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Author's Note: I haven't finished the story yet, so I'll be updating new chapters as I debut them on my site at: http://www.myotaku.com/users/kimmehwolfwood/

Let me know if there are any mistakes in the story itself by email. Also, please don't email me to complain about the story. I don't care if you're upset about how someone acts in my plot, or who's paired with whom. It's my story, I'll write what I like. Thank you for your time.

Chapter 1: Introductions

“Vincent, where’s my hairspray?!”

Hi! My name’s Kim Amaterasu. You won’t remember me from any of those Midgar tales and folklores, but that’s because I’m one of those less important ex-SOLDIERs that “vanished” with ShinRa Inc. Except I didn’t vanish. Mr. Valentine, or Vincent if you’re already familiar with the man, saved me from the rubble of what was ShinRa Headquarters. And that’s why now you’ll find me wherever he is.

“Vincent!” I yelled through the small opening in my bathroom door.

“Will you… shut… up…” Vincent rolled over in our bed to face away from where I was beckoning him. “If you honestly think I know where your hairspray is, you really don’t know me at all…”

I rolled my eyes as I walked past the side of the bed.

“Well fine, whatever,” I picked up my purse and headed for the doorway, but a man standing in my way soon blocked it.

“No ‘Good Morning’ kiss today, Miss Ama?” Cid placed his hands on his hips as if to mimic me.

“It’ll be Mrs. Valentine to you soon, Mr. Highwind.”

“God damn, I still can’t believe yur gettin’ married,” Cid sighed trying to emphasize his artificial sadness. “I always thought it’d be me and you to th’ alter…”

“You should really stop having those dreams, Cid,” I patted his shoulder as I walked by. “We never had a chance. You know that.”

“Plus, you’re almost 20 years older…” Vincent mumbled into his pillow.

“I wouldn’t be yackin’, Mister Immortal,” Cid spit into his handkerchief. “You oughta be hittin’, what, 60 somethin’ at LEAST this year…”

“I’m not immortal…” Vincent grumbled. “I just didn’t age for 30 years…”

“What dif’rence does it make, huh?” Cid laughed.

“Uh, guys, as much as I’d like to hear you argue about your little fairy tales, I gotta go. Otherwise I’ll be late,” I glanced down at my watch. “Let Yuffie know I left already. Can you do that Cid?”

“Ahh, whatever,” he sighed. “This here’s the last time, Jesus Christ.”

“Thank you kindly, Mr. Highwind,” I pulled myself up to his face and kissed his cheek. “You two have a good day!”

 Cid and Vincent stared at each other in awe.

“I guess I’m not good enough anymore,” Vincent sighed as he stared at the ceiling.

“Nah, you just need to watch your God damn mouth.” Cid said as he walked through the door. “Stop being such a god damn pessimist and show that girl your lovin’ side!”

“ …Never say that again,” Vincent mumbled as he fought to keep himself from smiling. “Now get the Hell out so I can get ready for work.”

“You know, you’re not such a bad guy Vincent,” Cid laughed as he walked through the door. “You just need to get your head out of your ass!”

“Shut up,” Vincent slammed the bedroom door shut.

“You know you’re almost an hour late, right?!” Cid yelled through the door. “Better move your ass if you know what’s right!”

“I could care less,” Vincent yelled back. “They need me there. Not to mention my boss is scared shitless of me.”

 Chapter 2: Hardworking Woman

 As I was leaving the house, a man was driving by in what looked to be like a brand new BMW. In time I realized it wasn’t just some man; it was Reno.

“Want a ride?” Reno knew I walked to work everyday. He’d asked me before while hanging out at the bar I work at. He practically lives there now.

“What are you doing here?” I said searching for my sunglasses in my purse.

“Was on my way to the bar to see Elena, so I figured I’d try my luck and see if you were still walkin’.”

“Well once again luck is on your side, Reno-kun,” I forced myself to smile at him.

“Fine, then I won’t give you a ride to work, three miles away from here, in 100 degree heat…” Reno tapped the steering wheel with one finger in his “cool” manner.

“…Fine,” I sighed. “I’ll take the damn ride.”

“Good girl,” Reno leaned over the seat and opened the car door.

“Try anything funny though, and I swear I’ll have Vin-“

“Shh…” Reno put his finger to my mouth. “Don’t talk so much. Just relax.”

I knew that deep down inside, Reno wasn’t just trying to act cool. He’s actually very afraid of Vincent, but there aren’t many people who can say they’re not.

“Sure, fine… Whatever,” I buckled my seatbelt.

“We’re only going a couple minutes away,” Reno pointed at my buckle. “Pointless to put that on when you’ll be taking it off in like, 2 seconds.”

“Pointless? Do you know how many innocent people die because they aren’t wearing their seatbelt?” I shook my head and sighed. “Actually they’re not even innocent. They brought it upon themselves…”

“Jeez, that was brutal,” Reno turned into a parking space.

“Not brutal, it’s the truth,” I slammed his car door shut. “Let me guess. You’re coming in for the rest of the day. Or should I say night?”

“You’re funny, you know that?” Reno winked at me as he held the door open into the bar. “Hard to believe you’re with Vincent. You guys are complete opposites.”

“Opposites attract, Reno,” I sighed. “You should remember that and try to find a woman less like you.”

“Ouch,” Reno hissed slightly. “I thought we were friends.”

“Oh we’re friends, hun,” I laughed. “That’s why I’m so hard on you. I care.”

And on that note, I headed in to work my ass off.

“Morning Elena, Mia,” I waved as I put on my apron and hat. “How’s business today?”

“Oh, the usuals have come in so far,” Elena said as she glanced over my shoulder to see Reno. “Not too busy.”

“Aye dios mio,” Mia laughed. “Reno, you never really leave do you, eh?”

