean to offend the man nor bring back horrible memories. "I'm sorry, sir."

Vincent shook his head. "There's no need to apologize." He gets up from the bench. "Thank you for the peach."

Tifa smiles happily and gets up from the bench as well. "No problem. I'm Tifa." She extends her hand for Vincent to shake.

"Alex." Vincent replies back and took her hand.

"Is it really Alex or is that short for Alexander?" Tifa teases but she's also a bit curious.

"The latter."

They release each other's hand and Vincent wished her a good day and walks in the opposite direction, leaving Tifa behind to wonder about the mysterious man she just introduced herself to.

Four o'clock in the afternoon and not a word from Vincent. Yuffie assumes he's doing fine, and listened to her advice. She places her phone back in her bag and waves the bartender down to order a drink.

"May I have a glass of cranberry juice with three shots tequila please?" She presents her I.D. so the bartender didn't have to ask. The man nods and walks away to prepare her drink. While the bartender is making her drink, Yuffie took the time out to scan the area. It's a nice place for younger people to hangout. She was informed by a local that there's a curfew for the younger people so the older crowd can come and have a drink. The bar doesn't make as much money when the younger crowd is around.

"Hey there, Reeve!" The bartender yells over to a man with a tall, slender figure and short raven hair. He reminds Yuffie of Vincent a little, only this man appeared to be a little older than him and also had facial hair.

Reeve nods in acknowledgement to Yuffie's presence and orders himself a drink.

"I haven't seen you around before." Reeve spoke as he took a handful of peanuts from the table and began to crack the shells.

"Neither have I." Yuffie replies as she gives Reeve her undivided attention.

"Defensive and feisty, I see."

"Maybe."

The bartender comes back with their drinks. Yuffie took a hard swig of her drink, her eyes never leaving Reeve's face. A smile tugs at the corner of his lips but he didn't dare let it show.

"How long have you been in town?"

"A couple of days." Yuffie thought more into her answer. "Maybe a week. I don't keep up with the days anymore."

"I see." Reeve replied as he gave his drink a slight swirl before taking another swig of it. "Where's your husband?"

The typical Wutainese stereotype. Yuffie thought. Wutainese women are known for being their husbands' shadow and there's no such thing as a divorce. In Wutai, women are taught to marry for the rest of their lives and overcome any problem that should arise in the marriage. Men are taught to be men; bring home the money so food can be put on the table and clothes could be put on their family's backs. It's an old-fashioned way of life, but in today's ages, it's looked down upon.

"He's running some errands." Yuffie simply states, not bothering to hide the mirth in her tone.

"And he trusts you to be out here by yourself?" Reeve quirks his eyebrow, playing along.

"Of course. He trusts me to do right by him, which I do."

Yuffie studies the expression Reeve gives her. It's filled with curiosity. She knew he isn't buying her story, but mind games were Yuffie's forte. Reeve simply smiles and cracked another peanut shell and ate the contents.

"We got off on the wrong foot. How about we try this again?"

Yuffie nods and took another swig of her drink. "I agree. My name is Naomi."

Reeve accepts her extended hand. "I'm Reeve Tuesti. Forgive me for prying a few seconds ago."

"Apology accepted, though, I enjoyed your attempts."

The two of them laughs and continued to converse with one another. Yuffie learns that Reeve is well known in the area and that he had been raised here his entire life. He explains to her that the town is slowly growing, which is good for local businesses. It also gave the town a chance to expand in a way. Reeve learned that Yuffie is indeed a Wutainese woman but didn't pry about her culture. People from Wutai take offense in being asked about Wutai. From what Reeve gathered from Yuffie's words, it's a war zone. Many people lost their lives and families because of the war, and in Reeve's opinion, Yuffie is no exception. He also told her about him being the sheriff in Nibelheim.

"A little town like this has crime?" Yuffie asks in a fake, appalled tone.

Reeve laughs. "Petty crimes such as stealing from the market and public indiscretions is all that really occurs in Nibelheim. Nothing serious. Most of the action in my life comes from Rocket Town."

Yuffie furrows her brows together. "Is Rocket Town low on people in the force?"

"Sort of. They experience more crimes than Nibelheim so I visit Rocket Town frequently to help out with major things over there such as homicides."

Yuffie nods. She grabbed a peanut, cracked the shell, and ate the nut. She swallowed before continuing the conversation. "Is it scary working in homicide?"

Reeve shook his head. "Not really. I went to school to major in the field specifically for homicide, well, not exactly."

"Something like forensic science that kind of helped you out?" Yuffie guesses.

Reeve couldn't help but smile at this woman. "Naomi, for a woman so young such as yourself, you know a lot."

"I have life, school, my father, and 'the husband' to thank for my vast knowledge."

Reeve couldn't help but to laugh out loud, and Yuffie couldn't help it either. They were both having an engaging conversation with each other, neither knew when was the last time they have had this much fun when it came to having a conversation with someone. The bartender came back but waited for the laughter to cease.

"Hey Joel, give me another round of the usual, and whatever she's having." Reeve motions towards Yuffie.

