A/N I own nothing except Yuki for now

Ch. 4 Changes and Disappearance

When Yuki woke she found herself in a large comfy bed and laying next to a very large, attractive, shirtless man. She blushed and smiled, closing her eyes again. I'll just close my eyes and wait…this feels so nice…She dosed off again.

"Yukina." A soft male voice stirred Yuki from her hauntingly dark sleep. "Time for breakfast." Yuki smiled, not only at the idea of food, but at the voice presenting the idea. Leon…

When the door shut Yuki rose and dressed. She wore a tight black top and baggy black pants with black sneakers. For now she left her hair down. When she arrived at the bottom of the stairs Leon stared at her. Her pale skin started to tinge red.

"YAY! BREAKFAST!!!" Yuffie jumped up from where she had been seated and started skipping to the café. Yuki smiled and the men shook their heads in amusement. As breakfast got started Yuffie and Aerith giggled about their men, Tifa and Cloud discussed their plans for the day, Cid commented on every thing every once in a while, while Leon and Yuki sat side by side silently enjoying their family.

After breakfast they all parted and Yuki followed Leon quietly to the water way with her weapons. Yuki pulled her hair back into a high ponytail. "I want to start off on hand to hand combat." Yuki nodded and set her weapons carefully to the side. "Hit me."

Yuki stared at him blankly. "What?"

"Hit me." And so their training began. Leon taught Yuki to fist fight, to always keep and arm up to block, how to plant her feet so she wouldn't get thrown back too easily if she were hit, how to kick. "You're doing well." She was 'glowing' profusely and panting for breath as she stood with her feet planted shoulder length apart, knees bent, both arms up in fists, not letting her guard down. Leon thought, in that moment, he'd never seen any one so beautiful as this girl. "Let's take a break, go get lunch and water." They did so and Leon taught her more theories of fighting. "I'm going to have a punching bag hung in the water way so you can still train if I have to leave." Yuki simply nodded mutely. She did not like the idea of him leaving.

After lunch Leon took Yuki into a shop and talked to a large balding man behind the counter. After paying the man a door was opened to reveal targets. "Now let's see what kind of aim you have."

It took hours but Yuki was finally able to at least hit the target more than not. They met the rest of their gang for dinner and Yuki filled them in on her day of training while Leon again sat quietly. After a long, fun filled dinner, they all headed back to the hotel. When they were outside the entrance Yuki told them she'd be right in. She went down the stairs to the small fountain and dipped her hands in, smiling as it streamed through her slender fingers. She took her shoes off and stepped on the stones holding the water in the fountain. She danced and twirled around it and dipped her feet in every once in a while.

Leon watched her from the entrance of the hotel. She was so beautiful and graceful. The sun had not quite set yet. He walked down the steps to Yuki quickly. "Yukina." She was startled and almost fell into the fountain. "Come. I want to show you something." He led her silently back up the steps and into the bell tower. She looked at all the gears all around her in amazement. "Come." He led her through another door and up a ladder. When she got to the top she saw Leon leaning against a pillar at the edge of the roof looking out. He looked to her and jerked his head, telling her to come. She walked to him and stood next to him. She looked out and saw the red sun setting behind the buildings. "Look." He pointed to the fountain and Yuki saw it change from a blue to purple to a beautiful red pink. She inhaled sharply at the beauty of it. They stayed like that, talking, until it was completely dark. "Come on. We have more training tomorrow." Yuki nodded, sad that it was over. "Don't worry, we'll come back tomorrow night." She smiled and nodded.

When they were in their room Leon showered quickly before letting Yuki take a long hot bath. She chose bath oils of rose and vanilla. When she walked out of the bathroom, her hair dripping, Leon thought she smelled like Heaven. And she was beautiful, even dressed in simply grey sweat pants and a black tank top. They both quickly fell asleep in the bed on the far opposite sides.

