A/N: A date scene is coming up around the bend, and in the flashback here, and so I'll do a sort of flashback cliffhanger here. Do read and review would you kindly?

Time until Vincent's life expires: 25 days, 5 months…

It took four days, but it was actually fine to leave now. Cid wheeled Vincent out of the hospital with Yuffie nearby. It really was easier to move him around on the wheelchair rather than to heave him around like a sack of potatoes. "So old man, who's watching over the little guy?" asked Yuffie, "Shera brought him along," said the chain-smoking pilot, "she's got a bit of medical training, so that if the shit hits the fan at any time during this little trip of yours, she'll be on hand to treat your fuckin' man."

"Thanks Cid…I really appreciate it.

"No worries…Shera actually bothered me about it, and I actually understand why. The guy's practically had nothin' the last thirty years he's been asleep—it's about time he actually started livin' for once…not to say that you were nothin' to him, but I'm just sayin', after all this time, now he gets to actually enjoy life…do all the stuff he wanted to do before he dies. So where's the first destination?"

"Let's head for Wutai…there's several things we want to do there, so we may as well make a stop and pay my dad a visit."

"I also want to find what's left of my old house there, and if possible, restore it…I want to do that before I go anywhere else."

"Yeah well, you'd better not keel over anytime soon. I don't want that little brat of yours to be poppin' out without her fuckin' daddy around…it's bad enough that you are wastin' away like this, but to die out without seein' your baby, I don't think I can live with myself if that happened to me."

"I'll try to make sure that I stay alive for as long as possible. Oh, and Cid, do please refrain from cursing in front of my daughter again—I don't think you want to see the repercussions of such an action."

"And what're you gonna do about it Vince? You're too weak to stop me."

At that, Vincent grinned mischievously. "Yes, but I'm sure Shera and Yuffie would have enough strength to do so."

Cid froze halfway towards the handicap ramp in terror—he knew then and there that he made a big mistake in testing Vincent. And the worst mistake of all was telling Vincent what happened when Shera was pregnant in the first place—it was such a painful experience for him that he would not want to repeat it. The wrench swung in the general direction of his head…the flying teapot aimed at his face…even the occasional slapping around…no, he most definitely did not want to go through that again! And with that, he knew to stop the cursing, because that was exactly what happened when he did so around Shera when she was pregnant—who knows what would have happened if she teamed up with Yuffie. Come to think of it, there was an evil glint in the brat's eyes when she looked at him…oh, he'd better shut up and stop the cursing immediately if he knows what's good for him.

With that, he silently pushed Vincent up the ramp—a chill running down his spine as he remembered that look in Yuffie's eyes.

Flashback, roughly 4 years ago…

After a shower, Yuffie stepped out of the restroom in an emerald-colored Wutainese silk dress that exposed her shoulders and tied above her bust and around her neck…it was a sight that left a black tuxedoed Vincent speechless. Yuffie herself noted that this must have been how he looked while he was with the Turks, only this version of himself had a ponytail tying his hair back and was wearing a black tuxedo—oh she was going to eat him on sight, and yes, she too was speechless until she decided to break the ice. "So, where are we going Vince?"

It was then that he finally found the words in his mouth. "We are headed for the gondola…if you are ready that is." The walk was slow and deliberate, and the stars overhead made it a very beautiful night for a stroll through the amusement park. Yuffie found herself leaning on Vincent's arm from the moment they sat down on that mechanical boat ride as the two of them watched the stars and glanced at the crescent moon in the sky.

It was then that Yuffie noted that the ride had ended that she began to speak up. "It's a really nice night to be out Vince, but why did you ask me to dress up nice if we were just going on the gondola ride?"