“Only when Elena’s not here will you see me elsewhere,” Reno smiled that sly smirk of his. “Which seems to be less and less often now…”

“Yeah. Elena, you should really consider taking this weekend off,” I laughed. “Hell, take all next week off.”

“Oh, no I’m fine. I need the extra cash anyways…”

Mia, Reno, and I exchanged glances towards each other. We all knew Elena wasn’t fine. I eyed at Reno to get his attention. He immediately knew I wanted to talk to him.

“Uh, we’ll be back in a sec,” Reno grabbed my arm as he rushed passed me for the door.

 

Chapter 3: Relaxing Reunion

 Reno and I talked for a good half hour on how we were going to get Elena to take at least the weekend off. He suggested a male stripper, but I just told him to grow up. My idea, however, could work.

“Let’s have a reunion,” I was pacing in the parking lot. “We’ll have to have it take place somewhere else though if we want Elena to take the full weekend off.”

At first Reno just looked at me. He was trying to keep himself from laughing.

“What?” I asked not knowing if something was wrong or if he was just being Reno. “Did I say something funny?”

He didn’t answer with words, but he answered with laughter.

“So do you want to have our reunion in the Forgotten City too?” Reno was breathing heavily. “Or do you think the others would find that redundant since Kadaj already had that idea?”

I had no response to that except for a cold glare.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” Reno took a deep breath.

“Right,” I said grimly. “Like I was saying… When we have our reunion… We need to have it out of town.”

“Well we need to decide whom we’re inviting first so we can determine what towns we have to choose from,” Reno said with the most seriousness I’d ever heard from him. “So not here… Too bad because there’s like… 7 of us here already.”

“I only count 6,” I tried recounting in my head.

“You probably left out Mia,” Reno pointed back at the bar. “I thought we’d invite her since she and Elena are sort of friends.”

“Oh, right,” I smiled. “Good idea.”

“I always try to be the nice guy,” Reno smiled back.

“Mmm, maybe you should try harder,” I laughed as I sat on a nearby bench. “I’m only joking. You really have changed for the better, Reno.”

“I’m doing it for you guys,” Reno almost sounded embarrassed as he sat down next to me. “I’m trying to rid myself of my enemies too.”

“Enemies?” I didn’t know who he talking about.

“Mhm, yep. You know, like Cloud and Barret?” he sighed. “They seem to only think of me as a Turk… Not just a normal guy.”

“They’ll get over it,” I patted his shoulder, pretending to know who he was talking about. “And if they don’t, it just shows how immature they really are.”

“You really mean that, Kim?” he looked at me directly in the eye for the first time.

“Yes, I do,” I smiled. “But anyways. Let’s get together tonight somewhere to make the list and decide a place.”

“Sounds like a date,” Reno scratched his chin.

“And if you’re going to try anything, plan on Vincent being with us,” I scolded.

“I’m kidding!” Reno laughed nervously. “You know I was only kidding right? Kim?”

“Hm? Oh, sorry,” I lightly laughed. “Guess I spaced out for a minute there…”

“But anyways… You should really get back inside and start working that ass of yours off,” Reno stood up and headed for the door.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “In for another long day I guess.”

“And I get to see you sweat,” Reno bolted away from me before I could slap him. “Later babe!”

 

Chapter 4: Reno’s Date

 After work, I got a ride home from Reno. He said he didn’t want me walking home in the dark. Some may have said he was just pulling my leg, but in all honesty, I think he was being very sincere.

“Can you wait out here for about, oh, 20 minutes?” I said as I was putting my purse’s strap back onto my shoulder. “I don’t think coming inside’s such a good idea.”

“Sure,” Reno turned the ignition of the car off. “Just don’t tell him it’s me waiting out here. Tell him it’s… Elena or something.”

“Believe me. I didn’t plan on saying anything to him. Well, except for maybe an excuse of ‘I need a Girl’s Night Out’” I winked at him. “Be back as soon as I can!”

 

When I opened the door, I knew something was wrong. Not a single light was on in the entire house. Not even upstairs, where Vincent spent most of his day. The house was pitch black.

“Vincent? Cid?” I lightly yelled so I wouldn’t worry Reno just feet away outside. “Where are you two? Hello? VINCENT!”

That time I yelled. Moments later tears began to rush down my face… It was totally uncalled for I know. Soon after, Reno appeared at my side.

“What’s wrong, babe?” Reno closed the door behind us. “Where’s Big Vince? Or Mr. Cid?”

“I… I don’t know,” I wiped the unwanted tears off my face. “They’ve never just left like this before without telling me… Vincent?”

At that moment, a figure appeared in the shadowed doorway of the kitchen. It didn’t make a sound.

“Who’s there?” Reno pushed me behind him. “Answer me, damnit!”

“No, who’re you…?” the shadowed figure almost whispered he spoke so lightly.

“That’s none of your business,” Reno snapped back. “Now show yourself!”

Out of the shadows stepped the one person I never thought it could be: Vincent Valentine.

“Vincent!” I cried in relief. “Why are you acting like this?”

“Kim?” Vincent scanned over my face and locked his vision Reno standing next to me. “What in the hell are you doing here? Do you have something to tell me, Kim?”

“No! Nothing like that,” I carefully walked up to him. “He gave me a ride home is all. So why are you doing this? What’s with the lights all being off… And where’s Cid?”

“Cid went out awhile ago… About the same time I did. I had some business to attend to…” Vincent’s voice rang low and almost fearful. “Cid’ll be back later though…”

“Oh,” I looked away from him for a second, but then he pulled my face back towards him. “What?”

“Why is Reno really here?” Vincent’s voice finally began to soften up. “I know he’s not here for just a ride… I can see it in your eyes.”

“Well, we’re trying to plan a reunion,” I breathed out as I slowly began to relax. “Reno’s worried about Elena mentally and physically, so we’re trying to make an excuse to get her to take time off work.”

