A/N: I have decided that chocolate makes for excellent brain food. It feeds my muse rather well.

Chapter 2: Start the Races

"VINNIE!" Yuffie hollered up the stairs of Seventh Heaven, clutching her PHS in one hand and a large chocolate reindeer – minus one antler – in the other.

"Yes?" came a voice behind her, causing her to leap and spin, landing in a ready ninja crouch, before her brain caught up with her instincts and she relaxed under Vincent's curious look.

"Reeve called," she said, staring down at the chocolate reindeer, which was now crushed as she had attempted to make a fist. Frowning, she pocketed her PHS and gave it a careful prod. "He has a mission for us up in Icicle Village." The reindeer crumbled further under her poking, but she just grabbed some fragments and stuffed them in her mouth hungrily.

"...And?" Vincent prompted.

Yuffie looked up. "'N wut?" she mumbled around her mouthful of chocolate.

Vincent's right eyebrow raised a fraction of a degree.

"Mission specifics?"

Yuffie swallowed. "Just that we are to 'investigate suspected illicit activities'", she replied, making quotation marks with her free hand.

Vincent frowned.

"...Is that all he said?"

"Yup!" Yuffie said cheerfully. "Let's get a move on, shall we, Vin-Vin?"

The frown deepened. Yuffie resisted the urge to fidget. C'mon, Vinnie, just go with it.

"I'm going to call Reeve first, and get more details." Vincent stated.

"Vinniieee," Yuffie whined, "Reeve's always really busy, you prob'ly won't get a hold of him for hours. Besides," she said, pouting slightly, "doncha trust me to pass on a simple message?"

Vincent stared, forehead creasing ever so slightly.

"..Fine," he conceded. "Is Cid going to take us there?"

"Yep, unfortunately. Meet you down here in fifteen minutes!" Yuffie turned and sprinted up the steps to her own room, where she closed the door before leaning back against it and sliding down until she was sitting on the floor. She let loose a slow, long sigh that was laden with relief, before whistling to herself and pulling out a pad of paper and a pen.

"Convince Vinnie of Icicle Village mission," she read to herself. She grinned, and clicked her pen.

"Check." she stated satisfactorily, stroking out the line of writing. She thoughtfully looked over the rest of the list she had created, nodding to herself as she read, until she came to the end and gave a satisfied snort. "Genius, Yuffs, pure genius." She rose nimbly to her feet, and didn't stop smiling as she packed.

\/\/\/

Yuffie jumped the last few stairs, landing lightly, her knapsack strung over her shoulder. Vincent was already waiting, standing by the door, a small black duffle bag at his side.

"Ready Vinnie?" Yuffie asked him, barely containing an idiotic grin.

He just nodded.

"Move it then Broody, we got work to do!"

Without waiting for him, she strode out the front door. She didn't have time to waste after all – only twelve days remained for her to get spooned and get Vinnie shirtless.

Suspected illicit activities, she thought, and let out a guffaw.

"...Everything alright, Yuffie?" Vincent asked from behind her.

"Just dandy, Vinnie," she replied, not even turning around as she added, "C'mon Vin-Vin, places to go and sights to see! Let's mosey!"

Tifa clung to Cloud as they sped down the highway towards Junon, her cheek pressed against his back as she watched the scenery flicker past. She had managed to convince him that she really needed to visit Shera in Rocket Town, knowing he had a delivery in that direction. He had agreed without hesitation to take her, and they had set out early that morning. Despite their breathtaking speed, Tifa felt quite comfortable, enjoying the excuse to give Cloud what was basically a many hour-long hug. I wonder if Yuffie would count this as spooning? she wondered, but had a feeling her kleptomaniac friend would not think so. Her thoughts drifted to the plan she had come up with. It wasn't all that detailed, and what was specified was definitely more sneaky and deceiving than she cared for, but Yuffie had assured her it was all necessary evil. The ninja's glee while they were planning their nefarious schemes had been palpable.

Tifa, on the other hand, felt rather uneasy and off balance about the whole situation. She had always waited for Cloud, stood by him with an infinite patience, always ready to help should he ask for it. She had waited for him, waited when he went to join SOLDIER, waited when he had eyes only for Aerith, waited while he came to terms with himself, and waited while he drowned in memories. Oh, how long she had waited.

That's not to say it was easy. Far from it. Sometimes it took all her self-control to stop from hitting him and yelling I'm right here! I always have been! But that was not Tifa's way; no, she would sit, and wait.

Not anymore, she thought with a wry grin, slightly amazed that she had even gone this far. She had just needed that push, and Yuffie had gladly kicked her in the ass, laughing all the while. Tifa's smile grew wider as she remembered her and Yuffie's conversation two nights before.

"Yuffie, are you sure about this?" Tifa asked for the third time, feeling nervous as she studied the stick-figure diagram with lengthy explanations Yuffie had drawn up.

"Yes, I'm sure, stop being such a little wuss, Teefs," Yuffie told her, exasperated. "Trust me, it'll all be fine," she said, making some minor modification to her own planning chart.

"Besides," Yuffie continued, scribbling down something in Wutaian, "you've got it easy."

Tifa stared at her, incredulous. "Easy?" she choked out. "Yuffie, this is Cloud we're talking about. You know how private he is."

Yuffie held up her hands. "Sorry, I mean, you've got it easy compared to me." She brought her arms out, as if sizing something up. "This is the size of Cloud's personal bubble, and this..." she spread her hands as far as she could reach, "is Vinnie's."

Tifa, after a moment of deliberation, gave a snort and nodded. "Alright, fair enough."

Yuffie gave her the "I told you so" look, then handed Tifa her planning sheet.

"So no more of that 'It's sooo hard to hump Cloud' nonsense, kay Boobs?"

Tifa snatched the plan from the younger woman. "Fine, but I'm revising this a bit. Some of us actually have morals when it comes to stealing."

Yuffie shrugged, giving a decidedly feisty smile. "To each her own."

"Tifa?"

Tifa wondered how Yuffie was doing. She had managed to ninja Cid and his Shera, so she should be arriving in Icicle Village shortly.

"Tifa?"

She snapped her head up, looking into the concerned blue eyes of Cloud.

"Er, sorry, what is it Cloud?"

"We're at Junon. Are you alright?" he asked, studying her.

"Fine, sorry," she replied, shaking herself and getting up off Fenrir, stretching out stiff limbs. "Just kinda got lost in my thoughts,"

He flashed her a quick smile, eyes crinkling. Her stomach instantly went all butterflied. "Yeah, it happens to me too on long trips. We better get a move on, ship's heading out soon."

"Sure, Cloud," Tifa said, and they walked towards the dock, Cloud pushing Fenrir. Tifa looked forward to the crossing, as it was a day and a half of no scheming and simple relaxation.

Then it was back to the races.

Twelve more days.