Author's Note: So I know I said I was going to wait before I started working on this story again, but I was bored at work and when I read over it I realized that I had almost a full chapter that I've been sitting on for years, it just needed the last section to be written *facepalm* I've decided to stop having the song lyrics at the beginning and end of the chapters, if I had followed my pattern with it, the story would have needed to be finished in 10 chapters total, and there's no way that is going to happen now. My original plan was to finish this one, then write a third to complete the series, which would have focused more on Zack and Aerith. Right now I'm leaning towards staying with two stories and keeping the focus on Vincent and Yuffie. Zack/Aerith is one of my favorite pairings of all time (which anyone can tell from the huge poster of them hanging in my living room, lol) but right now I'm finding some big parallels in my life to the Vincent/Yuffie pairing, so it's got me a little more inspired.

Alright my peeps, I'm going to do something I don't normally do and explain a little bit of what's going on in my personal life, hopefully so that you understand why I haven't written in so long and why my updates might not be too regular still. I deal with a lot of anxiety and depression, and right now I'm dealing with some things that have caused those issues to affect me more strongly than they would normally. Finishing up this chapter has helped me calm down today, so I have a feeling I'm going to keep writing tomorrow in the hopes that it keeps my mind off the things I'm dealing with. However, my concentration is spotty at best, and I'm worried that I'm going to ruin the quality of this story. Like I've said before, this is one of my favorite things that I've ever written, and the story means a lot to me for many reasons. Please please please leave me reviews, comments, thoughts, constructive criticism. It makes me feel like writing more when I know I have people who are looking forward to what happens next.

You've all lucked out on this one, because this is literally the only story that I remember what I had planned without having to hunt for my notes. Doesn't mean what I had planned is going to happen... but it leaves me feeling a little more confident in what I'm doing because I'm not scrambling to find the purpose of the story.

Now that I'm finally done rambling, enjoy Chapter 6. It's long overdue.

Rosettast: Your wait is temporarily over! Now I just have to keep writing *grimaces*

tintinabar7: Thank you, I want to see them have a happy ending too, but we'll have to wait and see if the story cooperates, haha

Chapter 6

Vincent stood in the front hall of the Manor, studying the tracks in the dust that showed him Yuffie's path when she had entered the Manor shortly before. It seemed that she had spun in circles a few times before climbing the stairs, which didn't surprise him. She would always dance around the front hall, pirouetting with an almost-grace that only she possessed, as she looked around their home and tried to find anything out of place. Vincent had no doubt that she had taken the few seconds to examine everything without thinking about it, and that made him relax a tiny bit. It wasn't much, but it was familiar, and familiarity was something that he sorely missed right now. But Yuffie had been patient with him, waiting as long as she could bear for him to come to his senses when it came to her, and he could wait just as long (well, honestly he could wait longer, patience was more his strength than hers) as she had for her to remember what had passed between them.

Looking around the room again, the state of disrepair struck him full force, and with a sharp inhale he ran up the stairs and started throwing curtains back and flinging windows open left and right. It didn't take long for him to open the entire house, and when he was finished he turned his attention to the layers of dirt that had built up over two years of near abandonment. The cobwebs swinging freely from the chandelier were the first to go, then the dirt covering the floor of the front and side halls was swept angrily out the door. A glance into the kitchen was enough to make him want to run and never look back (there was no reason it should look that bad, it had been two years, not two centuries) so he turned his attention elsewhere for the time being.

A breeze was making its way in through the open windows, carrying out the musty scent that had permeated the building and replacing it with fresh mountain air. However, it also stirred up the dust, making odd figures twirl through the air. Somehow it reminded him of Yuffie, and that stirred up his thoughts in much the same way as the breeze had the dust. I need to talk to her, he thought as he carried a bucket full of soapy water and cleaning rags to the front hall, I can't let her keep avoiding me. Why is it suddenly so difficult to tell her… Vincent gritted his teeth slightly as he scrubbed at the remaining dirt in the front hall. I know how I feel. She's made it abundantly clear how she feels. He stopped for a moment. Unless she's changed her mind…

As the idea took over more of his thinking, making him suddenly doubt everything he had been sure of over the past two years, a brief memory of Yuffie standing nose-to-nose with him in Seventh Heaven demanding that he stop thinking depressing thoughts and start living life was enough to clear his head. If there was one thing he could be certain of, it was that Yuffie did not change her mind once she set her heart on something.