“Elena?” Vincent couldn’t remember who she was.

“You know, the blonde Turk who you saved, and was always with Tseng?”

“Was?” Vincent questioned again. “Ah, I see… He passed away…”

“That’s another reason why we need to get Elena out,” Reno spoke up for the first time. “She won’t stop thinking it’s her fault. Tseng’s death I mean.”

Reno and I both looked at Vincent for a response.

“Hm… Okay. Have a good time,” Vincent kissed my forehead. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

 

Chapter 5: Vincent’s Past

 After changing in to more appropriate attire to go out with Reno, I approached the front doorway. Upon reaching it, I saw Vincent and Reno talking, and God help me, smiling. In time I smiled too, because Reno was finally getting what he wanted; a friend, not an enemy any longer.

“Oh, there she is,” Vincent looked in my direction and gave me a smile so sincere that I almost fell over from the shock.

“You said 5 minutes,” Reno stuck his tongue out at me. “It’s been almost a half an hour. Girls are all alike I swear.”

“Are we going or what?” I said trying my best to forget what he had just said.

“Have her home by midnight,” Vincent said while shaking Reno’s hand.

“You can count on me, sir,” Reno winked. “See you later Vince.”

Reno escorted me to as far as the car. Then he just started acting like Reno all over again.

“Aren’t you going to open my door for me?” I almost yelled at him.

“Why the Hell would I do something like that?” Reno smiled. “Nah, kidding. Just hold on a second.”

Reno quickly unlocked the car, crawled inside, and then leaned over the seat to open my door.

“Thanks, I guess…” I sat down and situated my dress.

“That’s just my style,” Reno winked. “Speaking of style, you look very, uhm, beautiful tonight.”

“Aw well thank you Reno…” I said trying to hide my blush.

“So, where to?” Reno started the ignition.

“I made reservations at the Gold Saucer’s Restaurant. You know, the real fancy one?”

“No Way!” Reno laughed. “I’ve always wanted to go there…”

“So what excuse did you give Elena for leaving?” I questioned while fixing my glove.

“Oh, I told her I was going out with Bambi. My current girlfriend.” Reno smiled.

“You better hope to God we don’t somehow run into her,” I shook my finger at him.

“Who? Bambi?”

“No you idiot! Elena!” I slapped his arm. “My God. Sometimes, no scratch that, you always worry me.”

“Yeah whatever,” Reno shrugged it off. “So. You and Vince. How’s it workin’ out? Is it awkward being engaged to a man who could really be your father? Maybe even your grandfather?”

“Why does everyone keep saying things like that?” I nervously asked. “He’s only 28 isn’t he?”

“Mm, no honey. He may look 28, but in reality he’s gotta be pushin’ 60 or maybe even older,” Reno clicked his tongue. “That’s what he gets though for becoming a lab rat like that.”

“Lab rat? What in the Hell are you talking about?”

“You didn’t even know that?” I shook my head no. “Damn woman. You’re completely clueless!”

“Tell me!” I grabbed onto his arm. “Please?”

“Right, okay,” Reno laughed. “Then I’ll get killed by him for telling his life story.”

“I won’t say a word, scout’s honor,” I put my right hand up.

“Oh fine,” Reno sighed. “Vincent Valentine may be a man of few words, but his tale certainly isn’t. Born into a poor family, Vincent never really had a family. His parents disowned him in order to save what little property they did have. By doing so, ShinRa Inc. had full rights to his life. While still a boy, he went through basic training and attended night school. When he turned 18, President Shinra, not Rufus, offered Vincent the opportunity to become a Turk. Vincent immediately accepted, and soon became the strongest man ShinRa Inc. has employed as a Turk. A few years later, Vincent met Professor Crescent, or Lucrecia if you prefer. They became close friends, and some even say they had a relationship going at some point... I doubt it. Lucrecia was picky like that. After a year or so, Lucrecia and Professor Hojo, the head honcho of the Science Department of ShinRa, began a relationship. Hojo had gotten Lucrecia impregnated, so he began to use her embryo as a test subject. Vincent tried his hardest to convince Lucrecia not to let Hojo do what he wanted, but Lucrecia wouldn’t listen. Hojo, after becoming frustrated by Vincent’s actions, shot and killed him. From that point on, Vincent was never the same. Hojo began to use Vincent’s limb body as a host for another of his experiments, the resurrection of Chaos. It obviously gave Vincent the privilege to live once again, but not at all how he wanted to. Hojo was a bit overtaken by Vincent’s power, and quickly sealed him in a coffin under ShinRa Mansion in Nibelheim. He was there for 30 years. The only reason Vincent is roaming free now is because Cloud and his group of friends accidentally stumbled upon the coffin…But even now Chaos now runs freely in his veins, and every once in a while, you’ll swear you hear the terrible cries of Chaos in the night.”

I fell silent. Vincent, the man I’ve come to love so dearly, was once immortal. He doesn’t want to admit it to himself, because the very thoughts haunt him with his past. I didn’t know how to respond to that…

“Kim? Are you going to be okay?” Reno quickly glanced over at me. “I tell you what, you can slap me when we get out of the car. Sound good?”

Hearing that made me smile, which made him laugh.

“Good girl,” Reno patted my leg. “Now, let’s find us a parking space…”

My mind spun in circles trying to link all of the things Reno just told me together. One question kept flashing within me: Why didn’t he say anything? I was probably getting myself too uptight, but I couldn’t help it.

“Kim?” Reno had already walked over to my side of the car and opened the door. “Shall we?”

“Yeah,” I grabbed onto his hand. “Thank you Reno, for everything.”

“Anything for you, babe,” he smiled at me, which made me smile.

As soon as we walked through the door, a voice called to us from inside.

