Single Red Rose Chapter 6: Just Bring Him Home, a final fantasy vii fanfic

READ AUTHOR'S NOTE! IMPORTANT! Okay, so you know how I told you that something huge is about to happen? Well, it's here - but PLEASE stay with me, there's a definite plan and things will turn out in the end :) Trust me on this.

I'm not going to get this betaed anymore, sorry Vervain, it's just a lot easier to have my sister read over it and then pop the thing out. Plus, I never know when I want to post it, so it'll be a lot less stress on you :) Thanks for all of the great help, because this would not be what it is now without you! You're awesome!

Warning: Pull out the Kleenex.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything here.

"Yuffie?" The ninja opened her eyes, blinking to wake herself up as she held the PHS limply to her ear. The time was early, incredibly so. After her shower, Yuffie had simply collapsed in bed, soaking in Vincent's smell and counting the minutes til he surrendered and came back to her – she knew he would, he always did. Even now, with the phone propped up against her ear, she couldn't help the trace of a smile that broke out as she imagined Vincent bursting through the door and swallowing her in kisses. It was only a matter of time, an inevitable homecoming.

Groggily, for she still hadn't quite woken up, Yuffie griped, "What!?"

"It's Reeve, Yuffie. I need you come down to the W.R.O. building as soon as possible – there's been an accident." The tone the commissioner possessed over the phone was at once regretful and serious.

Yuffie started, suddenly sobering up. Her mind raced as thousands of possibilities swam through her head, none good. Reeve's tone held the promise of a coming disaster, and the kunoichi desperately wanted to hold Vincent for comfort as the scenarios played out. One in particular stood out, and she thought, Leviathan, Rosso's murder another child! "What kind of accident? Reeve, what's going!?"

Minutes passed, the silence ominous. Ninja senses detected the subtle, almost indiscernible sound of Reeve choking back tears. Tears, Reeve? Never…

And then he broke the chilling void. "Vincent went to investigate a new summon materia discovered in a cave outside of Nibelheim." It clicked then. Something had gone terribly wrong.

Yuffie's lip trembled. Of all the situations she considered, none of them had anything to do with Vincent. "Wh-what does that have to do with anything!? Reeve, tell me, what happened!? Where is Vincent!? Tell me he's okay!" Her voice was pleading, filled with desperation that hadn't existed since she'd begged Leviathan not to let her mother die. Her entire future existed as a string, and Reeve held the scissors.

Solemnly, the commissioner replied in a remorseful and heartbroken voice, "Vincent Valentine was pronounced dead at 2:13 this morning. The doctors claimed that he had passed long before they discovered his body within the cave."

The string was cut, and the bottom of Yuffie's world fell out from under her.

Yuffie's hand shook and the PHS fell, landing mutely on the comforter. Little rivulets of saltwater ran down her face, but no noise accompanied them for the fragmented pieces of her heart had leapt into her throat and proceeded to suffocate her from within while slicing at her mercilessly. Quivering, she gathered the blanket into her tiny fists, pulling it toward her face as if inhaling the scent of him would ease the feeling of utter despair. Now wide awake, Yuffie felt the searing pain from Reeve's admission, and she could swear that her heart was beginning to blacken like some infectious disease had overcome it now that Vincent was no longer.

Then it came, the wailing and sobbing that Yuffie was not capable of holding back. "Not Vincent! Leviathan, not him too! Not Vincent! No – no! NO!" Her cries rang out as the floodgates opened, leaving her victim to overwhelming ache in her chest. The smell of him, thick and heady in the blankets, served as Yuffie's only comfort. Her body convulsed as she took heaping gasps, unable to breathe through the flood of tears, through the gaping hole that was making itself known to her fragile and collapsing heart. In that one moment, it seemed as if her whole life caught up to her. All of her failures to redeem Wutai, her disappointing AVALANCHE when she stole their materia, letting herself get involved with a man who abused her constantly, even while she was pregnant, allowing her daughter to die and Vincent to slip through her fingers – it was all too much. She couldn't breathe, and if the pain kept up in intensity, she doubted she could live much longer either.

"Vinnie, come back to me, please! I'm sorry, I never meant to push you away! I love you so, so much, Vincent! Leviathan, I'll do anything, just bring him home, please! Leviathan, bring me my Vincent!"