With a deep sigh, Vincent returned to scrubbing. For the following hour, he allowed his mind to wander as he cleaned all traces of dirt from the front hall. He had removed his cloak, stashing it in Yuffie's room to keep it safe from the filth of the rest of the house (and wouldn't that cause questions, Yuffie's room had always been the dirtiest place in the building, now it was practically a shrine in comparison to the rest) and tying his hair back. Cleaning had an almost therapeutic effect on him, and by the time he finished the front hall he was ready to face his dilemma again.

I know what I want to say, I just never found the right way to say it…

It had been just over a year that Yuffie (and the others, don't forget them) had been missing. Vincent found himself within easy walking distance of the Shinra Manor and decided that a brief stay would not be a terrible idea. He trudged up to the front door, a year's worth of sorrow and depression weighing him down. He ignored the way that dust trailed after him through the house until he reached her room.

A brief run with a duster returned Yuffie's room to order, and Vincent settled into the chair in the corner, closing his eyes against the pain he felt from being here. It wasn't right that he could walk into this room uninvited and not be yelled at. It wasn't right that this house, once so full of light and joy had returned to its previous state of ruin so quickly after she was gone ( and wasn't that ironic, he had often considered the Manor a metaphor for himself).

Could all of it have been prevented? Maybe … if he had just spoken that night, instead of staying silent and letting her leave? But what to say? That was the problem. He could barely tell himself how he felt. Perhaps it is time to change that, he opened his eyes a crack. Then, I will be able to tell her, when I find her…

"Yuffie…" he breathed her name in a whisper, determined to do at least one thing right for his ninja.

He spent the rest of the night finding the exact words that he wanted to say when he was given the chance.

He had memorized his speech, planned every detail that he possibly could to make it perfect. Yuffie deserved that much. Now he just had to find the perfect opportunity to talk to her, which, if he was optimistic, might happen while they were still alive. Who was he kidding? This was Yuffie, there were never any perfect moments, she ruined them with conversations about zombie apocalypses and other ridiculous ideas.

Vincent stood and stretched, looking over the front hall with a critical eye. Good enough for the moment, he thought with a nod, his eyes drifting toward the horror that was the kitchen. You'll have to face it sometime, he chided himself, and moved the bucket to the hallway leading to the kitchen. He hadn't been at it for very long when he heard footsteps in the front hall. Tifa must have arrived, Yuffie would not have left her post otherwise, no matter how much she complains. Her footsteps came closer, barely making a sound, and stopped a few feet behind him. He could practically hear her wondering if she would be able to scare him, and decided to put a stop to whatever she was planning before it began.

Reaching into the bucket for another rag, he tossed it at her without looking and pointed down the hallway. "Start over there." Yuffie's sharp inhale warned him that she was about to start complaining. "Unless you would rather be bored while you wait for me to finish." He wasn't sure what she would do since both of her choices were things she hated, however, he was not quite ready to talk to her.

"I hate cleaning," Yuffie grumbled as she grabbed the rag and attacked the floor, scrubbing so hard that Vincent worried she might take the finish off of the boards.

Several minutes passed in silence, and Vincent kept himself angled away from Yuffie to avoid the questions that he knew she would have. Her presence stirred up his thoughts again and he was afraid that he would say something she was not ready to hear.

"How did this place get so dirty, anyway? You used to freak out if I tracked a little mud inside, and this is way worse." Yuffie had apparently had enough of the silence.

Vincent sat back on his heels and stretched. He knew what she was doing, trying to fill the silence, or make him do it for her, either one would satisfy her. "It is what happens when a house sits empty for two years, especially in a place such as Nibelheim." He would never admit to her that the amount of dirt baffled him as well.

"Wait a sec!" she turned to fully face him. "You mean you haven't stayed here at all in two years?" He shrugged and went back to cleaning. Does she think that I would have continued on as though nothing was wrong after she disappeared? "Where have you been, then?"

"I've been busy, Yuffie." He kept his tone light and still didn't look at her.

"Busy with what?" she demanded, throwing her rag at the bucket and sending up a splash of dirty water that soaked his shirt sleeve. At that he did turn and look at her, one eyebrow raised and mouth set in a firm line. "Oh…" she bit her lip and looked away. "But still, you didn't come home at all for two years?" And there's the question. She's being more tactful than I expected. Still, he knew that she was thinking of her clean room and wondering if he would admit to anything.

"I stayed a few times when I was passing through the area," Vincent chose his words carefully, not wanting to give her anything else to question at the moment, "but never long." Besides, it wasn't home without you here. He started scrubbing at the floor with renewed energy in the hope that she wouldn't catch the fact that he had spoken his last thought out loud.

"What was that?" Yuffie leaned closer to him. "I didn't catch that last part."

