((Author's Note: Fun fact time: Transformations has received almost 4.5k views so far. That is an awesome feeling! I never hear from most of those readers, though, so I really appreciate the people who offer their comments and support through favorites/follows and reviews. I'd like to take a moment to thank my most frequent and loyal reviewers, because you guys have been amazing for the entire ride thus far, and definitely keep me motivated! So, in no particular order: FreezingCold, Vincent's Claw, Dragon of Zanarkand, Seproth (Happy birthday, man!), Dzuljeta, Miano53, SeersSword, Chaouleon, Bexteron, Ardwynna Morrigu, Tsukiyomi Moto, zexydemyx66, JilliBeanz, saster123, and Mata Nui. Thank you SO MUCH, guys, and thank you to everyone else who has reviewed or added me to your lists as well. I've got the best readers out there, and I am honored that I get to tell you all the stories that were born and bred inside my mind. Anyway, enjoy! ~ JenesisX ))
Chapter Fifteen: Responsibility
Vincent sat at his desk in the security building, sifting through the stack of paperwork and memos that had been left upon it over the last few days. Incident reports, arrest records, requests from various guards about everything from their assigned shifts to partners… Most of it was not pressing, and his staff was used to the fact that he tended to disappear for days at a time. They were largely self sufficient and responsible without him, and knew that in the event of a real emergency they were to contact Sephiroth, or Cloud if he was unavailable. He supposed he really should have appointed an assistant chief by now, but no one available had the experience or leadership qualities for such a position. His security team was largely young and new to that line of work, much like Junon Harbor's military. They were dedicated and enthusiastic… But at times, little else.
Despite the mound of documents piled before him, Vincent was in a cheerful mood that morning. The previous evening spent with Lucrecia on the beach had been one of the best of his life. Despite the memories he'd experienced and the unpleasant information he'd finally been able to share with her, he had been able to relax and feel as if they were a normal couple in love… And that he was just a man and not a demon or some kind of foul undead. It was a blissful relief, and he could still feel the warmth throughout his body. It made it a bit difficult to remain focused, but he did his best.
He glanced over a report about a pair of thieves who'd been harassing shopkeepers throughout the base and town below over the last few weeks. They had finally been caught in the act, and were languishing in the brig until Vincent gave the order regarding their punishment. He did not feel the least bit guilty that they'd had the wait the extra time while he was indisposed, rarely experiencing sympathy for those who disrupted the city they'd been trying so hard to rebuild. He quickly signed the document that would set them free, under the condition that they were to leave Junon Harbor and never return. The brig was quite small and far from modern, and Avalanche had decided that housing a large number of criminals was not in anyone's best interest. So far, that course of action had been effective. The threat of life spent in such an antiquated prison seemed to be an adequate deterrent.
Vincent moved on to the next sheet in the stack, a long-winded request by one of his newer guards to switch from night shift to days. He shook his head, sighing to himself. It was at least the third request or complaint by the same young employee in less than a month's time. The reason given had something to do with the woman's family life, and while he felt bad for her, he simply couldn't approve every similar request. The daylight hours tended to be calm, with little crime or need for action, and there were already more than enough security officers scheduled between sunrise and sunset even though Vincent himself was rarely on duty. He quickly jotted down a polite decline at the bottom of the form, adding that he would consider it if someone from days wanted to switch with her, then set it aside.
He next reached down and turned on his computer, intending to check his e-mail… though he was fearful it only contained additional electronic paperwork. The machine was still in the process of booting up when there was a quiet knock at the door. He'd left it ajar, as he was expecting someone for a meeting in a short while, but when he glanced up he was surprised to find Yuffie waiting there instead. She looked hesitant, even a bit shy, offering a little wave when he nodded his acknowledgement.
"Um, hey… Can I come in?" she asked, uncharacteristically polite. Vincent immediately knew that she wanted something, groaning inwardly, but waved her inside anyway. She did not pull the door closed behind her, which he took as a good sign. At least it was not going to be anything embarrassing or overly personal.
"Sit," he said, when the girl simply stood in the center of the room looking uncomfortable. She flopped into the chair across from him and gripped the arms with both small hands, leaning forward to study all the papers spread across his desk.
"Finally decided to come to work today, eh?" she asked, grinning crookedly.
Vincent simply stared at her. She began to fidget, blowing a bubble with the pink gum she was chewing. He hated when people chewed gum. It was so loud to his sensitive ears, and he couldn't help but smell it even from across the room. He would never understand why people felt the need to do so, though he supposed it was preferable to smoking.