A bolt of lightning struck the window pane, rattling the house and spreading light around, while booming thunder did nothing to drown out Yuffie's pain-filled screams. The rain pounded on the windows, mocking the tears that fell to the bed sheets. "Vincent, let me wake up, please! This can't be happening! Not to us, not to you, not to me! Come wake me up, Vincent, shake me til I wake up from this nightmare! Slap me! Why aren't you waking me up, Vincent!? You always wake me up! Where are you!?"

He's… Leviathan – he's not here anymore! Gone… How could you!? How could you take him away from me!? Her thoughts forced her further into the dark abyss of sorrow, and desperately she raked her hands across the sheets, thrashing and kicking and shrieking in agony and hurt. Not even when Mama died… Leviathan, I trusted you to help me stand, to keep me strong! Not even Aerith, Leviathan, made he denounce you. But my baby – Leviathan, my baby girl… You took her, and I was so, so close to losing it…

And now Vincent? Who else, Leviathan? Godo, Wutai, Tifa, AVALANCHE!?

Gasping, Yuffie forced herself to stand on shaky knees and stumbled to the window, placing her hands on the chilly glass, little streams gliding down the pane and mocking her own copious tears. Crackling lightning and roaring thunder filled the skies, the night black as the hell she was living in. "Black as Vinnie's hair…" How could you, Leviathan? I honored you!

Stiffly, Yuffie picked her PHS up and dialed Vincent's number. Maybe, if she heard his voice, her heart wouldn't hurt as much…

"Valentine. If you have reason to contact me, leave a message." In the background of the recording, she could hear her own voice giggling, "Vinnie can't come to the phone right now, he's preoccupied with me!" There was rustling and then, "Ignore her. Leave a message."

A broken sob escaped her lips. "Vincent, it's me, Yuffie. Please pick up. I think I'm dreaming, I have to be dreaming..."

The message ended, and Yuffie numbly hit the redial key.

"Valentine. If you have reason to contact me, leave a message. - Vinnie can't come to the phone right now, he's preoccupied with me! - Ignore her. Leave a message."

Yuffie sank to her knees, thumb remaining on the call button. She stayed there on her knees, crying and listening to Vincent's voicemail until the sun came up and her giggling on his inbox was driving her up the wall. She remembered the moment clearly, as it occurred right after Deepground. While the two were at Costa del Sol, she'd begged him to set up his voicemail. She continued to bug him as he rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone, both ignoring the glare of the sun as the rest of their friends laughed at Yuffie's antics. The entire time, though, he'd been hiding a smile behind the curtain of his hair, so that only she saw it.

But it was there. She treasured those smiles, smirks, little chuckles. They were few and far between, but it made it all the more special when he'd grace her with one and kiss her knuckles. Those were the things she was going to feel the absence of the most, those moments when he was as happy as she was…

Even when there was a knock on the door, and the landline rang, and she heard Tifa calling from outside, Yuffie remained frozen in place, her heart frozen inside her. It was beyond her now to try and act civil, decent, or any emotion besides broken. No, she needed to be alone for now.

Yuffie tilted her head to the sky and whispered, "Aeris, if you can hear me, hold on to Vincent for me. Tell him I still love him, that I always have. Tell him I'm sorry for everything, that I only want to be with him now." Her mind and heart ached as all hope she had ever had for a future with the gunslinger vanished. She would not wake up beside him in the mornings, she would not receive a goodnight kiss, and she would not ever have use for the nursery again. All the years of traveling together, stealing his things only to have him give her that chiding look with a hint of mischief in his eyes, the years of running around, saving the day from psychotic generals – all of it gone in a moment. The father of her dead child was now dead himself. With a start, the kunoichi realized that, for all intents and purposes, her family was dead.

Miserably, Yuffie wiped her tears from her face and sighed. She'd give anything to go back to the moment before he'd left and take back her words. She wouldn't have said she hated him, she wouldn't have told Tifa that she couldn't love him. She would've said that she couldn't live without him. It was the truth! But she'd been scared of admitting it, and so she broke his heart.

Now, she understood the reason that Vincent had become so withdrawn after Lucrecia's betrayal. It was so easy to let someone become the center of a person's universe, all too easy – and even easier for the sun to burn out and leave the individual a cold and emotionless wreck. Yuffie let Vincent into her heart, her vulnerable, fragile little life, only to have the organ ripped out and squeezed to a pulp like it was mere child's play to do so. Never could she trust another person, never could she let her guard down and allow another to love her, or worse yet, let herself fall in love again. Heartbreak was something she would never endure twice, if she had any say in the matter.

