Well. Here's another chapter! Isn't this story cruising along well?

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters except for Cloud's lil' sis!

Vincent's Memory

"Well, whatcha think?"

A proud sixteen year old held her head up high. Serenity had just declared her plan on taking out the Empire's Army.

Reeve scratched his head. "Well, I think-"

"The plan is dumb."

Everyone turned to see Vincent, arms folded snugly across his chest.

Serenity pouted. "What do ya mean dumb?"

"It's too predictable."

Cloud shook his head. "I think we should just try it."

Serenity drew a diagram of the canyon.

"Okay, there's a big pile of rocks that we can use to either cut them off or I was actually thinking of dumping it on them, yanno like crushing them to death. What we need to do is place a bomb in the right place…"

Vincent relaxed, staring freely at his apprentice.

It's amazing to see how much she has grown in the past year… Vincent sighed.

Yet, she still acts like a kid.

He remembered the incident earlier this morning.

"Aww, come on. You need to eat something." Serenity was hovering above the slumped figure of her mentor.

"You're meant to be a role model for me! You're not doing a very good job of it." Serenity pouted.

Vincent let out a snigger. "Yeah, it's not like you actually listen to me."

The pout turned into a thoughtful expression. "Hmm, guess you're right." She smiled brightly. "If ya don't eat it, I'm telling Aerith!"

That made Vincent sit up and wolf down his porridge. It tasted a little off, but he just assumed that that was because he let it stand for too long.

Finished at last, he glared at his young companion.

"There. Happy?"

Serenity nodded a smile on her face. "Yep."

Sighing, Vincent got up and turned to exit the tent. That's when he noticed an odd look on Reno's face. Vincent cocked his head in a silent questioning manner.

"Didn't that taste foul?"

Confused, Vincent nodded his head slightly.

"Then why'd ya eat it?"

A shrug was his reply.

Reno shuddered and muttered, "Ick."

Vincent's keen ears caught the quiet word, and rounded on the red-head.

"What?" He asked exasperatedly. "What did I do?"

Serenity began to laugh. Vincent looked at her with a pointed glare.

"It's amazing." She said, clutching her stomach and covering her eyes, laughing hysterically. "I have never managed to feed Cloud a cockroach, but you just ate it! That must be a record for me!"

Vincent retched and went outside.

Reno and Serenity just continued laughing at him from inside the tent, laughing louder when the heard the splattering sound of Vincent chucking outside.

Vincent shuddered at the memory. Why he had eaten it, he didn't know.

At least he learned never to trust her after that.

Or so he thought.

Reaching for an apple took a huge bite out of it.

A foul taste was registered in his brain.

Quietly excusing himself, he went outside and spat the apple out.

Looking at it carefully, he saw a cleverly placed, half bitten worm inside.

Retching slightly, he dully remembered the apple that Serenity was playing with.

Damn! Not again…

Serenity came out of the meeting tent and saw Vincent leaning against a tree. A smirk slid on her face.

"Hi!"

Vincent glared at the chirpy voice.

"What now, Serenity? Come to laugh in my face?"

"No…" The tenderness of that voice made him turn around.

"I was just going to say sorry for the apple. It was actually meant for Cloud after he dacked me yesterday. Oh well. Here."

She held out a small vial.

Vincent eyed it suspiciously.

Serenity smiled sadly. "It's not jinxed. It's to get rid of the taste in your mouth."

Vincent opened it and downed it in one go. It tasted a bit like cherry.

"Thanks."

"No worries."

A faint blush came over both their cheeks, something that only Serenity had noticed at the time.

Vincent sat up with a gasp.

He had changed and lied down on his soft bed, reminiscing on that memory.

He had finally realised something.

He blushed at the thought.

Had Serenity ever notice that?

Since when did I fall in love with my friend's little sister?

He remembered a lot of times when his eyes roamed her slender figure, but he never saw Serenity catch him.

Damn!

Well, that's this chappie done!

Next Chapter: Vincent faces Serenity the next day and is stunned to find out something he should have noticed, because Serenity obviously did! A close friend shows him what he should have realized all those years ago.

R&R to find out!