Final Fantasy 7 is not mine! I hope you enjoy the next chapter of Shattered!
"Ow…" Yuffie said softly, as Tifa's nail raked against her bruised skin. She didn't mind being firmly held to Vincent's chest, even if her abdominal muscles were hating her for it, nor did she mind the cooling balm and tight bandages on her half way healed wounds, but she did think the other woman needed to cut her fingernails.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, at least Yuffie was slightly more alert; though certainly not out of the woods yet. The brunette looked over to the spiky hair fiancée, "We'll drive them in the delivery truck. Vincent can sit back there with her, so we don't have to try and get her in the car." Cloud nodded and left the room to find the keys. Tifa finished bandaging up the ninja, and then looked over to Vincent. "You aren't hurt, are you?"
Vincent gave a small shake of his head and looked down to Yuffie. "How are you feeling?"
Yuffie gave him a small glare, "Like I've been shot twice, thanks for asking," came her soft, breathy reply.
36 hours earlier…
Yuffie sat on her bedroll inside the one tent they had, her knees hugged to her chest. She been up alone for a half an hour, when they both got too weary to continue on, they'd gotten the tent out, and Vincent wanted to take first watch, but it had always been easier for Yuffie to stay awake, rather then try and wake up. The night was getting chilly, and she wrapped the blanket around herself tightly. Her gaze fell on the sleeping gunman, he had taken off his cloak, and the bandana was lying on the top of the red pile in the corner. His face was so perfect she found her eyes tracing the lines of his lips, thinking how stupid she was that she hadn't just kissed him when she had the chance. "Stupid chocobo," she murmured, making a bit of a pouty face. She reached over and gently moved a piece of hair from his face, though she was startled when a golden claw shot out from under the blanket and clasped her wrist. Vincent didn't even move other then that, and he didn't hurt her, even though the smallest amount of added pressure would have broken skin. "Vince…" She whispered, trying to get her hand away from him without causing herself injury, but it wasn't working. "Don't go," he murmured in his sleep, pulling her down next to him and holding her tightly.
Yuffie's eyes were as big as saucers when he enveloped the girl in his arms, and she had no idea what to do to get out. "Damn it Yuffie, you just had to be tempted, didn't you? Couldn't have left the sleeping man alone… you should not have been messing with him!" She cursed her luck and was trying to figure out a way that she could either get away, or explain why he was holding her so nice and close. He is so beautiful; his lips are so close… I could just… No! Damn it Yuffie, it's your raging hormones that got you in this predicament in the first place! She tried to pull away gently, but that just made the sleeping man hold her tighter… "It's like wutainese finger cuffs… the more you pull, the tighter it gets!" Her whispers to herself weren't even causing Vincent to move, and she knew she'd be in big trouble when he woke up. "Well, if I'm going to die a terrible death tomorrow, I can at least enjoy my final meal." She closed her eyes and snuggled against him, which caused the man to ease his grip a bit. Just like finger cuffs…
Vincent rarely dreamed, and when he did, it was usually something horrible or heartbreaking. That was what his past seemed to be, ugly, brutal, gut wrenching and sad. And the dreams always started the same…
"Lucrecia… please, I don't understand why you are doing this." The messy haired Turk reached out, wanting to grasp onto his lover and keep her close. His hand clenched her wrist, and she turned from the doorway, her long ponytail falling over her shoulder, the moon light filtering through the large window in his room made her skin glow, the gentle curves under her clothes were both alluring and frightening to him. It scared him how much he wanted her… how much he always wanted her, and the fact she was trying to walk out of his life broke his heart.
"You just don't understand… I… I don't love you, I love Hojo. I was just confused, but I'm not anymore. Let me go Vincent!"
"No, I'm not letting go, this only started when I learned you knew my father, now you won't smile, won't laugh… Lucrecia it's breaking my heart seeing you like this. I love you, I'll always love you. Please… don't do this."