"Oh, Cloud," Tifa moaned, her face smothered in her hands. "How can this happen? Why did this have to happen to them, after everything they've been through!?"

Cloud remained silent, his lips pulled into a frown. He crossed his arms, gazing off to the side of the empty bar, wondering just what had happened to the gunslinger exactly. Reeve had been… vague on the details.

"Damn it to hell!" Cid cursed, tossing back a shot of whisky. "Poor little brat. First the kid, now Vincent?"

Barret shook his head. "Dude survived the Omega attack and gets offed in a materia cave? Something smells fishy here."

Tifa perked up. "Cloud, you said that Reeve was over the materia operation? Vincent mentioned something about Reeve and Shelke being engaged – and since Vincent and she were pretty good friends after Omega, maybe she'll give us a little more information!"

"It's worth a shot," Cloud consented, nodding. The swordsman stood from the bar stool, shaking his blonde spikes. "Tifa, if she were to listen to any of us, it would most likely be you."

Nanaki swished his tail and suggested, "Cid, you could take Tifa to Shelke. It will seem less conspicuous to say that Tifa was in Kalm when she found out about Vincent, and she decided to pay Reeve and Shelke a visit. It will seem odd if we call Shelke and invite her here. She'll know what we are trying to do."

Tifa nodded, and Cid lit a cigarette. "Okay, Tifa, let's go find out what happened to Vincent."

Yuki warked as she raced through the barren landscape, the Nibel area spreading beyond them for miles. The ninja rode silently, her stomach turning, but not from motion sickness – from heartache. She'd taken off into the wilderness, her teeth gritted. The destination had not yet been decided by the ninja, but she no longer cared, just as long as her mind was off the gunslinger.

Unfortunately, riding on the back of a golden chocobo through the wilderness left her plenty of time of time to think of said gunslinger.

Yuffie dragged the chocobo to a stop, sliding off of its back and setting up camp in the woods. She'd packed for a wilderness adventure, just the way she and Vincent had done long ago, back when they were traveling together. This time, no one accompanied her.

"What the hell were you thinking, Vinnie? Running off and playing with some undiscovered materia – really? That's something I'd do! You're so stupid, Vinnie." Yuffie tethered her chocobo to a tree, knowing that the bird liked to take off and run at the most inconvenient times. She pulled greens out of her pack and fed them to the happy chocobo, stroking the feathers atop its head.

After laying a blanket on the cool ground, Yuffie settled herself on the thick cloth, using her arm as a pillow. She rolled over on her side into a more comfortable position, closing her eyes for only a moment. She couldn't keep her eyes closed, she kept seeing Vincent's beautiful face, his crimson eyes always taking in every detail. Yuffie sniffled, holding a hand to her mouth.

"Why'd we have to fight!? Vincent, why did you let me push you away? And all because of a damn piece of – wait…" Yuffie sat up abruptly, frantically searching for the little piece of paper. "I know I have it! I sure as hell didn't give it back to you… Ah, here!"

Yuffie unrolled the sheet, reading the print again. "Child of the union of Chaos' host and the Lady Wutai, the Single White Rose– light of the future, contained within the single planet… A single planet, like the Planet - planet, or like an orb, planet? Like… materia? Vincent, is that what you were doing? Were you looking for our daughter?" The thought brought a bittersweet smile to the ninja's saddened face. "You, with all your noble inclinations, were probably trying to find her, huh? Damn it, Vincent. I killed you… I sent you away! I sent you away knowing that you'd do something effing crazy just to make me happy, just to make me love you again!"

Yuki warked at Yuffie as if to tell her to shut up so it could sleep. Yuffie glared snottily at the bird. "Shut up, Yuki, or I'll go find your mate and then cook him in front of you!" The chocobo warked one last time, its feathers ruffled.

Yuffie grumbled and turned over on her side, pulling a blanket up over her shoulders. She closed her eyes, pretending that it was Vincent there with her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close to keep her warm. Just like way back when…

Reeve paced, his hands clasped behind his back. His hairline was damp, an obvious sign that he was sweating from worry. He stroked his beard, his brow furrowed as he reflected upon the tragic events that lead to this awful conclusion.

"Who leaked the information – and to Vincent Valentine, of all people!?" he demanded, facing a squad captain.