Their routine was like that for three months, Yuki had grown closer to every one, especially Leon. She trained with him, shopped with the girls, helped Cid in the shop, listened to every one's boy problems and helped as best she could. She even cooked every once in a while. That was before Aerith started to change. "Yuki." Aerith and Yuki sat in the lobby of the hotel with a roaring fire to keep out the cold and the rain. "I know you need to find your family, and train and all…But I don't think now is a good time..."

"What do you mean? They could be dieing."

"Or they could already be dead. Or they could be fine. You don't need to drag us into your problems!" Aerith had lost her control and a rage broke through from seemingly no where. "Ever since you came here you've torn us apart! Cid is always working, Leon's always with you, Yuffie's dating, Cloud and Tifa are off together thanks to your boy advice. I think that if you wanted to find your parents so bad you'd go off and do it yourself. We don't want you here! And you know it." Yuki stared, utterly shocked. Tears clouded her eyes. She stood stiffly and walked silently to the room Leon was forced to share with her. We don't want you here… Just that morning Leon had told her she was stupid and he was fed up with her because she couldn't get a move down. They really would be better off without me… "Fine." Yuki grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a quick note on it. She then realized she had nothing to carry her things in, so she grabbed her weapons and jumped over the balcony wall, into the rainy night, and out of their lives.

I don't know why I lost my temper with her…I've been doing that a lot lately…. "I should apologize." Leon put his weapon down and started walking to the hotel. It was a short distance, but by the time he walked through the door he was soaking wet and cold to the bone. After he apologized he would take a nice hot shower. "Hello Aerith." If she heard him she didn't show it. Something had gotten into her lately.

Leon made it to his and Yuki's room to find it empty, there was a folded piece of paper lying on the bed. Something made his heart drop then pound in his stomach as he took it and unfolded it. It was a letter, wet drops stained some parts.

Leon,

I have come to realize that you and the others would like it better and be better off without me in your way. So good bye. Be sure to look after Yuffie because she needs you. Make sure Cloud and Tifa don't kill each other, they really do love each other. Don't let Cid blow anything up…Maybe take Aerith to the doctor, she's worrying me. And please take care of yourself. Don't train too hard. Don't worry too much. And don't get killed. You are their leader, their glue. I love you all…very much…

Good bye,

Yukina.

"No…YUKINA!!!" Leon ran down the steps, throwing the note on the floor as he ran into the rain shouting her name. "YUKINA!" He searched the town but did not find her. He searched the clock tower they sat together on so often to watch the fountain change colors in the sun set. He searched the water ways where they laughed and trained. The café where they shared meals. But he did not find her. Finally, his throat raw, his spirit drained, his clothes and skin soaked, he retreated to the hotel.

Everyone was sitting around the fire. On the center table the note from Yuki was laid open. This was where Yukina should be…not out in the rain like some stray. She belongs here. With us….With me…The girls had tears in their eyes, Cid looked stunned and even Cloud seemed astonished. They all looked to Leon when he entered the room.

"Why did she do this?" Cloud asked what everyone was thinking.

"It's my fault." Yuffie sniffled. "I haven't talked to her in a month."

"No, it's mine." Tifa put in. "She asked how Cloud and I were and I told her to butt out."

"No, it's my fault." Cid shook his head. "She liked to help me. One day she came in and I told her to go shopping or something cuz it was no place for a woman."

"This morning she couldn't get an attack down. I told her she was stupid and I was fed up with training and imbecile."

"You're all wrong." Aerith's voice was soft. "Today I was so mad…I….I told her we didn't wand her here." Aerith was sobbing and Yuffie held her. "All she wanted to do was find her family, and help us." They were all quiet for a time, save Aerith's muffled crying.

"She organized birthdays for us." Cloud spoke quietly.

"She helped me when I was having problems with Cloud." Tiffa sniffled and grabbed Cloud's hand from her shoulder.

"She took care of me when I was sick. She brought me my favorite soup in bed." Yuffie stroked Aerith's hair, trying to calm her.

"She helped me in the shop when I had too much to do."

"She made me see in a different light, and she always followed directions." Leon hung his head.

"She worried about all of us." Aerith raised her head. "Even me."

Leon walked to the window. "And now she's out there somewhere."