“Reno! Hey!” She waved at us ecstatically. “It’s me! Tifa!”

 

Chapter 6: Double ‘Date’

“Yo,” Reno waved coolly. “You here with Cloud?”

“Of course,” Tifa smiled and wiggled her hips from side to side. “You guys want to join us?”

I looked over at Reno. I just shrugged my shoulders because I had no idea who Tifa or Cloud was.

“Sure, why not,” Reno shrugged his shoulders back.

“I’ll go tell the server to cancel our reservation,” I began to walk towards the front counter.

“So. Who’s she?” Tifa asked smiling. “New girlfriend of yours? She seems like a keeper.”

“Oh Hell no,” Reno laughed. “She’s just an old friend. I bet you’d never guess whose girlfriend she actually is though.”

“An old friend? From ShinRa?” Tifa thought about it for a second. “Was she a Turk too?”

“No. Actually she was part of SOLDIER. Hard to picture that, right?” Reno laughed again.

“No kidding. Hmm… Maybe she knows Cloud then?” Tifa pondered out loud. “Well, if she’s not your girlfriend, whose girlfriend is she? It’s not like you to take out a girl without her being with you…”

“Get this. She’s Vincent’s girlfriend,” Reno nodded. “Hard to picture that too. Vincent having a girlfriend at all is a miracle.”

“Huh. Well I think it’s great he has a girlfriend though,” Tifa smiled as she pictured Vincent and me together. “He’s been alone too long for his own good.”

“Mm, yeah. True,” Reno nodded. “I think he’s an okay guy. I used to think he was the strangest man alive.”

“His sense of style doesn’t really do him any justice,” Tifa sighed.

“Whose style?” I said as I walked back towards the two of them.

“Uhm, Cloud’s…” Tifa nodded to herself. “Yeah, Cloud’s.”

“So is this Cloud the same guy you were talking about earlier, Reno-kun?” I asked with curiosity.

“Mm yep, same guy,” Reno sighed.

“What’s up Reno?” Tifa leaned into Reno’s face to get a closer look.

“I’m just not too thrilled about seeing Cloud,” Reno shook his head “He’s not too friendly whenever I’m around… It’s like he’s still holding that freaking grudge or something.”

“Oh well, don’t worry about that,” Tifa smiled. “I’ll handle Cloud. You just have a good time with Kim.”

“Don’t forget what we came to talk about, Reno,” I whispered into his ear.

“Never in a million years,” he leaned in and whispered back.

Tifa lead us through the sea of tables in the main dining hall, and into a secluded hall meant for private parties.

“Jeez,” Reno whistled. “You sure you don’t mind Kim and I being here?”

“Nah, not at all,” Tifa laughed. “Plus, Cloud can be pretty boring.”

A waiter standing near a pair of doors turned to face us.

“Welcome back, Ms. Lockheart,” he opened the doors and escorted us inside. “I’ll be sure to get two more place settings for your company.”

“Thank you, Robert,” Tifa tipped him.

My heart stopped as I stepped into the room. A blonde haired man, my guess he was Cloud, had his back facing me. Even though I couldn’t see his face, something was very familiar about the man…

“Uhm, Cloud,” Tifa rushed in ahead of us to warn him about Reno and I joining them. “We have some guests this evening!”

“Hm?” Cloud stood up to face us for the first time. “He-“

Complete silence poured into the room like a horrendous flash flood.  My mouth hung open as I realized who ‘Cloud’ really… was.

“You!” Cloud and I said simultaneously.

An awkward silence soon followed. Cloud and I glanced over each other, our mouths hanging open like guppies.

“So you do know each other,” Reno finally spoke up, which broke mine and Cloud’s trance.

“K-know?” Cloud stuttered in shock. “We used to be partners!”

“Wow!” Tifa rushed over and grabbed both my hand and Cloud’s. “Isn’t this wonderful? It’s like our own little reunion!”

She then placed my hand in Cloud’s.

“I-I…” my voice shook uncontrollably. “Cloud…”

Tears gathered and then suddenly fell down my face like a roaring waterfall. Cloud opened his arms wide and offered an embrace, and I quickly filled the void between us. My body shook as Cloud held me in his arms. He too had started crying.

“I thought you were dead,” I cried into his shirt. “I-I thought…”

Not another word was spoken for what seemed an eternity. Silence poured once again into the secluded room… And then there was laughter.

 

Chapter 7: What a Relief

(Told from Cloud’s Point of View)

 “For a second there I thought you two were past lovers or something,” Reno laughed as Rob, the waiter, brought us our food. “The way you two reacted reminded me of those corny movie moments.”

“We love each other, but not in that way,” Kim said as she smiled at me while placing her napkin on her lap. “We always used to call each other brother and sister. People in ShinRa always thought we actually were related. We never told them the ‘truth’ though.”

“It was none of their business to know if we were actually related or not,” I laughed. “Plus, we certainly do fit the parts of brother and sister. With our blonde hair and blue eyes we could fool anyone.”

In all actuality, there was more to the whole story behind Kim and I. Kim probably doesn’t remember all of it because she was pretty young. I remember the first day I met Kim. I must have been around 12 years old when we were first introduced; she was only 6. My parents had decided to become foster parents for Kim until she was old enough for ‘basic training’ back at ShinRa. They would be paid to watch her of course. They, meaning ShinRa Inc., legally owned Kim entirely. They just didn’t want anything to do with her until she was at least 10 years old.

Years went by like seconds it seemed. Kim and I grew very close in the first couple years we lived together. My parents were always working, so it was my job to watch over ‘Kim Kim.’

I remember the day Kim got taken away by ShinRa like it was yesterday. I was 16 years old, and on the path of a dream to become part of ShinRa’s highest defense group: SOLDIER. That day a young man dressed in a black suit and expensive sunglasses arrived to pick up “What lawfully belonged to ShinRa.” Later I would learn the name of that very man: Rude.