Saluting, the captain replied, "Commander Greyson and his unit were assigned to intel, and it is assumed that someone from the unit disclosed the information to him. The man you contacted to seek Cid Highwind out, a mechanic and W.R.O. communicator, told both men what you requested of him, but somehow, he also knew of the condition of the scientist prior to the materia investigation. It must have piqued Mr. Valentine's interest."

Reeve grit his teeth. "I was very clear when I commanded that no one was to know of the incident, aside from AVALANCHE, and they were to only know that we had discovered a new summon."

The captain nodded. "Yes, sir. "

Reeve sat down in his office chair, sighing deeply. "This is horrible. I… I can't believe this happened to Yuffie. It hurt me so much to tell her…"

The door to Reeve's office opened and a petite woman – who appeared much like a young girl – entered the office, spotting Reeve. "Reeve Tuesti, you are alright?"

Shaking his head, said man replied, "No, not particularly. I had to call Yuffie and explain to her that on top of having her child murdered two weeks ago, Vincent Valentine, her lover, is now dead."

Shelke nodded, her face pensive. "Yes, that must not be easy. The girl has lost much. I wonder – how does her sanity stand now?"

Getting up from his chair, the W.R.O. commissioner approached the girl, shaking his head. "I don't know, truly. I called her this morning to… inform her of the events that transpired in the cave. I asked her to come down to the office as soon as possible, but I've not heard from her since."

"Hmm, Tifa thought maybe she'd be here. She went by Yuffie's, but she said nobody answered. She said that Cloud thinks she was home, but too shaken to do much more than process the information."

"Is Tifa here?"

"Yes," Shelke answered tonelessly.

"Oh." Reeve dismissed the captain, ordering him to leave, and turned to Shelke. "What have you told her?"

"I told her only what I know: Vincent Valentine is dead, and there is a summon materia that was discovered that he seemed to be investigating at the time of the incident." Shelke cocked her head, her face expressionless as usual. "It is unfortunate. He was a good man, Valentine."

"Yes," Reeve replied. He paused for a moment with a torn expression about his face before a decided course of action entered his mind. "Shelke? What I tell you now cannot be discussed with AVALANCHE or Yuffie."

Said girl nodded in agreement.

"The summon we discovered was being investigated by a scientist and he went mad. We shut the operation down after that, but I had an intel officer contact Cid and Vincent to inform them of the summon. I believe that Vincent knew something he had told no one… There was an etching in the materia formation, which is odd. It seemed to be some sort of prophecy. I believe that it had to do with Vincent and Yuffie's daughter."

Curiosity in her voice, Shelke inquired, "What did it say?"

Glancing away, Reeve replied, "It said that their daughter was some sort of harbinger of a storm. It also said that she was a liaison between the Lifestream and the Planet, and would be contained within a planet, or possibly, a materia orb. I think the summon has something to do with her."

"That is absurd, Tuesti. Their daughter contained in a summon materia?"

"I know, it is absurd. But… I believe that Vincent needed to know for himself."

Shelke placed her hands on her hips. "How did he die, Reeve?"

"That is… need to know."

"Reeve, I am your fiancée. Do you not trust me?" Shelke accused, her tone angry.

Looking torn, Reeve confessed, "He accessed the materia and called upon the summon. It sucked the life out of him, sent him straight to the Lifestream. At least, that is what the coroner has decided. I guess we shall never know how he truly ended up dead."

"What do you plan on doing with the materia? More research?"

"No," Reeve answered, his voice grim. "Not at all. I want no more casualties. I believe that I will keep it in a vault for now, and I'll decide at a later time what needs to happen."

"Understood," Shelke answered, emotionless. "Good day, Reeve."

"You too, Shelke," Reeve replied as the woman exited the room. She walked down the hall, and Tifa intercepted her.

"Did he tell you anything?" Tifa asked, anxious. She clasped her hands firmly and leaned forward.

Shelke shook her head. "He told me nothing." The young girl-looking-woman regarded Tifa coolly, her usual blank expression on her face.

Tifa's eyes narrowed fractionally. "I'm sure." As Shelke removed herself from the situation, Tifa placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"Thank you for trying, Shelke. Congrats on your engagement, by the way!" Tifa added warmly. Her hand pulled away from Shelke's shoulder, and the girl thanked her, continuing on her way. Tifa pushed her way out of the building heading straight for the Highwind. Cid waved at her in the distance, and she nodded.