Vincent stat back on his heels again, his shoulders tensed. He looked up at the ceiling as he wondered why he thought he would be able to tell Yuffie anything about how he felt without it being exceptionally difficult. She wouldn't leave him alone now until he repeated himself.

Slowly, almost as if the words caused him physical pain, he said, "It was not home without you here." Yuffie was completely silent, and just as he was about to turn around and look at her, she tackled him from behind with a bear hug and laughed. The sound was enough to make him fully relax.

"I missed you, too, VinVin! Even if I didn't remember you most of the time! But don't worry, I definitely remember you now!" And that was all that mattered, wasn't it? Everything is going to be all right, he thought as Yuffie hugged him tighter.

The rest of the day was spent returning select rooms of the Manor to inhabitable conditions. Yuffie was surprisingly cooperative, which reminded Vincent that although she seemed to have bounced back to her old self, she had been through a lot in the brief time since she had returned, and he still had no idea where she had been or what had happened for the past two years. Every now and then he would catch her glancing at him with the expression that usually meant she had something to say, but she remained silent.

During their initial cleaning of the kitchen (initial because it would take at least three more extensive cleanings to make the place acceptable), Vincent tried to engage Yuffie in conversation. They had been working in companionable silence for the most part, but Vincent knew there was something on Yuffie's mind. He was shocked when she gave simple answers and didn't seem eager to talk. After the brief exchange that had eased the tension between them, Yuffie's uncharacteristic silence made Vincent worry.

"Yuffie…" Vincent trailed off when he realized that the ninja hadn't reacted to him calling her name at all. In fact, it appeared that she had fallen asleep half leaning on the counter while she had been cleaning it. Of course she would be tired, Vincent berated himself, she has spent the past night and a good portion of the day traveling. What was I thinking, making her help me clean when she should be resting. He set aside the sponge he had been using and moved to lift her from the counter. She cannot possibly be comfortable like this. The twisted position that Yuffie had ended up in made it more difficult than Vincent expected to move her. Once he managed to pick her up, Yuffie seemed to settle into his arms with an almost imperceptible sigh. It didn't take long to carry her to her room and settle her under the covers of her bed, but when he went to leave he found that she had a firm hold on his shirt.

"Mmm… Vinnie, don't go…" she mumbled without opening her eyes.

Vincent cringed slightly as he pulled away from her. "Sleep, Yuffie. I will not be far away." With that promise he slipped into the hallway, leaving her door open just enough so that he could hear if she called for him. He decided it would be best to leave the kitchen alone for the time being and work on the upstairs rooms. The sun was on the verge of setting, and while he didn't feel tired just yet, he knew that he would be ready to relax in his own room after two years of constantly changing locations. With that thought, he quickly cleaned out the main hallways on the second floor and moved on to his bedroom, which took more time than he hoped.

When he was almost finished, he heard someone knock on the front door. A quick peek into Yuffie's room showed her fast asleep, so he closed the door fully and descended to the first floor.

He opened the front door to find an exhausted but smiling Tifa. Standing to the side, he gestured for her to enter and closed the door behind her. "Tifa, it is good to see you. How is Cloud?"

Tifa's smile dimmed at his question, and Vincent wondered if he should have checked on her earlier in the day instead of closing himself off with Yuffie like the rest of the world didn't exist. "Cloud is … alive," Tifa said, with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "confused, but alive."

"Confusion is understandable, given the circumstances," Vincent inclined his head, hoping that Tifa would see his question without him having to ask it.

"Where's Yuffie?" she asked, walking farther into the Manor. Apparently my attempts at subtlety are not going to help in this. It is unclear whether she is dodging me or if she truly missed my point. Tifa would be the best of his missing friends to explain what had happened and where they had been, especially now that she would be able to focus on something other than searching for Cloud, an activity that she had nearly perfected over the years, but one that required her complete attention.

"Yuffie is sleeping upstairs. I thought it best not to wake her," he led Tifa to the kitchen where they sat at the table and studied one another briefly. "Tifa, it is good to see you, but I suspect you've come here with more problems to solve."

"More questions than answers, you mean?" She grinned wryly at this. "You're probably right. I talked to Reeve before I came here. He asked where I've been for the past two years, and honestly, I'm not sure." Vincent raised an eyebrow at this. "It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?" Tifa hung her head, smile completely gone now. "Sometimes, I can remember a little bit, friends' faces, traveling around, fighting against something… I don't know," she shrugged, "it's like, the longer I'm home, the less I can remember about what happened while I was gone. I know you want to know what happened, but I can't tell you. I wish I could." Tifa straightened and looking him in the eye. "One of us has to remember. If it's not me, maybe Yuffie. Or … Cloud," she said his name softly, her eyes losing focus.