The beautiful woman pulled her hand away, "Someday, you'll see its better this way. It was my fault…" She turned to run out the door, and there was nothing he could do to stop her. Tears shimmered in his eyes, but did not fall, could not fall. He was a Turk, and he couldn't cry, no matter how badly his heart hurt. He walked to the door and stared down the hall, and normally it would have drifted to another scene, of torture, or death… something unpleasant. But, somehow, the dream had changed, and he saw Yuffie standing there, seeming so out of place. The moonlight didn't touch her; it wasn't night that kept her. Her skin shone golden in the soft inner light she carried, her stormy eyes were warm, her small smile inviting. "Hey Vinnie, I thought you let her go? She only did it because she felt that she was protecting you, she didn't want to loose you like the lost your father." The dream Yuffie started to walk toward him, reaching up and gently moving his hair from his eyes, and then she smiled a bit. In the dream, he heard gunshots, then Yuffie's eyes got big and Vincent looked down. The ninja's hands were at her belly, and covered in blood, and she started to fall. "Vincent…" she whispered, as he caught her, pulling her close to him. He saw a boy with red hair standing there, the gun in his hand smoking. "I'll take your lover away, for taking my parents!"
The Turk blinked, and he was his normal self, and the boy was now the man who'd shot him. "You… I know you now." The killer grinned and ran off, and then Lucrecia walked back in. This time she looked more like a ghost, no longer the sad, broken woman that had ran out on him all those years ago. "Vincent, I want you to live, that's what all of this has always been about… don't let her go, if you love her, hold onto her." He looked down at the dying girl in his arms and he grasped her wrist, "Don't go," he whispered to her, clutching her tight to his chest. Yuffie looked up with sad eyes… "I'm so sorry." Her eyes closed and he could feel her heart beat slowing…
"Yuffie!" Vincent say up, his breath ragged and he realized that he was holding the real Yuffie against him, who was looking up at him with a bewildered and slightly worried look on her face. She was now on his lap, having been dragged up when he awoke, and instead of having the normal reaction most people would, he held her closer and buried his face in her soft hair. The ninja didn't move, paralyzed by her emotions. She managed to get her arms to work enough to encircle him gently, holding him close as well. "Vincent, what's wrong?"
The gunman couldn't even repeat what had happened, he couldn't really say anything. Yuffie took a deep breath and reached up to caress his hair. "It was just a dream Vince, whatever it was, it's ok… I'm here for you." After a few moments, he pulled away, his composure completely intact, his face expressionless once again. "I am sorry, Yuffie… I don't know what came over me." He sat the tiny ninja back on her blankets and started to stare off into space. "Go ahead and sleep, I'll stay up."
Yuffie raised an eyebrow at him, and then lay back down, looking up at him. "If you ever need to talk, you can, to me I mean…"
Vincent nodded and glanced over at her, the sight of seeing the sweet girl covered in blood was haunting him, every time he closed his eyes, the sight was burned into his retina. Yuffie rolled over and closed her eyes, hoping that her travel companion was indeed alright. Sure he'd been through hell, but to make him visibly shaken; her curiosity to what could have made him that upset was overtaking her. She resolved to weasel it out of him in the morning as she let out a yawn and closed her eyes.
He just sat there, thinking over the dream he'd had. Do I love her? I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest, it felt the same as when Lucrecia was taken from me. She's so kind, and lovely… Lovely? Do I really think her beautiful? She deserves better, she's young, vibrant and alive, and I am anything but. She should have a kind and gentle husband. Husband? Where did that come from? Vincent shook off his musing, his mind drifting to Lucrecia and what she'd said in his dream… Then he realized the intense pain had lessened over the last day, when he'd finally been allowed the simple release of crying. That had happened because of Yuffie. He looked back over to the ninja girl, who had already slipped off into dreamland. He reached over with his good hand and tucked her hair behind her ear, giving the barest hint of a smile. "Thank you, Great Ninja Yuffie." You've stolen more then just my materia this time… I just wish I had more to offer you.