"Did you get it?" Cid called as the barmaid approached him.

Tifa smirked, opening her palm to reveal the tiny device. "Yes, she didn't suspect a thing."

"Damn bugs, make life so much more frickin' simple." He grinned and picked the surveillance device up, walking from the bridge to his control room. He stopped by a computer and inserted the bug, watching the system boot up. Tifa leaned over his shoulder as a window popped up, replaying Reeve and Shelke's conversation. At the end, Tifa felt more confused than ever.

"What the effing hell!?" Cid spoke, summing it up for Tifa.

"What does any of this have to do with Valencia?" Tifa asked, leaning against a control board. "The summon, is he implying that it's Valencia? That doesn't make sense, she's just a baby. Summons are usually some powerful deity-like being with incredible authority."

Cid lit a cigarette up and shoved it between his lips. "I dunno, but this just got a hell of a lot weirder than I could have believed possible."

"You can say that again," Tifa consented.

The materia formation stood magnificently before Yuffie, the red crystal towering above her. The cave glowed oddly from the materia's illumination. "It's beautiful…"

She pressed her hand to the crystal, feeling its smooth surface as she ran her fingers along the edges. Upon feeling an indentation, the kunoichi knelt to examine it, a gasp escaping her lips.

"It's the same thing that was written on the paper," Yuffie awed, her breath caught. "Vinnie… Leviathan, I killed you! I sent you away! I drove you to do something crazy! You just had to see what that damn materia did, didn't you!?"

Yuffie stood and leaned against the mineral. Her stomach fluttered at the thought of Vincent reading the inscription and accessing the materia's power. "Did you do it for me, Vincent? For Rimmy? Our family?"

Of course he had. He always did things for everyone else…

Suddenly, a plethora of events clicked, forming a complete picture in the ninja's mind. So many things began to make sense at once that Yuffie had to block out her thoughts in order to focus solely on the moment. If this inscription on the paper was the same as the one that was on the materia, then someone knew about the materia before she and Vincent, and if her W.R.O. skills were worth anything, that person had to be fairly close to them – close enough to know that she had been sleeping with Vincent and had his child. Close enough to them to know that they'd even had a child, a fact she'd kept very quiet due to her parentage and origination in the strict country of Wutai…

Yuffie narrowed her eyes as she remembered what she had told herself before quitting at the W.R.O. 'Better off laser printing copies of my ass…'

Laser… Lasers melt through things…

The chains…

The informant…

There was something there…

Yuffie shook her head of the thoughts, grabbed her chocobo, and led her to the cave entrance, blinking at the sudden sunlight. She shielded her eyes and glanced off into the horizon. "Yuki, we need to pay a visit to Reeve."

She did not catch the red materia formation brighten and shimmer as she retreated, its crystal like sculpture flashing like lightening. The crystal hummed with life, crackling and vibrating as the power trapped within it awakened.

"Tifa?" The barmaid turned, glancing across the Highwind's bridge to spy Cloud. He stood there sheepishly, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. He made his way to her, taking one of her hands in his.

"Cloud," Tifa warned, making to pull away, but he held her tighter.

"Don't. Don't do this. Look at Vincent and Yuffie – do you want to end up like them? Tifa, I love you, not Aerith. She's dead, Tifa. But you, you are very much alive, and I need you to stay that way. I need you to live so I can love you."

Tifa cut her eyes and looked down at her shoes, not giving in. She couldn't keep waiting for him to get his act together. She couldn't have another event like his absence during the Geostigma. Cloud pulled her chin up, gazing into her wine eyes with his Mako-blue ones. "I love you, Tifa Lockhart."

The barmaid could see that the swordsman was being genuine and telling the truth, for it reflected in his Mako-inhanced eyes. As much as she wanted to pull away and let him know that she wasn't a woman to be toyed with, she couldn't deny him anything. Their lips met, and Tifa wrapped her arms around the swordsman, leaning into his embrace. He slanted his mouth against hers, tangling his hands in her long dark hair. When they pulled back, Tifa smiled and Cloud returned the expression.

"I love you, too, Cloud." Tifa pulled away, turning to find Cid at the other end of the bridge, a cheesy smile on his face as he shot Cloud two thumbs up. Cloud smirked, shaking his head at the pilot. The swordsman turned back to the barmaid and shrugged.

