This chapter is long but my favorite so far. Keep reading to find out why. There is a small clip from 'Dirge of Cerberus' placed in the beginning half of this chapter. I don't own it! Not mine at all! The clip is the italicized words in this chapter. Not mine! Enjoy!

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Disclaimer:I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. This is only a fan story written by an adoring fan of the Vincent & Yuffie paring!

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Chapter Five

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Vincent watched Yuffie as she slept in the seat next to him. She had been complaining about how hungry she was but the warmth of the plane put her to sleep before they even got half way to Reeve's location. A mumble left her mouth as she turned her head to face Cloud. He gave her a smile and shook his head.

"I don't know what we're going to do about all of this," he said and looked out below. "Do you think her husband is going to try and get her back?"

"Most guaranteed," Vincent said and let out a slow breath. "And taking her to Reeve's location could be a bit too obvious. Wouldn't that be the area he would search first?"

"We've already covered that Mr. Valentine," the driver said. His name was Shun and he was a simple kind of man. Shun could use a weapon if needed, but his hands belonged behind the wheel of a plane. "Reeve has a couple of secret locations hidden throughout his land. Every person working under him knows the location of about four or five hideouts. Every other spot is unknown to them. This leaves us unclear as to where people are hidden unless it's in one of the locations we are set to guard. Makes it a bit more difficult for the enemy to find."

"Nice," Cloud said. "It's a little sad though. I thought we were getting over the need of protection."

Shun smiled and nodded. "For the most part we are. But there are still people getting stuck in bad situations. Anything from a bad family fight to someone's life being threatened. It's not fancy, but it's a way to protect people."

"Are we there yet?" Yuffie groaned as her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Only a short distance away, your highness," Shun answered as he turned the wheel to aim for the landing a few minutes down.

"Yuffie, my name is Yuffie," she said and crossed her eyes. "Can I just stay hidden away at Reeve's place?"

"No," Vincent said. "We are going to keep you there for only a little while until we can figure out a plan to get this straightened around. With your father no longer around it is your responsibility as a member of the Kisaragi line to step up to this challenge."

Yuffie stuck out her tongue to Vincent and slouched in her seat. "Tifa said things were doing alright with him in charge. Why do I need to do anything to change that? If Dad already gave him the okay to lead, why does it matter?"

"That's what we have been wondering since you've gone missing," Vincent said and looked to Cloud. The original plan was to keep the truth from her for a little while longer. "If he didn't truly love you then all he had to do was put up with you for a month's time and then the land would officially be his even if you chose to divorce. The idea of a male ruling society. There's something much deeper than power on his mind."

"Of course it has to be complicated!" she stomped her feet and then yelped in pain. Her foot was filled with shattered bones unable to stand any amount of pressure applied. "I want a doctor as soon as we land!"

"On it," Shun said pressing a button on the radio of the car.

"WRO headquarters," a female voice called through the speakers.

"Dannie," Shun said. "It's Shun, I am returning to the station with my pickup completed. She'll be needing some medical attention for a couple of injuries. Can you arrange to have someone pick her up?"

"I'll go with her, as well," Vincent said. The idea of hospitals gave him a sick feeling, but that sick feeling also presented him the need to watch out to make sure Yuffie wasn't messed with.

"Mr. Valentine will accompany her," Shun said before Dannie could utter a response.

"Oh, no problem. In fact, Reeve has a couple of our best waiting in the landing building for you. I'll let them know you will be arriving shortly," she said and a beep sounded from the disconnection.

"Thank goodness!" Yuffie gasped and leaned back. "Between my destroyed foot and immobile arm I don't know what I'm going to do!"

Vincent sat back and listened to Yuffie complain. He smiled as she ran through a list of the injuries she obtained through the years. Each one apparently carried its own crazy story. They were forced to cut her stories short until she was inside and under protection.

"Yuffie!" Reeve called as she came through the garage door in a wheelchair. "I'm glad these guys were able to find you. Is there anything you need before we take you to your new home?"

"A doctor," she said glaring at him. "I hurt all over and I think I might pass out. Which brings me to the need of a four course meal! The best you can get!"

Vincent followed the man pushing her into the area containing their hospital's location. She kept talking until she was given a high dosage of pain medicine. Her voice went on and on until it became a mass of slurs. In a matter of no time she was knocked out from the drugs.