"It's a secret. Just wait for a moment…"

Before she could say another word, the mechanical doors to the ride had opened, assumingly to take in the boat, but before Yuffie could get out, Vincent grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back in gently while holding her close while the boat was hoisted into the darkness of the machinery inside the ride. "Don't worry," said Vincent, sensing her fear, "this is part of the secret surprise…it should be coming up soon." And sure enough, a pair of lights came up at the horizon, and eventually, they got larger and larger until they revealed themselves to be torches standing side-by-side with a door in between them. On the door was a sliding opening for an eye slit—Vincent knocked on the metal door three times, paused, knocked one more time, paused, and then knocked twice before the sliding door opened, and the couple was faced with a pair of nonreflecting sunglasses looking back at them before a low voice rang out, "The king of the sun sees all truth."

Vincent answered, "But his ever-pursued lover, the queen of the moon knows all secrets."

"You may pass," said the voice, "The Lady of the Night grants you passage…feel free to step into her domain, but one word of trouble and she shall banish you…understood?" The second that Vincent nodded for 'yes', the sliding door closed, and behind the door was a large Del Solian man with Barrett's build only with both hands intact and in a tuxedo and a pair of nonreflecting sunglasses over his eyes—he appeared to be in his fifties to early sixties, and still powerfully-built.

As the two of them walked through the doorway, they found themselves looking at an elevator. Once Yuffie stepped in first, Vincent followed, and pressed the button, shutting the metal doors. It would be five seconds before the doors opened again to reveal a large room with waiters serving all manners of delicious meals, wine glasses, and many other things that were mouth-watering in Yuffie's eyes. And what made the place even better was the fact that everything was smothered in luxury, and the sound of the piano playing only sweetened the deal as the whole place was divided between a casino, a ballroom, and a restaurant.

"My father took me here once as a child," began Vincent, as the two of them stepped out of the elevator, "he made me swear to never tell anyone of this secret, or else this place may very well disappear. It is a members-only club, only allowing guests in if you're a trusted member. I earned my trusted membership by spending my summers playing the piano at the bar over there. Ever since then, whenever I play the piano, I get a free meal for me and Dad—I would have also been offered a free shot at the bar and money for the gambling tables, but I was under 21 at the time…it wasn't until I became a Turk that I took full advantage of it." He then paused, and thought back. "Dad actually supported my dream of being a pianist one day—but ever since he died, and I was drafted to quell the terrorism pandemic, things changed. I'm not even certain if I still have it in me to play another note."

"You'll never know until you try." Oh those chocolate-colored eyes made him melt, and the shine behind them urged him on, as if to say, 'you can do it, I know you can'. "C'mon Vince, how do you know if you've lost it if you don't try?"

As if on cue, the entire bar was getting restless—because the current pianist stopped in the middle of his song and was in the middle of a long phone call on his cell. Whatever it was, it was not good for the pianist, and the band was getting nervous. The Lady of the Night was a musical place, no music means that the people can't relax as well as they could, and when people can't relax as best they can, they tend to riot—slot machines destroyed, poker tables overturned, looters are going to take every advantage as if it were the end of the world. Vincent knew this, and so he hurried to the piano with Yuffie in tow.

"I know…I know, it's just…" asked the current pianist on his phone and panicking, "I-I can't leave—no honey, it's not that I don't want to come, you know how much your mother meant to me, it's just that if I leave in the middle of this recital, the people here are going to riot, people will get hurt, and I won't have a place to work…look, it's not that! I'm going to take it up with the boss right now—surely she'll understand. Okay, I love you, bye-bye."

As soon as the man hung up his phone, Vincent stepped up. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice you had a problem, and I was wondering if I could help."

"Can you play?"

"To be honest, I've been out of practice for a while. Just go and tend to your business with the boss. I'll handle your set until a replacement comes."

"Thanks—I owe you one. My mother-in-law just died, and I have to go be there for my wife."

"Very understandable; after all, family is important."

