I know this one is short, but there wasn't much I could do for this section… don't worry, then next one will be a lot longer! This is another calm before the storm… so to speak. Characters aren't mine; they belong to Square Enix, as usual.

Vincent didn't even move when the needle slipped under is skin. He looked over with morbid curiosity while his heart pumped his blood into the plastic bag next to him. The gunman half expected the liquid to glow bright red, but it didn't, everything looked perfectly normal… perfectly deceptive. "Doctor?" He said softly, watching the blonde look back at him. "Yes…"

"You really don't think this will harm Yuffie?"

"There maybe some side effects, but the amount is really very small in comparison. The substance that is infused in your body, well from what I can tell from what you told me, it takes a lot to revive a person… Yuffie will probably have a mild increase to her strength and longevity, but it's certainly not enough to force a transformation. I'm sure that's what you're worried about."

Vincent nodded, "No one, especially not her, should have to deal with these demons." The Doctor gave a small smile and nodded, "I understand. I know this must be very hard, but with this gift, her prognosis is excellent. Any other person brought in like that… they would have died. There must be something powerful holding her here and helping her to fight." The gunman only nodded and went back to watch his blood drain into the bag. Doctor Lindemen came back over to check his vitals, even taking a look at his shoulder, just to be safe. By the time he was finished, the bag was full and the doctor proceeded to remove the needle and bandage the tiny wound. "Are you sure that you don't want some pain killers for that?"

"No, I don't need them, it's better to save them for someone that does." He sat up and replaced his borrowed clothes, then stood, seemingly unaffected by the blood loss. "Whoa! You should take to easy and have some orange juice while I go to start Miss Kisaragi's drip. You need to take care of yourself too, you know."

"My body does not require such trifles, I am fine. May I see Yuffie now?"

Lindemen blew out a breath, "Yes, come with me…" He led him out of the room and down the hall. The ninja was in an observation room, large windows looked in from the hall. She was in a pink hospital gown and hooked up to every sort of monitor imaginable, tubes and needles covering her delicate skin. It was hard for Vincent to see the vivacious woman like that, but he had never been one to let his discomfort keep him from someone that he loved. Maybe if the ex-Turk had been more cognizant of his comfort levels, he may never have ignored his broken heart to try and help Lucrecia. He placed his normal hand on the glass and watched her as the doctor slipped in to attach the blood to her IV.

Blood…

His blood…

The red liquid started to run down into the tube connected to his beloved's arm, and he wasn't even aware he was holding his breath. He half expected the moment his tainted blood entered her arm that she'd turn into some horrible monster… and that it would be his entire fault. She didn't though, she continued to sleep, and after a few moments, her cheeks started to gain more of their rosy hue. Vincent let his breath return to normal and the doctor came back out, "You can go in now… she's in a medically induced coma, we thought it best, to try and conserve her energy. She'll come out soon, barring no complications, and she should be fine."

"Complications? What could happen?"

"She could never wake up…"

14 hours earlier…

The trip down wasn't as bad as going up, and Vincent and Yuffie made it back to Chocobo Square in plenty of time, even having gone to change clothes and retrieve their things. With everything so up in the air, and evacuation continuing, there was no telling if and when they'd have another chance. People were starting to thin out, however the sheer number of people that visited the amusement park everyday was staggering, and it was anyone's guess how many people her missing or dead…

The gunslinger leapt out of the tube first, and ended up smelling their friends before seeing them… well Cid at least with his incessant chain smoking. They came around the corner and the pilot was standing there with Barret, his spear over his shoulder and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. "Hey Old Man!" Yuffie called, waving and jumping. "What the hell kid, Barret's older then me… whatcha doin' callin' me old fer?"

The ninja giggled and ran up, giving him a huge hug. "Shit kid, what th' hell happened to you? Yer covered in blood! I thought you said you were fine?"

"I am, the blood isn't mine… some sleaze bag tried to take advantage of me and Vinnie shot him in the head. I got splashed, but the only wound was a tiny cut." She tilted her head back to he could see the scabbed wound. "Someone put a knife to yer neck?"

"Yes," Vincent finally commented, looking over to Yuffie with a guarded gaze. The gunman was still angry about that, if he'd been paying more attention then she wouldn't even have that cut. It was almost like the ninja could sense his shift in mood, as she turned her grey gaze on him. "Don't you even think what you're thinking Vincent Valentine… I swear I'll kick your ass faster then anyone. You saved my life, that's all that matters." She moved in front of him, reaching up to caress his cheek softly. Barret and Cid exchanged questioning looks when the reclusive gunslinger didn't shy away from her touch. Actually, much to their surprise, he leaned into it and closed his eyes.

Yuffie smiled softly and ran her hand over his cheek, "don't worry so much, we've got a lot of work to do… alright?" Vincent opened his eyes and nodded, moving his face enough so kiss her hand discreetly. The ninja turned to their friends and nodded, "alright, I think the guy we killed was the operative for this platform. We already went down into the corridor and checked everything; there were no set bombs on the main support. We should probably split up to cover more ground, and get rid of these guys as fast as possible. We still have a wedding to get to… luckily we sent the formal wear ahead of us. You guys head to Circle Square, and we'll go to Event, if you use the employee passages, it's pretty easy to see the support beams. If you find something, call us and we'll come in a flash. Vince here knows how to disarm them! Alright team, let's go!"

Barret looked at the little spitfire askance, "since when di' she become th' leader o' Avalanche?"

"Since she started using the word mosey," Vincent deadpanned, causing Cid to bust up laughing. "Well alright, let's git this show on th' road!" The two groups separated, making for the alternate entrances, with eyes peeled and ears open.