Damn I updated all three of my chaptered stories in the same day! Go me! Ok I was really depressed that I only got 5 reviews last chapter, and I thought it was one of the better ones! You guys are going to have to tell me what I'm doing right or wrong, or I loose interest... I don't wanna loose interest! Please R&R! I'm getting so close to the end! Characters prop of Square Enix, except Kieran, he's mine! Enjoy!

Vincent just sat there in silence, listening to heart monitor beep over and over again. He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there when Reeve came in. The commissioner was out of his robes, wearing only a white dress shirt, and blue slacks. His sleeves where rolled up and he was a bit dirty, like he'd just come from working… which was probably true, since the architect felt the terrorist attacks where his fault…

Not like Vincent could refute that… he didn't believe it was Reeve's fault, he only had the best of intentions… but Vincent knew what paved the road to hell…

Good intentions certainly had paved his road to this living hell he was stuck in. Well it had been a living hell, now it just felt like life… but he was pretty sure it would revert if Yuffie didn't wake up.

"Vincent," called the calm, dignified voice, "You should rest… you've been through a lot the last two days… Yuffie has the best of care…" The gunslinger shook his head, "I'm not leaving until she wakes up…"

"That could be hours… even days. You need to rest or you won't heal… then what will Yuffie say if she finds out about that?"

"She'll probably punch me again…" the gunman absently rubbed his jaw, the bruise was still there, but he smiled a bit when he saw Reeve's shocked expression. "I tried to sacrifice myself so she would be alright… she wasn't happy about that." The commissioner frowned a bit and shook his head, "I'm not surprised… if she hadn't, one of us would have done it for her… you really care about her that much?"

His crimson eyes came up to regard his friend, nodding a little… "I do… I think I always have… I was just too… 'Emotionally constipated…' I think that was Yuffie's summation." Reeve chuckled, and nodded… "I know what you mean… that's how I felt at first with Elena…" The couple had been together for quite awhile, but they both had had a lot to get over… it seemed the same was with Vincent and Yuffie…

Reeve cleared his throat and smiled a bit, "I have to get back out there… I just wanted to check on my two favorite operatives… and you know everyone else might have been shocked… but I'm not… after everything that you two went through during the Omega Crisis, it only seems natural. Give Yuffie a hug for me, when she wakes up, alright."

Vincent gave a nod and watched Reeve leave, and then he turned back to his lover, and continued his silent vigil…

10 hours earlier…

Vincent frowned as they made there way to the main support of Circle Square, and a familiar, long haired red head was standing there, a rather smug look on his face. In one hand was a rifle, and in the other was another bomb. "Tsk, you just aren't the heroes I thought you were, letting so many people die…" The crimson gunman heard a growl come out of his young lover, who was trying to get around him. "Go to hell you murderer…" she spat, and Kieran just laughed at her.

"Please… you have no right calling me that when you are protecting one yourself." He raised the gun and glared at Yuffie, intent on killing the ninja. His earlier graciousness was gone, since it was obvious to him that the girl knew what Valentine's past was like, and chose to protect him anyway."

Yuffie managed to wiggle her way around the other side of Vincent, and raised her Valentine up in a defensive stance. "And you are too blinded by hate to see he's a different man then he was when he killed your parents! Look at him, he's not proud of what he's done, but he thought that he was doing the right thing! Unlike you, who is killing completely innocent people just to get at us! How many people died when you blew those platforms?" She started to move forward when she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist. Vincent pulled her back and to the side, holding the squirming mass of cussing girl back and away from danger. She still hadn't recovered from her summoning of Eros; he didn't want her to faint again. His red eyes narrowed and he brought Shattered up, pointing it at the man's head. "You are advised to put the gun and bomb down, now… then I will merely call the authorities…" The threat lay thick in the air and Kieran just smirked. "You think you can intimidate me Valentine? I think not…" He raised his own gun and fired twice at Vincent, who brought his claw up to deflect them harmlessly away, even though that caused him to loose his grip on the irate ninja.

Kieran pressed a button and put the bomb down, then jumped over to one of the smaller support beams and to a rope ladder. "I put 3 minutes on that one… so you can either chase me and let Circle Square fall or you can save lives and let me escape."

Yuffie frowned, "I'll get him, and you disarm that thing…" She started to run after him when Vincent grabbed her by the arm with his claw. "No, you stay with me… he's just trying to split us up again. We'll see him again, I have no doubt." The shinobi frowned but acquiesced, following him out onto the main support, so they could disarm the explosive. "Can you do it this time Vince?"