"A glass of cranberry juice but instead of three shots of tequila, make it four."

Joel nods and left to make the drinks. Reeve's eyes were wide at Yuffie's request. He looks at his watch and saw that it read 5:30 p.m.

"Tequila this early? I'm scared of you."

Yuffie giggles. "I'm not an ordinary woman."

"I can see that." Reeve agrees.

Their eyes locked on each other for a split second and moments later, they continued their conversation.

Vincent settles for a turkey-croissant sandwich since Yuffie isn't around to cook anything exquisite. He really isn't hungry to begin with anyways. He just needs on something light on his stomach before bed so he wouldn't wake up in the middle of the night with an empty stomach. It's now eight in the evening, and Vincent starts to worry. It isn't like Yuffie to not check in on Vincent, or shoot him a text asking him how his day has been going. As soon as he reaches out for his phone, Yuffie walks through the door. Vincent stares at the entrance, waiting for Yuffie's slender form to emerge in front of him. She has a bright smile on her face as she places a plastic bag on the counter a few feet from Vincent.

"I see my 'husband' has made himself a sandwich. Tell me dear husband, are you mad at your wife for not having a hot, home-cooked meal waiting for you?"

Vincent just stares at Yuffie, and that causes her to burst into giggles. Vincent already knew she has been drinking a little.

"Who did you meet?" Whenever Yuffie calls Vincent her husband, he knew someone ran the typical Wutainese stereotype on her.

"A guy named Reeve." Yuffie finally answered after her giggles subsided. "I had a very good conversation with him. I also learned a lot about Nibelheim." Her tone is filled with mirth but it's in a more serious tone so Vincent would take her seriously.

"What did you tell him your name was?"

Yuffie frowns at Vincent's serious tone. "Calm down. I told him Naomi. You know that's the usual name I give people upon meeting them."

Vincent nods and continues to eat his sandwich. Yuffie gets up and went to the cupboards and grabs a saucer and a paring knife. She sits back down near Vincent, and pulls out a peach and begins peeling the skin off with the knife.

"Did you visit the market place?" Vincent asked when he saw the peach.

"Yeah. I was in the mood for a little snack so Reeve showed me the market place before I headed home. Did you stop by there as well?"

"Earlier today, yes." Vincent grabs the first piece of skin that fell on Yuffie's saucer and ate it. He didn't understand Yuffie sometimes. She wouldn't eat a peach's skin, but she would eat an apple's skin. She's a weird woman like that and has been for as long as Vincent knew her.

"Reeve told me that there are usually a lot of people there during the morning."

"That's correct. A woman offered an empty seat for me to sit down."

Wait? What? Vincent thought. He knew he opened his mouth too soon because, as he expected, Yuffie is giving him her famous 'Tell me all the details' look. Vincent sighs and explains the encounter he had had with Tifa.

"You told her your name is Alex and then clarified it's short for Alexander!?"

"Don't jump to conclusions, Yuffie." Vincent moans. He's definitely regretting he volunteered the tidbit to his nosey platonic sister. "I was simply making conversation with the woman. After all, it's only right to return the kindness that she had given me."

"Uh huh. Suuuuuure. I totally believe you." Her laughter echoed through the kitchen when Vincent glares at her. "Anyways, enough teasing you, I got some information on the case."

Vincent's glare drops, and that made Yuffie smile. "I knew that would ease you. Well, the night that we stopped Genesis and Elena, I managed to get the survivor's name. Her name is Amanda Gainsborough and she resides in Rocket Town. We need to keep a close eye on her. We don't want any unnecessary bloodshed. Also, we need to call Reno first thing tomorrow morning. "

Vincent agrees. "We should make a quick trip there tomorrow to make sure everything is fine."

"I couldn't agree with you more."

For the rest of their time spent at the counter, they ate in silence. Once they were done, Yuffie cleaned up behind them and they both went upstairs to their respective rooms. Yuffie's eyes wide awake, almond eyes staring at the ceiling thinking about Reeve. How is it possible that a man like Reeve was able to make her feel more 'human' in just one encounter? How could he make her forget about him so easily? Yuffie often reserved her heart for that special someone she has known for a good portion of her life, but as life went on, so did his emotions, or at least that's what Yuffie thinks. They never had a one on one conversation with one another about the topic. How could she make assumptions without having all the facts? She rolls over and closes her eyes shut, allowing unanswered questions about Reeve swim through her mind.

Vincent, just like Yuffie, found it difficult to sleep. He wonders why Tifa has shot an instant spark within him. In all his years of living, no woman has ever made him feel that way. Sure, he has attracted his fair share of women, even had a few flings, but Tifa's different. The way she carried herself and her smile. It was all intoxicating to the raven haired man. The way he's able to ease into a conversation with her is new as well. Usually he would struggle to keep a conversation going, but with Tifa he did it with such ease he almost forgot about his want of not talking to strangers. Surely it's because she was being nice, and it was only fair to return the gesture, right? Keep telling yourself that, Valentine. Vincent sighs loudly as he rolls over.

"It was simply a common conversation with the woman. Nothing more, nothing less."