"I looked for you the last couple of days, but you weren't around," she continued, squirming under his intense gaze. Vincent made an effort to soften his expression, leaning back in his chair and attempting to look somewhat approachable. "Did Chaos take you off on a little tour again?"
He nodded sharply, pulling his cloak closer around his neck so he could shield his face with it. Even though all of the members of Avalanche knew of the demonic presence that often overtook his body, he was still ashamed and unhappy that she'd known where he was… At least partially. He'd sooner die than have her find out the rest of the story.
"That sucks," Yuffie said when he did not answer further, her tone sympathetic. "I'm glad you're back, though!"
"Why is that?" he asked quietly, though he admitted that part of her was no doubt sincere in her concern for his well being. She had been kinder to he and Sephiroth than anyone else aside from Aeris during their long journey, and he would never forget her for it… Even if she did annoy him.
"Because we all missed you! And um… because I wanted to ask you something."
And the truth comes out… So predictable.
"All right."
Yuffie shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with his short replies even though she was quite used to his manner of speaking after so long. "It's kind of a favor…"
Vincent continued to watch her, but said nothing. The girl sighed heavily, briefly biting her bottom lip for a moment before she found the courage to continue.
"Can I please not have to supervise Reno every single day? He's driving me crazy! He is so annoying. He makes fun of me constantly, and he's lazy and never wants to work! I'm so freaking tired of him. And Rude, too! He just stands around and snickers at everything Reno does like he's a comedy act. Ugh!"
Vincent had to fight not to smirk, still using his cloak to cover the bottom half of his face. In the past, he had used it to hide himself away from the world, and to guard against anyone being able to see how he felt and what he was thinking when he was so depressed he could barely continue living. He no longer felt the need to do so most of the time, but it still came in handy in situations like these. He was quite amused that his plan was working as intended, though Yuffie had grown tired of her new duty much faster than he'd anticipated. He had to give Reno credit for that. He had managed to annoy one of the most annoying people Vincent knew in just over a week's time.
"Are you saying you wish to be relieved of your duties?" he asked her, his voice devoid of emotion.
"YES! Of those duties, anyway. Can't I do something else? I don't want to babysit the Turks any more!"
"Are you finding the assignment too difficult?" he asked, peering out at her from behind a wall of red. He knew his words would get an instant reaction, and Yuffie did not disappoint him.
"What?! NO! That isn't what I meant!" she exclaimed, her cheeks flushing crimson. "It is not too hard for me at all. He's just… so annoying, and so gross! I was just hoping maybe…?"
"Yuffie, this is a very important duty, and I thought I could rely on you to handle it," Vincent said, forcing disappointment into his tone. The look on her face was priceless. "I suppose if I need to find someone else, I can inquire with Aeris if she needs an assistant to help her pull weeds or spread fertilizer…"
Yuffie looked about ready to start gagging at the very thought. "No, no! Really, it's okay! You can totally count on me to take care of things. I'll make sure Reno gets his ass in line and does what he's supposed to!"
"Good," Vincent said nonchalantly, fighting an odd desire to laugh. He was so unused to the feeling that at first he hadn't recognized it. He wondered when the last time had been, but decided not to worry about it. He was still learning how to smile again, after all. "I will do you a small favor, however, since you have been such a reliable guard and are willing to stick with it." It was the least he could do for the fun he was having at her expense, not to mention that she was keeping an eye on the Turks for him.
Yuffie's eyes lit up, and she raised both eyebrows expectantly. "Ooh, really?" she asked, practically bouncing in her chair. "What is it? Materia? A raise?"
"No… I will be sure to assign Tseng to you instead of Rude for the next week, to help offset Reno, and as long as all goes well today all of you can have tomorrow off. You can let the Turks know whenever you choose."
"Cool!" Yuffie exclaimed, though she instantly frowned and tilted her head. "Hey, wait a minute. What's with you?"
"Excuse me?"
"You're being awfully nice… What's the catch?"
"No catch… I just felt like it."
Vincent's mind began to drift back to the previous evening, and before he realized it a slow smile had spread across his face. Just as he caught himself and replaced it with his usual grim expression, Yuffie hopped up out of her chair, pointing at him with a wide grin.
"Ha! I saw that!" she exclaimed, causing his cheeks to grow warm with embarrassment. "I saw you smile! What the hell, Vinny. Since when do you smile? I didn't think you knew how."