"Where do we go from here?"

"You get off the damn bridge so I can get through!" Cid called, glaring at the ex-Soldier with his eyes, though he had a grin on his face. Cloud rolled his eyes and Cid pushed past him, clapping him on the back.

"Way to go, Cloudy-boy!"

Tifa blushed, her eyes glued to the bridge. She watched Cid walk away and then turned to Cloud. "I don't know, Cloud."

"How about we don't try to figure it out? Things aren't usually easy to figure out for AVALANCHE members. We don't exactly lead normal lives."

Tifa laughed, smiling warmly. "That goes without being said."

Cloud glanced away, his brow furrowed in thought as something occurred to him. "I'm going to try and call Yuffie. Maybe she'll answer her PHS. If we can't find her after that, I'm going to see Reeve."

The swordsman pulled his PHS out, dialing Yuffie's number while Tifa looked on in worry.

"Yo, Yuffster speaking. If I know you, then the body's hidden in the basement. If I don't know you, well, now I probably never will."

Cloud shook his head, stating, "Do you really answer your phone like that, Yuffie?"

Yuffie cackled. "Yeah! See, you guys totally understand that it's just like me to say something like that. Someone else would think I'm nuts!"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Nuts? No, not you, Yuffie."

"Watch it, Chocobo-butt!" Yuffie joked. Relief filled Cloud that she seemed like her usual self. Even so, that seemed to be her defense mechanism. One never knew what Yuffie was truly feeling, not unless she was with Vincent.

"Where are you, Yuffs? We've been looking for you."

"Eh, I've been around. I'm headin' over to Reeve's though."

"You didn't go to the materia deposit, did you?" Cloud asked, his voice wary. Of course she had. She'd have to go.

"Uh… I have the right to remain silent. Anything I say can and will be held against me in the Court of 'Lawkheart'."

"Wise answer," Cloud replied, suppressing a smirk. "Speaking of which, do you want to talk to her?"

"I…uh, gotta go! Big, nasty Nibel wolves! Ta ta for now!" Cloud groaned as the PHS clicked off. Tifa tilted her head, her long brown hair cascading over her shoulder as her red eyes regarded him warmly.

"She had to go. 'Battle' Nibel wolves and all, even though I'm sure she's nowhere near Nibelheim." Tifa nodded knowingly, a smirk on her pretty lips. Cloud walked to the machine room, Tifa following him.

"She's going to see Reeve."

She tucked a lock of her hear behind her ear and glanced away. "Gaia, I hope she's alright."

"Reeve, you get your ass over here right now! As the former heir-to-the-Wutai-throne, I demand you tell me what the hell is going on!"

Reeve didn't even flinch at Yuffie's entrance, for he'd been alerted by the security footage operator that a five-foot-something ninja was storming down the hallways furiously. Reeve gestured for Yuffie to sit down, which she did so jeeringly.

"Yuffie, my dear, you must know that I am sorry beyond words for what has happened… I never meant for anything to happen, not to you, not to Vincent, and not to anyone else sent into that materia cave." Reeve leaned forward, clasping his hands on the desk. "Yuffie, I hesitate to tell you what's going on-"

"You ass-"

"Listen, Yuffie! I hesitate to tell you what's going on because I don't want you to endanger yourself. You've been known to do some pretty wild things when the moment sparks your fancy. I need you to promise to be mature about this."

Seething, Yuffie replied, "Vincent. Is. Dead. Reeve. I think I deserve to know what's going on, and I think I can be trusted to handle this information."

Nodding, Reeve replied, "That's what I like to hear, Yuffie. The story begins outside of Nibelheim. By chance, one of our elite scouts discovered the materia cave and I called for immediate investigation. We sent in the W.R.O.'s finest scientist to research the materia. He activated it after discovering it was a summon, but soon after, he seemed to lose control of rationale, going stark-raving mad and attacking the unit outside. Some of the officers apprehended him, but everyone was shaken. He was taken back to the W.R.O. facility for close watch and placed under quarantine. So far, it appears that he is much like Chaos might be, absolutely ludicrous and seemingly soulless. We are not positive as to what transpired while the materia was activated, but we are sure nothing good came of it.

