Sorry this took so long, I've been really busy! There is a bunch of fluff in this chappie, though most of it is from Barret believe it or not LOL! Same copyright stuff applies, except Kieran is mine! Next Chappie is going to be a BIG one, with lots of stuff going on!

Once Tifa had recovered, she got on the phone with everyone, calling them to spread the good news… now it was only a matter of waiting, but without the anxiety. She'd be awake soon; all they had to do was wait for her… Cloud walked back over to Vincent and smiled a bit, "Have you told her?"

"Told who what?" The crimson gunman looked to his friend and only saw support… "You know Cid and Barret told us how you were with her, and how you've been acting now… Tifa says you are in love with her. I just wanted to give you my support…"

The other man raised his eyebrows, "I wasn't aware I was so transparent."

Cloud shook his head, "you aren't, but we're your friends, we found out along time ago, if we want to find out what's going on in your head, you let your emotions show in your eyes… it's pretty easy to read you once you know that."

Vincent got a ghost of a whispered smile on his face, and that one statement lit his heart… I was never really alone… I made myself that way. This must be Cloud's way of telling me what Tifa taught him three years ago… and what Yuffie has been telling me. "Thank you Cloud, and yes… I do."

The spiky haired swordsman nodded, "good, moving on is hard, forgiving yourself for self imposed sins is harder. It's alright to be angry and sad." The gunslinger blinked, "angry at myself, I've never covered that up."

"Not at yourself, or Hojo, or Shinra… but at her. You can be mad at her for what she did."

"Were you mad at Aerith?" He narrowed his eyes a bit, trying to catch his friend in a falsehood, but all he did was nod. "She left us… ran away when she knew she could die. She didn't fight; she just let herself be killed… like she was a damn martyr. It took me along time to realize how mad I was… even if it wasn't rational, by ignoring it I hurt myself, and everyone around me."

Vincent blinked, emotion rising in his chest, threatening to burst out. Am I? She left me, let herself be experimented on… she did this to me, no matter that I have my life. I'm going to go on, forever, destined to watch those around me die, and all because she didn't want to loose me? Then… she leaves again… he's right… I hate her. I love her so much, and I hate her at the same time. He took in a shaky breath, and nodded, though once the hard emotions were gone, he felt peaceful… "Thank you Cloud."

"No problem, that's what friends are for."

4 Hours Earlier…

"Ugh," Yuffie looked around at the landscape, the smoke from the fires below her were stinging her eyes, and covering her skin with soot. "I'm going to have to take five baths just to get back to normal." She looked at her once clean outfit, which was now filthy and full of holes again. She looked over to Vincent, who was standing a bit back, his arms crossed over his chest, and a frown on his face. Since the damage had been so bad, they had to wait on the top of the amusement park, hoping the Shera would be able to get over them and lower the ladder. The gunman felt overly exposed up there, knowing a sharp shooter like Kieran could pick them both off from a distance. The ninja girl seemed to sense this and walked closer to him, and put her hand in his claw. "They'll be here soon, they had to go get Elmyra and Marlene, then we'll be off to Edge, and everything will be fine."

The crimson gunman looked down at her and nodded a bit, "right, there's just… no cover up here." The ninja smiled a bit and nodded, "I know, but I think he's playing with us… he had plenty of time to hit us inside, and he never did… he thinks this is a game."

"No, he's trying to make me suffer."

"I know, but until we can get close enough to kill him, there isn't much we can do. No point in worrying to much over something we can't change." Vincent graced her with one of those, 'you've got to be kidding' looks and she merely shrugged. "That didn't mean we don't have to be on the look out, but there just isn't much point in worrying ourselves into comas." She gave him a pretty smile and slipped her other hand to rest on his waist. The shinobi felt vulnerable up on the roof as well, but she didn't want her would be lover to ruminate over something they just couldn't help. He slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him, in a protective gesture. Yuffie didn't need protection, but she still thought it was very sweet. Now… all they could do was wait.

.:xXx:.

Kieran had followed the Shera in his buggy to North Corel, with a plan. After his last attack on Valentine, he'd made his way down while the supposed heroes had made their way up, and he managed to get through the debris fields and make it to his hidden vehicle, just in time to see the airship leave for the small town. He was now crouched down behind some rocks, a small dagger in his hand, and waited for the two other AVALANCHE members to go into the town, so he could stow away. There were two guards left on duty, but neither seemed particularly sharp, and for an ex-First Class Soldier, it would be easy to gain entrance to the ship and hide, without even having to kill one person. It wasn't like he had a conscious; it was just that if any crewmembers were missing, it would alert Captain Highwind that something was up.