The days after Kim left went dreadfully slow. I was a wandering soul. Nothing could cheer me up; not even Tifa. That’s when I decided I would make it my goal to protect Kim once I did get into ShinRa. About a week after making that goal, I was on my way to Midgar for ‘basic training.’ I had been accepted.

Training was Hell for me. I seemed to be the only guy having a problem completing the tasks. That would soon all change however. A couple of weeks after being in Midgar, I was sent to the labs for some minor testing. It was entirely opposite however. Professor Hojo, the main scientist for ShinRa Inc., used my body to host Jenova Cells. They made me capable of doing things no ordinary human could do. It was as if I became a super human myself.

Shortly after, I finally found Kim in the depths of ShinRa Headquarters. She too had become a host for the Jenova Cells. Little did I know she was already employed as part of SOLDIER. Not only that, but she was part of 1^st Class. A few months after finding Kim, ShinRa had me bumped up to SOLDIER 1^st Class as well. And from there, Kim and I became partners in one of ShinRa’s deadliest divisions.

 

Chapter 8: Not the Way We Wanted It

(Back in Kim’s Point of View)

 The four of us chatted for hours as we ate out decedent dinners and desserts. Cloud and I retold precious memories of our past, and Reno and Tifa listened with sincere interest. Every time Cloud and I stopped talking, the two of them would beg us to tell them something else. At one point, Cloud got so sick of them that he actually told them to shut up. You usually won’t ever hear that come from Cloud’s mouth, ever.

“I think it’s time we stop the whole reminiscence on the past too,” I nodded slowly in agreement to Cloud’s sudden outburst. “Plus, Reno, you and I still have something to discuss. Remember?”

“Uhm,” Reno was thinking so hard that I swear you could smell wood burning. “Oh! The reunion idea for Elena. Am I right?”

I stared blankly at him. I was dumbfounded by his utter stupidity.

“Yes Reno, the reunion…” I shook my head and sighed.

“What reunion?” Tifa asked, which startled me because I forgot she and Cloud were there entirely.

“Yeah we’re gunna plan a reunion,” Reno smiled. “’Cuz Elena needs to take time off work as soon as possible.”

“Mhm,” I nodded in agreement. “She needs the break. Her mind and body must be aching.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Cloud asked sounding unbelievably interested.

“We need to make a list so we can decide what places we have to choose from.”

“Oh I love making lists,” Tifa smiled. “I can do that!”

“Go for it, Roxy,” Reno laughed. “I sure as Hell don’t wanna get stuck doin’ it…”

“Lazy son of a-…”

Suddenly, Reno’s cell phone rang violently. He quickly grabbed it out of his jacket pocket.

“Hello?” he answered, trying to sound professional.

“Who is it, Reno?” I lipped to him. He responded by placing a finger over his lip.

“Mia? Is that you, babe? Why are you crying?”

The room quickly grew silent, and the three of us stared at Reno with anxiety.

“Say what?!” Reno bolted up out of his chair.

“What’s wrong, Reno, hey!” I grabbed onto his shoulder. “Reno!”

“Alright, I’m on my way,” Reno slammed his phone shut. “Damnit! It happened again…”

“What?!” I was growing impatient. “Tell me what’s going on!”

Cloud and Tifa stared at me in disbelief.

“I need to go,” Reno snapped. “Elena’s in the hospital. Again. Damnit… All for the same reason too! She keeps overexerting herself!”

“Oh Reno, I’m so sorry to hear that,” Tifa sighed. “Can I go with you to visit her?”

“Go ahead with Tifa, Reno,” Cloud stood up. “I’ll take Kim back to Vincent’s. Give her my blessings, okay?”

“Mine too,” I lightly smiled trying to cheer Reno up. “And drive safe, Reno…”

“Well, let’s go,” Reno said, and was quickly out the doors with Tifa.

“We should go too…” Cloud grabbed my hand and led me out to the parking lot.

 

Chapter 9: Over Emotional

 The car ride home was a little nerve-racking. Through a majority of it Cloud and I sat in silence as he drove back towards home. When we did talk, it was only about Reno, and wondering if he and Tifa were okay.

“I’m not worried about Tifa, I’m worried about Reno,” Cloud laughed lightly. “Tifa has the tendency to talk a lot in the car… I just hope Reno doesn’t go insane.”

“I’ll call him as soon as we get back to my house…”

Silence once again filled the car, with the exception of music ever so lightly coming from the radio. Cloud reached over the armrest in the middle of the seats and grabbed my hand.

“He’ll be fine, Kim,” Cloud barely whispered as to not break the silence. “Reno’s careless, but not when it comes to something like this… Plus Tifa’s there with him…”

Thankfully, the light in the car was minimal and Cloud couldn’t see the tears running down my face. Moments later we pulled into the driveway.

“You call me in the morning, okay?” Cloud handed me a piece of paper. “Just to let me know you’re okay.”

“Uh huh…” I answered. “Thank you Cloud. For everything.”

He patted my head and smiled as I opened the car door.

“Do you want me to call you when Tifa gets back? So you know Reno’s okay?” he said from the street with his window down.

“Yes please,” I smiled slightly. “Have a good night, Cloud. And drive safe!”

He didn’t hear the last part though… He had already rolled up his window.

“Be safe…” I echoed to myself.

 

Suddenly I felt two arms wrap around my waist. I knew immediately who it was by the gentleness in his grasp.

“Is everything okay…?” Vincent whispered into my ear as he kissed my head. “Kim?”

A sob escaped from my mouth, making it sound as if I were having trouble breathing (and in truth I kind of was). The grip around my waist tightened as Vincent pulled me back towards him.

“I… I don’t know why I’m crying,” my voice cracked with each word to leave my mouth.