"Then, information regarding the scientist was leaked to Cid and Vincent while they were aboard the Highwind. Yuffie, I promise that I gave strict orders that they were to only be told that a new summon was discovered, seeing as how we both know that any other information would have caught Vincent's curiosity immediately. Unfortunately, there was an obvious breech of W.R.O. protocol, and Vincent was told the information, regardless. He went to investigate, and – well, we aren't yet sure exactly what happened to him. The scientist only went mad, Vincent… died altogether. Yuffie, words cannot describe the regret I feel. I'd give anything to fix this, truly. - Oh, and Rosso is back, so you may rest easy. We are still questioning her. For now, take time to digest the information. I will alert you if I find out anything else."

Yuffie rose, thanking Reeve as she made her way to the door. After a moment, she turned and addressed, "Reeve, you weren't going to tell me, were you?"

Reeve regarded her thoughtfully, answering, "About what truly happened in the cave? No. But then you came here, and I saw that look in your eyes, and I knew that I couldn't keep it from you. You lost your child, Yuffie, and then you lost Vincent. I can't bring myself to lie or withhold things from you. Honesty is the least I can give you. You deserve to know after all you've been through."

"Thank you, Reeve," Yuffie replied, and she left his office.

Vincent, why'd you leave me? You knew what happened to that scientist and you activated the materia, anyways! I hate you, Vincent, for making me so damn dependent on your existence! I hate you for making me love you more than I ever thought capable!

Once she had a moment to herself, the ninja leaned against the wall outside of Reeve's office and closed her eyes. She thought back to that moment in the cave, when everything began to make sense. There was… There was some little detail that Yuffie was missing…

Yuffie sighed, letting the thought go as her eyes scanned the hallway. "I was here with Vincent, during Deepground, back when we were first discovering how much we loved each other. Now look at us, Vincent's dead, and I'm lost without him. And to think, only a year ago, we were saving the Planet, side by side."

"Yuffie." The ninja turned to the source of the voice, finding Shelke. The woman regarded her with curious eyes, her head turned. Something there… Yuffie thought, her eyes narrowed.

"You should not be so weak, Ms. Kisaragi. Vincent is dead, and it was painfully obvious from the start that the two of you would never work out. Your daughter's death only served as a catalyst for the inevitable, be grateful that she served you a justice by waking you up to the harsh reality that is life. Vincent Valentine could never truly love you – the two of you were just too different. That child was the only thing holding you together, and now, has served to prove that your relationship was condemned from the beginning."

Yuffie's mouth gaped, her eyes filled with disgust. "Why, you little bitch!" she screeched, storming over to the petite girl with her hand ready to strike. "It's a damn shame Vincent isn't here to hold me back this time, whore!"

Rearing back, Yuffie backhanded the girl with as much force as she possessed, causing her hand to sting. The red throbbing mark on Shelke's face looked a lot more painful, though, Yuffie assumed. But she wasn't finished. Wrenching a fistful of Shelke's hair, Yuffie yanked forcefully, tugging a nice clump of brownish-red hair from the Tsviet's head, causing her to cry out. Yuffie delivered a solid blow to her gut and then hurled her to the floor, straddling her and wrapping her hands around her slender neck.

"I could kill you!" Yuffie cried, her voice strained. "How dare you speak of my daughter's death like that – of my family like that!? I could effing kill you!"

Reeve came running into the hall to find the murderous Yuffie choking Shelke in a blind rage, the ex-Tsviet trying in vain to shove the stronger woman off. "Yuffie!"

Reeve heaved Yuffie off of Shelke, calling angrily at the guards to hold her back. Yuffie fought against her restraints, tears streaming down her face as she growled in ire. "Reeve, she said Valencia's death was a justice! She said that Vincent and I would be nothing without her, and her death was convenient! Reeve, how could she say that!?" The commissioner stopped dead at that, his face falling into an expressionless mask. Reeve regarded Shelke disdainfully, not wanting to believe it.

"Shelke, tell me you did not."

Rubbing her raw throat, Shelke replied in a level tone, "I spoke the truth."

Reeve shook his head in a pitiful manner. "I cannot believe you would say such a thing. I can't believe you would even think that. Shelke, please, you need to go now. Go home and think about what you've done."

"Whether I look that way or not, Reeve, I am not a child. I will not be treated as such-"

"Then don't act as such," Reeve reprimanded harshly, watching Shelke straighten her shirt out and turn on her heal, storming off. He turned to Yuffie. "And you – you are not completely faultless in this, either."