He made his move, coming up behind the two men, as silent as death, jumping up and grabbing onto the lip of the raised gangplank, pulling himself up, just as one of the guards thought he sensed something and looked behind him. The terrorist crept down the hall until he found an empty storage container, where he decided to wait. His revenge was nearly there, and he was ready for it. He knew he didn't have much longer to live, because surely the others would tear him to pieces before he got away, but that didn't matter. He had plans to make Valentine's last moments on Gaia as blood filled and painful as possible. Kieran's own discomfort didn't matter.

.:xXx:.

Cid waved the others on, trying to hurry the woman and child onto the ship. With Marlene in tow, Elmyra couldn't move as fast as the men, but he'd left Shera and his little Zepp on the bird, and he didn't like leaving them unattended in a dangerous area. "Come on, let's go! The brat and Vince are stuck on the roof of a burning building, and ya'll are going a snails pace. Move!" He went to the older woman and lifted the little girl up, not caring much about the extra weight. The old, cranky pilot wouldn't admit to it, but he was worried about Yuffie and Vincent, and he didn't want something bad to happen to them on his watch.

Barret had left instructions to his townsfolk, since he felt horrible leaving them in such a dangerous position, and flashbacks of the first time Corel was destroyed kept playing in his head, but the Mayor knew that as long as he wasn't there, the town should be safe… the terrorists seemed to be after AVALANCHE, so he needed to be with this friends. He came up behind Cid and Elmyra, and as soon as they and the guards were on board, then hatch was closed and the astronaut went right for the bridge, "We're gettin' back to Vince," he barked to his navigator and got to the wheel, "punch the boosters, but only fer a few seconds, we don't wanna pass 'em." He spun the wheel, turning the keel sharply; spinning the massive ship in the air like it was nothing. He smirked a bit at the performance and the crewman punched the boosters for three seconds before releasing, and they found themselves over Gold Saucer in less then five minutes. "Barret, put th' ladder down, we need te git them up."

.:xXx:.

If Vincent was a more emotive person, he might have sighed in relief when he saw the Shera come through the smoke, and the large form of Barret extending a ladder for them to climb up. "See," Yuffie said to him with a flourish to the ship, "I told you they would come and get us!" The gunman just shook his head and grab onto the rope. "You go first, I'll hold it steady." The ninja nimbly hopped over and started to climb, having little trouble gaining the top, despite the stiff winds, smoke and heat. Vincent went up next, taking it a bit slower since he didn't have anyone to steady it, but he also made it up with no problems. The pair looked worse of wear, but they both seemed alright, and Barret clapped a meaty hand down on both their shoulders, "Come on, les git to th' bridge. Cid'll be worried."

Yuffie laughed, "yeah right, Cid probably wanted me to fall off, but no one can get the Great Ninja Yuffie!" Barret chuckled a bit and moved them inside, taking another look at the silent gunman. The gunner smiled a bit more to Vincent, and then followed Yuffie inside to see the Captain. Everything seemed rather off, with Vincent and Yuffie together like that, but when he saw Elmyra and Marlene waiting for him, he decided maybe it wasn't so strange. Everyone deserved to be happy, even a gothic vampire and a hyperactive ninja. He'd just never thought it would be the two of them together. "Strange…" His fiancée came up and smiled a bit, "What is?"

"Yuf and Vince… ne'er woulda thought those two would get toget'er." The woman laughed a bit, "I know, you already said that."

"Well, I'm still shock'd by it." Elmyra smiled a bit sadly and took his hand. He looked down at her and squeezed her hand. "Thinkin' of Aerith?"

"Yes… when I heard Cloud and Tifa were getting married, I couldn't help but feel the same way… how could he, I thought he loved my daughter, and when I asked him, do you know what he said?"

"It was Spike, probably jes' grunted."

"No, he said, 'I will always love Aerith, and she will always be with me, but if I stop living, Sephiroth will win in the end. I love Tifa, and for both of them I have to continue on. If I don't, it will look like I don't value Aerith's sacrifice.'"

"Spike really said all tha'?"

"Yes, and I think that Vincent might finally be getting over a similar tragedy in his life."

Barret smiled a bit and kissed the lovely woman's forehead, "like you ha' th' git o'er your loss?"

"And so did you."

"Alrigh', alrigh' I got it." He chuckled a bit and they went back toward the bridge, only to see Cid and Yuffie already in a verbal boxing match.