"Tifa," Vincent felt a growing concern for his friends, "what is wrong with Cloud? He reacted very badly when the others went to see him earlier."

Tifa shook her head. "To be fair, I doubt I would have reacted well if two of my dead friends decided to drop by for a visit," she played absently with a strand of her hair while she thought about this. "It's just another piece of the puzzle, and none of it fits together."

"Tifa?" Vincent called her attention back to him. "About Cloud?"

"Cloud is confused, more so than the rest of us, I think," she finally answered. "He seems to still have some memories of where we've been, but from what I can tell they're jumbled. I think it feels too much like when he had Zack's memories before. When he was forced to confront the fact that he had been living as someone else, he fell apart mentally. He's displaying similar reactions now. Whatever happened, it's left him in a state of shock. Reeve is sending Cid to pick us up in the morning. We're hoping that a controlled environment in WRO headquarters will make it easier for Cloud to recover." Tifa stood and walked towards the door, "You and Yuffie are welcome to join us."

"Thank you, Tifa," Vincent followed her to the front door, "but I think it would be best for us to remain here for the time being."

Tifa smiled, this time a genuine one, and nodded, "I thought you might say that. Still, never hurts to ask, right?" With that she said her goodbyes and started down the path to town. Vincent watched her for a few moments, then returned to his cleaning upstairs, reflecting on everything that she had said.

By the time he had finished cleaning his room, Vincent was still trying to wrap his head around the idea that Tifa did not know what had happened. He had been counting on her sensible version of events to clarify whatever tales he heard from Yuffie, but now he wasn't sure if Yuffie would know anything about it either. He grudgingly admitted to himself that he wouldn't be able to solve anything that night, so after one last check to be sure that Yuffie was still sleeping soundly, he changed for bed and settle down to sleep.

He'd barely drifted off when he heard door hinges squeak. Before he could react something jumped onto his bed, dove beneath the covers, and burrowed into his side.

"Yuffie, what are you-"

"Shut up, Vince. It's cold in my room and I'm lonely. Go to sleep."

Vincent stared at the ceiling with a sigh. Yuffie had already returned to the land of the unconscious, based on the light snoring that he heard beside him, so there really was no point arguing. He shifted into a more comfortable position, allowing the young ninja to snuggle closer, and fell asleep more quickly than he had in years.

Vincent woke slowly, feeling warm and comfortable. An odd weight on his chest kept him from moving, and it took him several minutes to realize that it was in fact Yuffie laying across him, and not just his imagination. Her face was buried in his chest and her limbs were tangled with his. He ran his hand softly through her hair and closed his eyes again as he heard her sigh.

"Mm… Vince," she murmured, pulling away so that she could look up at him, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Yuffie, go back to sleep," he pulled her back against him and wrapped his arms around her, sending up a silent prayer of thanks to all the gods for allowing him to have this moment.

They spent the entire morning and part of the afternoon curled together in Vincent's bed, and when Vincent finally decided that it was time to get up for what remained of the day, Yuffie's protests followed him down the stairs. Ignoring her wasn't easy, but he knew that it wouldn't be long before some of their friends began checking in on them and he wasn't ready to explain why he and the ninja were sharing a bed. Though at this point it was unlikely that anyone would question them.

Taking the time to slowly go through each room and make note of what was left to be done, Vincent found himself writing a list when he was interrupted by someone knocking on the front door. He was unsurprised to find Reeve on the other side, and raised one brow in silent question.

The commissioner shrugged in apology, "I thought I would check on you and Yuffie, since I was already in the area."

"Not much has changed since Tifa was here yesterday," Vincent answered with a hint of annoyance.

Reeve nodded, ignoring Vincent's irritation and giving him a smile. "Relax, Vincent, no one is going to take her from you. I have a feeling you and Yuffie are going to be inseparable for the next few weeks." Vincent forced himself to release the tension in his shoulders and nod at his friend. "I'll keep you updated on Cloud's condition."

"If we can help in any way…"

"We'll let you know immediately. For now, rest Vincent," Reeve gave him a meaningful look, "you've run yourself ragged. The hard part is over, our friends are back." With another smile, the commissioner turned and began the walk back to town.

Vincent sighed and closed the door. Yes, the hard part is over, he thought, smiling as he heard Yuffie bounding down the stairs behind him. Everything is going to be alright.

Of course, it wasn't long before they heard back from Zack and Aerith.