"What the hell did I do!? She talked about my daughter's death like it was a blessing!" Yuffie hissed, her eyes unfocusing as rage consumed her.

"Yes, but you don't attempt to murder someone for something they said, even if it was a cruel as it was." Reeve placed a hand on the ninja's shoulder and continued, "You need to go home too, Yuffie. You need rest."

"Go home?" Yuffie sneered. "Go home? Where, Reeve!? Just where the hell is home for me!? Wutai, where all of the men can rape me if I return!? Shinra Manor, where Vincent and I lived - oh, right - before I told him that I didn't love him, before he died! Seventh Heaven, where I've only served to insult Tifa and ruin her relationship with Cloud!? WHERE, Reeve!? Where is home!? Please tell me, I need to know!"

Reeve flinched at the desperate tone in Yuffie's pleading voice. Tears streamed down her face, her brown eyes wide and scared. He turned away, unable to endure the lost look in her eyes. She was utterly broken, so different from the gleeful ninja she had been with Vincent during Deepground.

"I don't know, Yuffie. I really don't know."

The guards released the struggling ninja and she dropped to her knees. "I want Vincent! Leviathan, please, I want Vincent!"

Reeve's heart ached at the pitiful sight that was Yuffie. What had happened to the vivacious ninja who didn't let a thing bother her, who could be insulted and humiliated, and come up with a clever response and laugh at herself? What happened to the Yuffie Kisaragi that belonged to AVALANCHE, that saved the world three times?

Vincent Valentine, Reeve decided. Vincent Valentine happened to her, and she happened to him. She brought the gunslinger to life, and he taught her how the world worked. Unfortunately, fate seemed to be against them – always against them.

The ninja turned her head, drawing her knees to her side as she shook slightly, lip trembling. For a moment, she grazed the spot on her hand where she'd accidentally brushed against Shelke's weapon during their fight. Her eyes widened at the burn marring her skin.

Yuffie gasped, finally comprehending what it was she had tried to remember when she was investigating Rosso's disappearance and had come across the weapon info at the bottom of a statement. And what she had begun to realize in the cave, when she thought about her statement of laser printers… And when she looked at Shelke, and there was something there…

"She did it, Reeve."

Reeve glanced up. "What are you talking about, Yuffie?"

Yuffie looked up into his eyes, and something in her brown orbs burned with pure hatred. Realization set in on her face, and she whispered venomously, "The chains were melted with a laser. Shelke's weapons are EM sabers – they're like lasers. They are narrow and can reach a temperature at the tip hot enough to melt through the shackles. She and Rosso were both Tsviets – who's to say that they weren't working together this entire time? She knew everything because she was your confidante, Reeve! She's the turncoat – she's the one who helped Rosso out and who told the Highwind mechanic about the cave!"

"Yuffie, that's insane," Reeve responded automatically, shaking his head in disbelief. But was it, really? Everything made sense…

"Gaia! She was with the man that discovered the cave! I told her about the summon materia, and she knew that I'd tell Vincent. She was gone when Vincent went to that cave," the commissioner gasped, his eyes wide. "She killed Vincent in the cave…"

Yuffie stammered, her eyes wild and crazed, "She – no! No, she wouldn't! Not that too!"

"Something else?" Reeve asked, afraid of the answer. He couldn't fathom the idea of his fiancée having helped Rosso the Crimson plot against the W.R.O., against him.

"She was in Edge when it happened; she was in Edge when Rosso ordered my daughter's death. Reeve – she was the one who killed my daughter!"

The man wanted so much to be in denial, but the bigger picture was crystal clear. Reeve sunk to his knees, appalled that Shelke was capable of such a thing. Shelke murdered Yuffie's daughter and Vincent. She'd been working with Rosso the entire time.

Yuffie collapsed in tears, and Reeve stayed stock-still, processing the cold fact that his fiancée had killed the man he called his friend and his innocent daughter.

So, yeah... I guess you all kinda hate me now, huh? But I PROMISE that this is not how things end. I've got a plan! Unfortunately, you'll only know how things go if you drop a review ;)

ALSO: I am aware that Shelke's weapons are electromagnetic sabers, an I'm uncertain if they actually generate heat. However, I'm taking my creative license and running with it, and there was that one scene where Reeve, maybe it was Vincent, sets off the sprinklers in DOC and Shelke's sabers went out. SO, I'm saying that they do generate electricity that is heated and can burn and melt things