“You’re crying because you care…” his voice resonated through my back. “And you have every right to cry.”

Vincent quickly leaned down and lifted me off my feet.

“Why are y-you carrying m-me?” I sounded like a two year old. “I’m p-perfectly capable of w-walking…”

“I’m doing it because I can,” he looked straight ahead as we neared the front door. “And because I want to.”

I didn’t argue. I was shaking so badly that he probably would have wound up carrying me anyways. I laid my head against his shoulder as I continued to cry.

 

As we entered the house, Vincent carried me to the bathroom first. He grabbed a washcloth, ran it under cold water, and then placed it ever so lightly onto my forehead. Upon entering our bedroom, Vincent carefully transferred all of my weight to one arm as he untucked my side of the bed. He then in the gentlest manner laid me down. Normally I would have argued about sleeping in my clothes, but this time I didn’t. Within seconds, Vincent was laying only inches away from me. I rested my head against his side. A final sob escaped from my mouth as I sighed from exhaustion.

“Sleep, Kim…” Vincent ran his fingers through my hair. “Just sleep…”

 

Chapter 10: Abnormal Morning

 When I woke up the next morning, the most surreal thing had occurred to me. Vincent actually fell asleep with me last night. Let me explain. Usually when I go to bed, Vincent will sit on the windowsill and stare out at the moon… I’m still trying to figure out what he’s actually thinking about. And when he finally decides to go to bed, it’s almost 4 o’clock in the morning. I get up at 5:30.

 
After thinking about all of that, I realized another amazing thing; Vincent was already up…

“If he’s up,” I thought to myself. “It must be noon already at least.”

It took a few seconds for the actual reality of the entire situation to sink in…

“OH CRAP,” I yelled as I stumbled out of bed.

“What in the Hell is wrong with me,” I said to myself, almost breaking into tears for no reason. “Get up Kim, you’ve got to go to work!”

I grabbed onto the comforter of the bed, but it ended up just toppling over me. I whimpered in defeat.

“What in the hell are you doing?” Vincent laughed at me from the doorway. He had a tray of food in his grasp.

“No, what’re YOU doing?! Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” I gasped from a tiny opening in the blanket.

“No, I called my boss and told him I was taking this day off for personal reasons,” he set the tray down on the nightstand. “And I already called Mia and told her your situation. She’s fine by it. Plus she decided to close up until Elena gets out of the hospital.”

“Oh yeah! Elena!” I clasped a hand against my mouth.

“Don’t worry, she’s just fine… Reno called last night after you fell asleep…” Vincent carefully picked me up out of the blanket and held me as if I were a newborn baby.

“What in the hell are you doing?” I raised an eyebrow at him, which made him laugh. “I’m not a baby.”

“Oh yes you are,” Vincent cooed at me. “You’re my baby, yes you are.”

I stared at him. What in the Hell happened to Vincent in the period of one day?

“Uhm… Yes. As flattering as that may be to you, put me down.”

“Uhm, no,” Vincent smiled at me. It was the first smile of his where I actually saw his teeth. I was almost frightened.

“W-why not?” I sounded like a child begging for something; in other words, pitiful.

“Because…” Vincent’s smile broadened, and then the most unbelievable thing happened. He started to tickle me! DAMN!

 

The ‘attack’ went on for hours it seemed like, and the only reason it stopped was because someone was at the door. It was just the mailman though, telling us there was a package down at the Post Office for Vincent. That caught my attention… Who sent Vincent a package? I tried getting him to tell me but he wouldn’t. Whatever. None of my business I guess. Or at least not yet of course, since we’re not married. Unfortunately, I had zoned out so I didn’t notice Vincent coming up behind me.

“Oh Kimberly…” Vincent taunted me as he grabbed my arm. “Come here.”

“Hey, no, Vincent!” I squirmed trying to escape from his grasp. “No!”

“Yes yes,” Vincent smiled as he reached down and lifted me over his shoulder. “Kim’s been a bad girl…”

I kicked and yelled, but it didn’t faze him. Vincent only grinned and closed the bedroom door. I must be in Hell.

 

Chapter 11: Whoopsie Daisy

 I was crying. Not because I was upset, but because I was being tickled to death. My breathing was sporadic, so talking was almost impossible. I did what I could.

“V-Vince…” I said quickly trying to catch my breath. “Vincent! S-stop!”

“Aw, but why?” Hearing Vincent say that in his voice almost made me want to hug him to death. Instead I shuddered. The whole shuddering thing threw Vincent off guard however, and he quickly reached down to feel my forehead.

“Are you getting sick on me?” Vincent’s voice resonated through my chest.

“N-No…” I violently shook my head in nervousness.

“Then why are you shivering?” he began to reach for a blanket next to us on the bed. “Here. Cover yourself up and I’ll go get you some aspirin.”

I didn’t even get the chance to argue. Vincent was up and in the bathroom before I could even open my mouth. When he started back towards the bed, I tried talking to him but he wouldn’t hear any of it.

“But Vincent let me just...”

“Kim! Be quiet! You’ve got a slight fever. If we don’t do anything about it now, it’ll only get worse,” Vincent handed me a glass of water and an aspirin. “Now take that, get under the covers, and get… some rest.”

“Who put the voice box in you?” I stammered. “No, honestly. Why are you so talkative lately? You were never like this before… I mean, about the whole worrying crap.”

I caught him off guard. “W-what? You don’t like it when I worry about you? You don’t like it when I actually speak how I feel?”

“No. I don’t like it,” I said as serious as I could.

“Oh well, fine…” Vincent began to get off the edge of the bed. “I’ll jus-...”

“I don’t like it… I love it,” I smiled at him as I looked into his eyes for what seemed like the first time.

“W-well, you know Cid was the one w-who…”

“Shh…”I placed a finger over my lips. “I’m sick remember? I need my rest.”