The pianist nodded, and ran towards the far right-hand corner of the club. Yuffie sat nearby, and watched as Vincent sat at the seat with the band behind him. "Excuse me ladies and gentlemen," he said to the microphone, "due to some unforeseen circumstances, your current pianist has to leave…but fret not, for I will be replacing him for tonight until a proper replacement arrives, I will be playing a few solos in my repertoire for you this lovely night. For my first song, I will be playing a song I have titled as 'Okaasan'."

With that, Vincent stretched out, and let his heart provide the notes…closing his eyes to picture the sheet in front of him…it was the first time he had ever played this song in front of everyone in this club, so he prepped his mind, and he began to play…the scene before him was a motherly woman not unlike Tifa walking down the streets with her child—a son she had with a man from far away. They were a happy family, despite being a small one. Oh yes, this brought back his memories of his childhood while his mother was still alive—in fact, the woman he was picturing was his mother. As he played, he remembered the first time he ever wrote the song—it brought tears to his eyes to remember the good days he had with her, and it still does today, especially whenever he looks at Tifa, for she looks exactly the way his mother did before she was claimed by disease and he had to be taken by his father to Nibelheim. Once he opened his eyes upon finishing the song, he noted that the entire crowd was in awe—the gambling had silenced, everyone had stopped eating, and instead, they had all turned their attentions to him by moving their seats closer.

"So he has returned," said a voice walking forward from the back of the crowd, it belonged to a woman in her late fifties, "the great Vincent Valentine has come back from the dead, and graces us with his presence after almost thirty years."

"Well, well…if it isn't Madame Carla Rousseau…how is the family business these days?"

Yuffie looked to Vincent with curiosity in her eyes. "Family business?"

"Yes Yuffie, the dress shop we visited earlier is owned by the Rousseau family, and every matriarch of the family inherits this club, and the shop is to train the next matriarch—by the way Carla, who is this new matriarch-in-training that we've encountered earlier?"

Carla giggled slightly. "I see that your charm, like your father's, never lost its touch. The new matriarch-in-training happens to be my niece Gabriella…she told me something interesting about your little date. Are you really the White Rose of Wutai that aided in saving us from Meteor?"

She didn't know what to say, but it was clear that Carla here had some history with Vincent. Yuffie was embarrassed as she scratched the back of her head. "Well, Vince helped too! But I assure you, I did most of the work!"

The amused look on Carla's face seemed to widen ever so slightly…although there seemed to be something along the lines of jealousy in her eyes, and Yuffie saw it. "I'm sure you did…although knowing Vincent here, I'm pretty sure he must have garnered at least a little bit of interest from you without realizing it. I should know…I happen to be his first time…and it was good."

Yuffie also didn't know why, but she felt the impulse to latch onto Vincent's arm, and glare daggers at the older woman. "Well I don't know how good it was with you and Vinnie, but he was quite the gentleman with me on my first time…I very much ENJOYED it, and am looking to enjoy MORE time with him!"

Vincent saw where this was going, "I'll have to apologize Carla…but we came here to enjoy a night here…so if you'll kindly dial up for the replacement pianist, that would be lovely. I'll hold up the bar for as long as it takes for him to get here."

The look of defeat on Carla's face was apparent…oh she had to look into those blood-colored eyes of his…it as if they had this sort of hypnotic effect on all women the second he uses polite words to ask a favor. She then glanced with envy at the Wutai brat…oh she was lucky all right—and it seemed to fill her with regret. What it was, Yuffie could not tell, but she knew that her rival was going to give in. "Of course…after all, you did save us, so it's the least I can do for your troubles…" Yuffie was surprised by what she heard the second she saw Carla dart her head next to Vincent's ear, and whisper, "although if you're getting tired of the princess here, I would be happy to welcome you back to my chambers."

Vincent sighed as Yuffie tightened her grip on his arm—even though Carla was a few years from sixty, she was still very sexy when she wanted to be. He never even thought that she would BE jealous—she said herself that she wanted nothing but one-nighters, so why is she even jealous in the first place? "I appreciate the offer Carla, but I do recall you saying something about my first time being a 'one-time thing' when we were eighteen. And knowing you at the time, you didn't really want to be in a committed relationship in the first place…has something changed?"