The gunslinger nodded, kneeling down in front of the device and using his claw to clip the proper wire. Once that was done, they started back toward the main access hatch, and this time Yuffie was not content with the silence. "That man really hates you… doesn't he?"

"Yes… he does… I took his parents from him, are you surprised?"

"I suppose not, but really Vinny, how many more people did you piss off that badly… when you were a Turk?"

"Probably as many as I've saved… when you are a Turk, you just do what they tell you, without thinking…" He stopped walking and looked down at her… "That sort of thinking is what led to all the tragedy in my life." He looked angry, but Yuffie really didn't think it was directed toward her. This Kieran guy was killing people just to get to him… his overblown sense of honor and justice demanded that he take responsibility for all those deaths… even if he knew as well as anyone that it wasn't really his fault. The tiny shinobi reached over and took his hand in hers, leaning against him for support. "Don't worry, we'll get this guy… he'll pay for it all. He's got these men under him deluded by some fucked up vision of justice, and all he wants is to avenge his parents. What he doesn't understand, is the man that did that is dead… killed by Hojo… you aren't him, even if you carry all his memories… you are Vincent the Hero, not Vincent the Turk."

"Yuffie," he said softly, an underlying sadness to it, "I deserve to be punished for that…"

The ninja turned and gave him a fierce look, poking him rather painfully in the chest to emphasize her point. "Look here Vincent Valentine, I ever hear, 'I deserve to atone for my sins' come out of your mouth one more time… I'll punch you again! I don't want to hear that… are you listening? You were killed, brought back and experimented on… then you were locked up for thirty years… you've atoned… got it?" She glared up at him, and stomped her foot, wanting her point to get across. The gunman looked down into her eyes and smiled just a bit… "Got it," he whispered and leaned down to kiss her forehead. She took the opportunity to smile back and kiss him softly on the cheek. "Good…"

A phone started to ring, and made the shinobi jump a bit, then she pulled it out of her pocket and flipped it open, pressing send. "This is Yuffie," she said in a chipper voice.

"What's going on?" Cloud voice was tired, but she could also hear Tifa and Reeve talking in the background… maybe that meant things were going better in Edge. "Other then the fact we lost another platform?" There was silence on the other end and Yuffie sighed a bit. "We're all alright though, and when Chocobo Square fell, they'd already had most of Gold Saucer evacuated. Cid's technicians are trying to get the place powered up again, since the emergency generators won't last long."

"Alright, we're back at the bar… Reeve's going to start the investigation, to try and find the bombers. Get here was soon as you can… oh Tifa wants to talk to you…" The ninja heard muffled talking, then Tifa's voice broke in. "Hey Yuffs…"

"Hey, how are you holding up?"

There was a sigh, and her saddened voice came back, "we just can't get a break, can we?" Cloud commented something in the background, but Yuffie didn't catch it. "Anyway, did Vincent get his suit?"

"Yep, we had the tailor send them ahead of us, to make sure they got there in time… and to make sure they are right. The tuxs and dresses should be there soon…"

"How'd Vincent look in it?"

"Tifa! You're supposed to be getting married!"

"Yeah I know; I'm just curious!"

"Hot… very, very hot… like steamy, Mideel hot, in the middle of summer… wearing a black sweat suit."

Tifa giggled a bit, "I knew it!"

"Knew what?" Yuffie's voice was a bit incredulous, and that just caused Tifa to laugh harder. "You like Vincent!" Yuffie rolled her eyes and looked to her lover… I don't like him… I love him more then anyone… "Oh…" she made a static noise with her mouth, "I'm… loosing you… fa… Ta… ter…" She hung up the phone and started laughing, shoving it in her pocket. "What was that?" Vincent raised a thin eyebrow at her and she just laughed harder. "Tifa… anyway why don't you call Cid and arrange a meeting place… we need to get to Edge, and I'm sure that the terrorists will follow us… maybe we can get them on our terms."

Vincent nodded and pulled his phone out, then looked to Yuffie… "What was hot?"

The shinobi started to giggle madly and walk toward where Mercent's Square was… leaving the question unanswered... Vincent frowned and started to scroll through the numbers in his address book, "why do I have a feeling they were talking about me?" He murmured, in a rather disgruntled voice.

"Because we were," came a sing-song response, "now call Cid so we can get outta this damn death trap!"