"My name is Vincent," he corrected her for the thousandth time, quickly using his cloak to hide his face while attempting to sink into his chair. "And I did no such thing."
"Yes you did! Liar! I totally saw it!" Yuffie accused with a giggle, placing both her palms on his desktop and staring at him across it. "Come onnnnn, what's so good that's got you all happy? You're weirding me out!"
"Nothing…"
"Oh, please! TELL ME! I'm not leaving until you do!"
Oh gods… What a horrifying idea…
"Fine. I had a nice evening, that is all."
All hopes that his statement sounded dull and innocent were immediately lost when her eyes went wide, a knowing smirk quickly spreading across her face.
"Ooh, baby! Hahaha! You got lucky, did you? Good! You've been way too uptight lately, you know? You should do that more often. I'll even ask Lucrecia for you if you want!" She dissolved into giggles, reminding him once again that despite everything she'd gone through with the team, she was still only a teenager.
Vincent rolled his eyes, hoping that he was not visibly blushing. It certainly felt as if he was, a fact he found rather disturbing. "Go away, Yuffie… Before I change my mind."
"Yes, sir!" she exclaimed with a mock salute, spinning around and heading for the door so quickly that she nearly slammed into Tseng. She put on the brakes and backed up a few steps, studying him awkwardly for a moment.
"Yuffie," he said with a polite nod, appearing surprised to see her there.
"Hey, it's my favorite Turk… The smart one who kicks ass killing bees! Um… I was just leaving, so seeya!"
She slipped around him and out the door, leaving Tseng to blink after her. He finally shrugged to himself, then turned and entered Vincent's office. He pulled the door closed behind him, nodding a greeting before settling into the chair Yuffie had vacated just moments before.
"Good morning," Vincent said, quickly tidying up the paperwork he hadn't gotten to. He briefly mused over the contrast between his first meeting, and the one he was about to have. At least he could be reasonably sure that Tseng didn't plan to tease him and dig into his personal life.
The former leader of the Turks seemed to be sizing him up again, his dark eyes alert and taking in every detail. Vincent found himself much more on guard as well, his old training kicking in and causing him to do the same. He believed that Tseng was genuine, and would not attempt anything because he was sincere in his desire to protect Elena and their unborn child. But still, one could never be certain with a Turk, retired or not.
"Thank you for coming," Vincent continued when Tseng did not speak, receiving only another nod in reply. "I trust you are prepared to discuss this inside contact of yours, and how we might be able to speak with them to get an update about Shin-ra's recent activity?"
"Of course," Tseng finally replied, folding his hands in his lap. "All I will need is access to a computer with an internet connection, and I ought to be able to reach him." He paused, glancing down at his watch. "I am certain he is at his desk now."
Vincent paused to consider the request, realizing that it was a rather large risk. Even if he stood watching over his shoulder the entire time, Tseng was still capable of doing something too quickly to be stopped. Cloud would have his head if he let that happen, not to mention that it would endanger the entire base and everyone living within it. He briefly weighed the options before exhaling and meeting the other man's eyes.
"All right… But you had best not try anything," he warned, allowing the threat to ring clear in his voice. Tseng sighed, about to roll his eyes, but finally nodded his agreement and managed to keep his expression neutral.
"You cannot think I would risk everything I have by doing something that stupid," he said, sounding a bit offended. "You have my word."
"Very well," Vincent replied, rising from his chair and gesturing toward it. "Go ahead, then."
As Tseng stood and walked around the desk to take his place at the computer, Vincent watched his every move, hoping that his judgment was sound and the former Turk would not do anything to jeopardize either of their futures.
((Author's Notes: My apologies that this chapter took a bit longer than my updates have been as of late. I usually aim for once a week or so as long as my muse cooperates, but lately I had just been on a heck of a tear and could not stop writing. But as some of you know, I suffer from chronic health problems, and that is what usually slows me down when you don't hear from me for a while. Definitely was the case this time around, unfortunately. I appreciate your patience and continued support, and hope no one had given up on me, haha. Anyway, the Yuffie part of this chapter wasn't planned, and sort of just happened when I sat down to write. See what I mean about never knowing how long a fic will be? One chapter just split into two here, and I never stick to my outlines, lol. So the bulk of Vincent's meeting with Tseng got pushed into the next chapter. Will our former Turk behave himself? (Also, those who read On My Honor know who the secret inside contact is, so you'll have an advantage ;) Anyway, thanks again everyone! Til next time. ~ JenesisX ))