Caught…well, she may as well come clean. "Okay! After our night together, one-night stands started losing their flavor for me! And then somewhere along the line, I started picturing you when I slept with all those other men. What we had then was so good, that it wasn't enough for me to simply picture you in their place; I wanted you there, in the flesh and taking me the way you did that night—or maybe even better. And then I didn't even want to simply have animal sex with you, I wanted to marry you! There, I said it, are you happy now? You just made me admit to not wanting one-nighters anymore and wanting to marry you!"

To say that he was surprised was an understatement—Vincent never knew that after their one night, Carla could not get him out of her mind. "I'm sorry about that Carla…I never realized you felt that way. And I have to apologize, but I'm already in a relationship with the princess here; not for money or the sort, but simply because I really do have feelings for her. I'm not talking about lust or anything else—what I'm talking about is sincere. Although I do see someone showing an interest in you—is that Georges Delacroix over there waving at you?" Upon hearing those words, Carla turned her head…and sure enough, there was a 50-year-old man waving at her. "I may not be a viable target for you anymore Carla, but someone seems to want you badly…and if I recall correctly, Georges has been interested in you from the day he first saw you. Go to him…and if he gives you any sort of ungentlemanly conduct without your permission, I'll still punish him for you."

She smiled, and kissed Vincent on the cheek. "I'll let you know how it went. But in the meantime, please, sit and enjoy once you're done." As soon as the old flame was out of earshot, Yuffie looked up to Vincent. "Were you serious? About being sincere with me?" "One thing that will be learned about me Yuffie, is that once I start a relationship, I'm always serious…I'll do what I can to make sure the relationship stays alive and hot…if you'll let me."

Yuffie's spirits were lifted upon hearing those words—he returned those feelings she had for him in kind. She soon found herself resting her head on his lap as he played more songs for the masses in the club…Vincent on the other hand caught sight of Georges and Carla cuddling up to each other with a smile on both of their faces as he played the second song slowly and patiently, timing the moment he speeds up the rhythm perfectly as to make the song more interesting. The song he played in question brought people to the ballroom section—a song that inspired something whenever he looks at Yuffie…how her smile brightens his day…the song ended with the two of them kissing in front of a setting sun that was sinking into the horizon of the ocean. Before long, claps were heard from the crowd for him…even from the replacement pianist whom had arrived somewhere in the middle of the song. He simply bowed, and escorted Yuffie to their table.

The waiter brought in a dish of vodka-cooked veal cutlets with a side of scalloped potatoes in rosemary sauce and a glass of 1980 Pierre Reno Kalmese Syrah for Vincent, and a lemon-roasted halibut with a small side of greens in vinegar and a glass of water. The club follows Western Continent rules, and so Yuffie cannot have alcohol until she is 21 (or 19 in some places, which is the case here in the Golden Saucer). "So Vinnie," she said, cutting into her halibut, "is there a reason why you reserved a seat here?" "It'll come up shortly," began Vincent, after sipping away at his wine, "and by the end of this count…I want you to turn your head towards the window in 5…4…3…2…1!"

Yuffie didn't know what was going on, but decided to humor Vincent by turning her head around at the count of 1 to see what it was that he was talking about—a fireworks show had begun, and from this height, it was so beautiful…the blue explosions…the splashes of green…even the golden sparks made themselves present in a well-timed plethora of lights and it reminded one of flowers blooming in a field. "That fireworks show always starts on this day at this time of year to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the Golden Saucer," began Vincent, "and from what I hear, Dio is also using this time to celebrate the anniversary of his wedding…this fireworks display only happens once a year, and only on the third day of celebrations for the park. I always came here simply to watch the fireworks—they always made it a very good sight."

"I can tell…and now I see why you brought me up here…although I have something I want to tell you Vinnie." Vincent looked back at Yuffie with a curious look in his eyes—what was it?