“Oh… Right,” he started to get off the bed again, but I grabbed onto his arm before he could leave. “What?”

“Will you… Stay with me? Please?” I gave him my ultimate puppy dog eyes. “Pretty please?”

“Jesus Christ, will you just shut up and go to sleep?” Vincent playfully pushed my face into the pillows. “Otherwise I’ll have to get serious on your ass.”

I stared at him for a second. “O-okay.”

“Good girl,” he brushed a strand of hair out of my eye. “Your hair is almost as long as mine now…”

“Maybe you should get a hair cut,” I stuck my tongue out at him.

“Mm… Maybe I will,” Vincent nodded in agreement. “We’ll see.”

 

Vincent must not have been kidding about the fever. I fell asleep almost immediately. Or maybe it was because I had virtually no energy left; tickling kills. I felt Vincent’s grip around my waist at one point during my whole slumber fest. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to have one of those cliché moments of waking up in your lover’s arms; Vincent was gone by the time I woke up. This was a first.

 

Chapter 12: Old Friends, Different Paths

 
[A week or so later]

 
I should have known Vincent wasn’t going to be there. He’s not capable of taking too many days off work. They need him there too much.

 

Vincent, and Cid now that I think about it, works for the WRO. He specializes in the repair of weaponry and material. Cid focuses more on the scientific stuff and basic machinery. Seeing as though he was once an astronaut helps him a whole lot. Another cool thing is they both work directly for Reeves, so their boss is someone they already know.

 

Vincent makes quite a bit of money for what he does, and I owe it all to him for giving me such a wonderful home to live in. We even have a guesthouse, which is what Cid is currently living in. He could easily afford his own place, but we don’t mind having him around. He’s a good person to be around when you’re feeling down in the dumps.

 

As for me? Well, it’ll probably sound pathetic compared to Vincent and Cid. I’m just your average bar tender in the neighborhood bar. Elena, Mia, and sometimes Yuffie work there as well. It can be pretty interesting when we’re all working on the same day… Mia’s the owner of the place, so that’s why she got to call the shots when closing the bar.

 

To be honest, I’m not quite sure what Reno does for a living. And I think that may be a good thing. Rude, Reno’s old Turk partner, lives back in Midgar (or what’s left of it) by Cloud, Tifa, and many others we’re acquainted with. I’ve always wondered what really happened with Rufus Shinra. No one has claimed to have seen him since the Kadaj incident. That’s another thing I’ve always wondered about. Did they actually get rid of Sephiroth for good this time? Or is he going to keep popping back into reality every couple of years? To be honest, I wouldn’t mind seeing him one last time. I need to kick his ass for all the grief he put Cloud through back at ShinRa Headquarters.

 

Speaking of Cloud, I’ve heard he’s doing pretty well for himself too. He’s still running that Delivery Service, and he still has Denzel and Marlene living with him. Turns out he and Tifa are also engaged now! I think everyone feels the same way when I say it’s about damn time. They’re planning on getting married this fall. Vincent and I have our date set on June 12^th. Two weddings in one year; Cupid really must have been working his ass off on our group. Rumors are Elena and Reno are getting pretty close too!

 

Well, I guess I should get off my lazy ass and do something. I am finally feeling better. As it turns out Vincent was right, and I was stuck with a cold all week. I guess your mind can shut out other things mentally, like sickness, when you don’t want to deal with it. Maybe I’ll clean or something… Seeing as though I can’t go back to work yet. I know! I’ll clean up the house a little, and then go out to see Elena! Sounds like a plan to me… But what if she’s already out of the hospital?

“Oh who cares!” I nodded to myself in the mirror. “First things first; shower.”

And with that, I was off to the bathroom to get ready for yet another exciting day in my life. Oh boy…

 

I decided to call Cloud to get a ride to the hospital. Oh sure I could drive myself, if I had a car. But I’d much rather go with someone else. It’s kind of creepy walking down hallways in a hospital by yourself. I decided on Cloud because he had given me his cell phone number anyways. Why not use it, right? And yeah I could have called Reno… But then I realized I only had his old office number. He never gave me his new cell number. I began to dial Cloud’s number.

 

(Author’s Note: ‘…’ intervals indicate pauses.)

“Hey Cloud? Hi! It’s Kim… Yeah I have a question. Could you give me a ride to the hospital? … I figured Reno would already be there and… You will? … Aw, thanks Cloud! I’ll see you in about a half an hour then? … Okay! See you later!”

 

I hummed to myself as I got ready to go. I made myself a quick cup of coffee to take with me, and then slipped my comfy tennis shoes on. About 10, 15 minutes later, the doorbell rang.

“Just a second!” I yelled as I grabbed my purse and house key.

“It’s okay,” Cloud said as he began to open the door. “I’ll let myself in.”

“Hey you,” I smiled as I walked up to him to give him a hug. “I’m so glad to see you.”

“You have no idea how happy I am to have you back in my life,” he said as he opened the door and escorted me out. “We’ve got some serious catching up to do.”

“Most definitely. But right now Elena’s our main focus.”

“Yes, you’re absolutely right,” he nodded in agreement.

 

The drive to the hospital was a little longer then we expected it to be. There was a three-car pile up on the freeway, so traffic was inevitable. Luckily, Cloud is one of those drivers who don’t get impatient. We spent the time we had in the car chatting. When we did finally get to the hospital though, we switched back into serious mode. We were here for Elena, not ourselves.

 

“We’re here to see Elena LeBeau,” Cloud told the receptionist.

“She’s on the fourth floor, room 3B, sir,” she smiled at us both. “Lucky for you visiting hours have just begun!”

“Thank you very much,” Cloud smiled in return.