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Yuffie watched Vincent as he slept on the bench in the van. The whole in his chest was completely gone and there appeared to be no other injuries on his body. She always knew he was a bit special compared to the rest of them. It was amazing to see how far his abilities stretched. Chances were those abilities were all thanks to the terrible experiments done thanks to Hojo and Lucrecia. The mad scientist and the woman he loved to no end. It didn't matter all the torture she put him through. If that wasn't love she didn't know what was.

Vincent's eyes fluttered open and began looking around trying to piece together where he was. He turned to Yuffie and paused to take in her choice of clothes. There wasn't a need to remain hidden in the Moogle costume. She did it only to add a bit of mystery and excitement to the situation.

"Morning!" She waved to him with a happy tone to her voice.

Vincent looked around again in search of his memories. "Where...Who are you?"

Yuffie ran through her dramatic introduction. It was spot on to perfect to welcome Vincent back to see he was saved by such a wonderful person! Then a bump in the road was hit causing her to fall backwards and crack her head on the equipment behind her.

"Ow!" Yuffie yelled and sat up in her bed. She put her hand on the back of her head in reaction to the memory she was dreaming about. When she looked around she saw only white. "Where the hell am I?"

"Reeve's hospital," a man's voice called. The dark, inviting sound of the man's voice told her exactly who the voice belong to.

"Vinnie?" she asked and looked to the voice. She blinked several times to clear her sight and find his red eyes. With the meeting of their eyes another form of pain filled her mind. Her memory rushed back and she fell back on the bed covering her head with her hands. "What the heck?!"

"I'll get the nurses to give you some pain medicine before we move," Vincent said looking as if he could feel all the pain she felt. "How do you feel?"

"Like a freaking unicorn," she grumbled sarcastically. She let out a slow breath and sat up. "Have they arrested Derran yet?"

"Not as of yet," Vincent said. "We were trying to figure out the best way to do this and keep you safe."

Yuffie let out a sigh and shrugged. "I'm the queen that was put through attempted murder. Shouldn't that be enough to go on?"

"We aren't sure how deep his hands lie," Vincent said. "We want to keep you hidden here until he can be taken down. There isn't a secure way to do this without risking your safety. Until a plan is set we're stuck here."

"We're? Aren't you going out to fight the bad guys too?" Yuffie asked.

Vincent shook his head. "My priority is you."

Yuffie turned her face to hide the blush on her cheeks to his words. Her crush on Vincent had been a come and go thing as they fought together through the years. When she returned to Wutai without a single sign of him feeling upset she knew it was time to let him go. The dreams still appeared much like the one she was woken from in the hospital. Some dreams were memories of real moments together while some were simply fantasies yet to have happened.

"Vincent, can I change into regular clothes before we are moved?" Yuffie asked. She didn't feel like she was one hundred percent, but she was well enough to function in basic tasks.

Vincent placed a pair of clothes on the corner of the bed and left for her to change. They were a simple pair of shorts and t-shirt. Not her usual style, but better than a hospital gown or flashy designs. She whispered her thanks as he pulled a curtain around her bed and stood outside as a guard. Yuffie looked at the clothes then put her attention on her foot trapped in a cast and her arm in a sling.

"Vincent?"

"Yes, Yuffie?" he asked not looking behind the curtain. He was respectable to a woman's privacy.

"Do you know someone around able to help me change my clothes?" she asked with her face turning red once again. "If there's a woman nurse nearby." As if she were casting a spell the curtain flew open to reveal Tifa. She placed a hand on her chest as she breathed heavily.

"Yuffie?" she gasped and pulled her friend into her arms. "I am so sorry it took so long for us to connect the dots. I should have known you needed us."

"Tifa, Tifa," Yuffie comforted her friend with a pat on her head and a smile. "You were the only one who tried to contact me. You did a great job and I'm here now."

"Thank you," Tifa said burying her face in Yuffie's shoulder as she cried.

Yuffie giggled at her friend's random words. "Calm down, Teefs. There's no reason to get so emotional."

"She's been on a roller coaster with all this as of late," Cloud said appearing next to Vincent. "The doctors say it's a bit soon for her to be reacting so much, but Tifa has always been a little bit outside the box of normal."