"I'll tell you back at the room."

Shortly after the fireworks display, and the lovely dinner, the two of them strolled around the park at night—if it was a good place to be in at the daytime, then it was easily one of the most beautiful places in the night. The lights actually welcomed late-night strollers. It wouldn't be long until the two of them made it to the room. "What is it that you wanted to…" Before Vincent could continue with his sentence, he found Yuffie jumping up onto his chest, and then pinning him down on the bed in a passionate kiss and hug. At that, his motion of trying to peel her off of him turned into one of embracing her as he returned the fiery kiss, and his grunts of protest started dying out in her throat as they drowned in her moans while their tongues danced with the same fervor as that moment a few months ago.

Yuffie then broke the kiss to look Vincent in the eye. "I remember you…you were there for my birthday when I was six…you showed up, left a present for me, and then left to talk to mom and dad. What were you talking about?"

Vincent flinched upon hearing that Yuffie remembered him…well, he'd better come clean now that she remembers him. He sighed before he began his tale; "They wanted to know how I was since I last wrote, and they also asked for the latest INTEL since I was recruited into the Turks and climbed to being a head of the group…my high position at the time gave me clearance to highly-classified information, although my skills and training as a spook made it easy to cover my tracks thoroughly as I stole INTEL from Shin-Ra. I aided them because I did not respect Shin-Ra at all—despite working for them, I only willingly did so in spite of the draft because of the terrorism pandemic; I hated terrorists with a passion that I was willing to join with the company that took my father away from me just so I could put them down and let people go about their lives in peace. Originally, after the terrorism pandemic was over, I was going to resign and take the money I earned as a captain at the time to go to music school…unfortunately, that was not so, as I was drugged and then taken to the Turks for training in spy school—I performed so many missions perfectly that I became the undisputed leader of the Turks…and as a form of rebellion, I chose to see your parents and agreed to be their double-agent in revenge for all the souls they killed unjustly…for all the souls I've killed on their orders.

At this, the look on Vincent's face melted from impassive to sadness…Yuffie knew this given the amount of time she spent with him. "In any case, the INTEL I gave them on that day was on the plans Shin-Ra had for Wutai and where they planned to attack…that INTEL was the reason that Wutai had done a very heavy amount of Shin-Ra before her defeat…although there was one factor in the long run that changed everything…that factor caused the defeat of Wutai, and stole your mother from you and your father…the factor that was of my sin for not stopping Lucrecia…the sin that belonged to my own flesh and blood—no, my own child to be specific…"

Yuffie pondered and looked on at Vincent…he never mentioned that he had gotten some girl pregnant. Although she was puzzled at first, she then realized everything that he said added up—and at that, she realized the cause for his sadness, and the identity of his kid. She looked on in his eyes to see the real regret in them, especially since they were near tears. "Have you known all along?"

The tears had broken out…there was no avoiding them for Vincent now. "No. I was travelling around the world, and I figured I'd pay Lucrecia a visit since I was in the area at the time a few weeks ago. She let it slip in the conversation once, and I pressed her on about it—she wouldn't say anything, but I figured it out anyway. When I confronted her about it, she was in tears—or as close to tears as she could get. At that moment, I lost a good deal of respect for the woman that I loved—the woman who was supposed to be the mother of my child…a child that I could have held…a child that I could have taught and been a role model for…to play catch with…to spend time with at the Golden Saucer…a child that I could have loved…but instead, I the only time I had to spend with my son was to be an accessory in putting him out of his misery—to end his torment at the hands of JENOVA. I've shot at my own son Yuffie…what kind of father does that?"

Yuffie didn't know what to say—Vincent's son was responsible for the pain of everyone in AVALANCHE…it must have hurt to find out that the man you helped to slay was your own son. She pulled Vincent's sobbing head to her chest, and hugged it tightly while running her fingers through the silky curtain that was his hair. "Shh…shh…it's okay. You didn't know at the time…and Lucrecia kept you in the dark about it…you're not to blame—if anything, Hojo and Lucrecia should be the ones shouldering everything…just don't do this to yourself, don't shoulder the blame for anyone else like that anymore—I just can't take you being in so much pain. I don't want you to hurt yourself like that anymore…

She then felt his hands snaking up behind her and wrapping themselves around the small of her back. They locked themselves in a loving embrace for the remainder of the night, even as Vincent cried himself to sleep. When he woke up the next morning, Vincent found Yuffie still asleep, with her arms around his chest and her face nuzzled against it. He simply placed his arms around her body and watching her back rise and fall with her breathing and feeling the beat of her heart through his sensitive sense of touch. He'll have to escort her home now; after all, she needs to be with her people…to be with her father…

As soon as he took Yuffie to the docks, the two of them sat at the benches waiting for the ship to arrive. She found a place for her head on his lap as they were sitting there and watching for her transport home to come. The silence was palpable, and neither said anything to each other…but Vincent broke the silence by running his fingers through her short and brownish-black hair while humming a tune that his mother had always sung for him when he was a child. "My mom hummed that song for me when I was little," she said, "it was the only song so far that I liked the most—so much that I always hum it the way she did since she died…I didn't want to forget her."

"And she will stay alive forever Yuffie…because you have her in your heart."

The ship had arrived, and two days and four tranquilizers later, Yuffie's energy had suddenly spiked up upon reaching land at Wutai. "Thanks for the nice time Vinnie," she said with a smile after calming down for a bit, "I really enjoyed it, and I hope to do it again some time."

"I'll try to invite you again at that time of year."

Yuffie's smile widened and she jumped up to give Vincent a kiss on the lips. "I'm looking forward to it!" With that, she let go of him, and ran towards Wutai—pausing only a moment to turn and wave good-bye to him…before he turned and walked back into the ship…the blush on his face remained, but nobody saw it as it was hidden by his cape—but he would not trade the surge of electricity running through his heart from that kiss for anything…

Present-day…

Vincent woke up from his nap in his wheelchair…the muffled vibrating sound of the propellers turning was clear in the air. "Vince, you okay?" it was Yuffie with a concerned look in her eyes.

"I'm fine…it's just that I am excited to do this…I'm just nervous that this is the first time I'm doing any of this."

She the smile on her face had brightened him up. "It's okay Vincent, I'll be there with you all the way…well, I can't say the same for that wine thing, but I'll be there for you every step of the way."

With that, Vincent smiled sincerely for his wife as he pulled something out of his hand…and to Yuffie's surprise, it was her Sleep materia! Vincent laughed well as Yuffie patted herself all over…only to pull a wallet out of her pocket—a leather wallet with VV engraved on it filled with several hundred gil. He had finally finished his list of things to do, and recalled what it is that the two of them wanted to do, after checking that they had a head start on their list of things to do:

Yuffie's list:

Hunt a dragon

Find largest tree in world

Have conversation with Lucrecia without hurting her feelings

Taste spiciest food in the world

Find mom's silk booties she made for me

Pick Vincent's pocket (check!)

Vincent's List:

Explore the depths of Wutai's ports

Taste best wine in the world

Pick Yuffie's pocket (check!)

Parachute off the Highwind into Nibelheim

Visit peak of Mt. Nibel

Find mom's clinic and save it (build memorial if it's not there anymore)

Hold daughter for first time

A/N: The idea behind the Western Continent legal drinking age comes from the US and Canada, where the legal drinking ages are 21 and 19 respectively. Wutai is a little more lax as manners had fallen with the economy. And to those who have not guessed the identity of Vincent's kid yet, shame on you—the hints are right there!

Songs Played:

"Tifa's Theme (Piano Version)" by Nobuo Uematsu—Vincent's first song of the night.

"Her Most Beautiful Smile" by Noriyuki Asakura—Vincent's second song.