"Shut up," Tifa said.

"Doctors?" Yuffie looked between her friends confused as to why they were smiling about Tifa needing to see doctors.

"Yuffie, we're pregnant!" Tifa said wrapping her arm around Cloud.

"Seriously?!" Yuffie yelled and wiggled with excitement for her friends. "Get over here and give me another hug!"

Tifa did as Yuffie asked and the gentlemen walked away. Once the curtain was closed again Tifa did all she could to help Yuffie get into some regular clothes. They fought against the cast and thin material of the shorts. Yuffie tried not to wince as they moved her arm through the shirt's sleeve. After a run of harsh words escaping Yuffie's lips, Tifa bit on the sleeve and pulled with her hand. The t-shirt was transformed into a one sleeved top. It was simple enough and no one questioned her appearance as they opened the curtain. Her friends helped her into her wheelchair then pushed her away.

Yuffie gave up keeping track of the men and women she was passed between. When they said secret they meant secret. Finally, when her and Vincent were left alone with the door shut she was able to think straight again.

"If I needed to find someone down here I wouldn't be able to. Half way through the search I would give up," she looked up at Vincent from her portable chair. "How long have these pathways been down here?"

"I have no idea," Vincent said. He grabbed a bowl of cherries and took them to Yuffie for her to eat while he made them some dinner. "Eat these while I cook us something. Reeve said we should have enough food down here to hold us over until the next plan of attack is made."

Yuffie sat back and ate her cherries while Vincent cooked. She was never a big healthy food fan, but the fruits tasted as if they were a gift from the heavens. As she got lost in their flavor she kept her eyes on Vincent as he cooked. He was cooking a mixture of noodles with an odd assortment of peppers and mushrooms. The idea sounded gross but the smell was giving her tummy a different idea. When the meal was ready to be served her mouth was watering from the idea of getting to taste the gift.

Vincent walked over to her wheelchair and pushed her to the two person dinner table. She felt trapped in a way because her entire being would now be dependent on other people for some time. Another part of her was floating in a blissful dream because Vincent Valentine was the one chosen to take care of her. She wasn't sure how much of him volunteered for the job or how much of him was dreaming to get out. All she knew was she would owe him a lot when everything was settled with this matter. Her thoughts died down when she took the first bite of their dinner.

"Vinnie, if you aren't careful I may kidnap you to be my personal chief," she said and took another bite.

"You don't need to kidnap me, but you do need to slow down," he said smiling at the speed she was shoveling the food into her mouth.

She gave him a suggestive gesture then continued scarfing down the food. Throughout their dinner she remained quiet because she was too focused on their meal. When they finished Vincent collected their dishes and placed them in the sink to be washed. He returned to move Yuffie into the living room and picked her up to be placed on the comfortable couch. When she sat down she took his hand before he could walk away.

"Vincent, thank you," she said. "There's probably a lot of other stuff you'd rather be doing right now. I doubt taking care of a jumpy, young woman is something you really want."

Vincent looked to Yuffie with a warmth in his eyes she had never seen before. A warmth so deep she wanted to pull closer to it to feel the heat. "Yuffie, you have always been the only thing I've ever wanted."

Yuffie got lost in his words and was unable to react when he leaned forward to give her a soft kiss. Her heart stopped as her mind made the connection she was getting kissed by the one man she thought she could never have. Before he could pull away she rose her uninjured arm to touch the side of his face and deepened the kiss with a dash of her tongue against his lips. Vincent responded with a matching lick from his tongue. Yuffie's hand clenched onto his shirt to prevent him from moving too far away when he chose to end their kiss. He leaned his forehead against hers as their breathing began to calm down.

"Vincent, I…"

"No, Yuffie," he said and placed his fingers against her lips. "You need to rest. Let me get you into bed. We can talk about this tomorrow if you still wish to."

Yuffie didn't say another word as Vincent wrapped her in the comforter on the bed. She kept her eyes on him as he turned off the light and left the room. It seemed she wasn't the only one battling something inside.

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I think it's pretty obvious Vincent would be the one to make the first move. Yuffie doesn't think it's a thing and Vincent makes it a thing! Ha! What do you think? I'm happy the romance is finally starting up and can't wait to show you where it's going to take them. Let me know what you're thinking! Please and thank you!