Being on the first floor, it was an obvious choice to take the elevator up to the fourth floor. Well, Cloud wanted to take the elevator. I didn’t want to go anywhere near it. I have a huge phobia of elevators… And I have since getting stuck in one at ShinRa Headquarters. Unfortunately, Cloud dragged me on.

“Ya big baby,” Cloud laughed at me as I clung onto him for dear life. “Come on, the door’s opening. Let’s go see Elena.”

We proceeded down the hallway a bit until we saw a few people standing in the doorway. The vibrant red hair gave us the immediate clue that we had found Elena.

“Reno!” I yelled softly down the hall. “We’re here!”

“Oh hey you two,” Reno smiled at us. “Just in time.”

“So we’ve learned,” Cloud laughed. “Now where’s the patient?”

And from there the visit began…

---------

Chapter 14: Everyone’s Going Home

Cloud and I were there for about an hour. We couldn’t have stayed any longer even if we wanted to. Elena was being released, so she was free to go back home. Before leaving the hospital completely though, we all thought about the possibility of going out to lunch.

“To be honest,” Reno whispered subtly to Cloud and I. “I don’t want Elena going out. I’d rather we just head home. You guys could go if you’d like.”

Cloud, Rude, Mia, and I all exchanged glances. We immediately decided to call off the idea. I was obvious that everyone just wanted to go home and relax.

“Ah that’s okay,” I said to Reno smiling. “Wouldn’t be nearly as exciting without you around. We’ll wait until everyone’s up for going out.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Cloud winked at me as he stood beside Reno, patting his shoulder. “You guys have a safe trip home.”

“You as well,” Elena answered lightly from behind Reno. “See you at work whenever I get back Kim.”

“Yup! You just take it easy for a while!” I yelled back to her as she and Reno began to get into his car. “Drive safe!”

“Well, we’re going to head out too…” Rude finally spoke up for the first time the entire morning. “We’ll see you both later.”

“Alright,” Cloud answered shortly. “You guys drive safely as well.”

“Ah no worries, papi,” Mia laughed. “We’ll be fine. You guys drive safe. You’ve got further distance to cover!”

“Will do,” I said, waving to them as they drove off.

“Well, where to missy?” Cloud said as he bumped into my side playfully.

“We could go back home and wait for Vincent and Cid to get off work,” I pondered as I spoke.

“And?” Cloud asked figuring there was more to the point.

“We could all go out to dinner or something,” I smiled at him. “I bet Cid wouldn’t mind seeing you, and I’m sure Vincent’s the same… Although he’d never admit it.”

“Sure, sounds good to me,” Cloud smiled back.

“Alrighty then let’s head back home,” I said as I pointed out towards his car.

“You haven’t changed at all, Kim,” Cloud laughed as we ventured through the parking lot.

“What do you mean?” I glared at him from the corner of my eye with almost a sense of sarcastic murderous intent.

“I meant it in a good way!” he waved his arms around like a windmill. “I was just noting on the fact that you still like to make plans and you like to make them fast.”

“Hey,” I said almost sounding upset. “Don’t try to pretend you think it’s a bad idea. I know you want to see those two…”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Cloud sounded as if he were embarrassed to admit it. “But anyways… Let’s get out of here.”

“You just hate it when I’m right,” I playfully punched him in the arm. “I know it.”

“Oh yeah,” Cloud rolled his eyes as he began to pull out of the hospital’s parking garage. “That isn’t a common thing though since you’re wrong about 99.9% of the time.”

“Hey,” I squeaked and it made us both laugh for the rest of the ride home.

------

Chapter 15: Waiting for the ‘Men’

Cloud and I got back home about an hour before Vincent and Cid would be arriving from work. I used my time wisely getting ready and Cloud did the same. The only thing we had a hard time with was finding Cloud something to wear. Cid kept the guesthouse locked so we were left with just Vincent’s closet.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Cloud sighed as we walked towards Vincent’s side of the closet. “He’s at least half a foot taller than I am!”

“I bet you any money he hasn’t cleaned out his closet in years,” he looked at me in confusion as I scavenged through the clothing. “…Meaning he could still have his suits from being a Turk?”

“So? They’ll still be too big,” Cloud laughed.

“I can hem them real quick,” I smiled deviously at him in response.

We spent about 5 minutes shifting through Vincent’s rows and rows of clothes. Sure enough though, we found a suit of his that was probably never even worn before.

“Go put it on, and then I’ll hem it for you.”

“Hem it while I’m wearing it?” he raised an eyebrow at me.

“Y-yes…” I slid past him through the doorway to find my needle and thread.

“And what do you plan on wearing?” Cloud yelled to me as he changed in the bedroom.

“You’ll see,” I smiled as I walked towards him, weapons at hand. “Now hold still. Otherwise you’ll end up with some unwanted piercings.”

“Very funny,” he narrowed his eyes. “Just be careful.”

 
It took me about 20 minutes to do both the sleeves and the pant legs. When I finished, I stepped back to get a better look at the finished product. Cloud looked downright handsome.

“Wow Cloud,” I was dumbfounded. “When you’re cleaned up, you’re-”

“Good looking?” a voice from the doorway boomed behind me. I immediately swiveled around on my feet to face the person.

“Vincent!” I smiled so widely I feared my face might crack. “You’re home early! Is Cid back too?”

“Yes ma’am, Ms. Ama,” Cid appeared behind Vincent’s shoulder. “By golly, is that Cloud? Spiky head, is that you?!”

“Cid! Man it’s great to see you,” Cloud stepped down from the chair I had him standing on.

“So what’s the occasion, Kimberly?” I shuddered as Vincent spoke my full name. He only did that when I was either in trouble, or when he was worried about me. I figured it was for the first reason this time around. He sounded very cold. “Going somewhere tonight?”

“Yes…” I spoke cautiously. It was almost like I was the daughter and he was my father, and I was trying to talk my way out of trouble. “But let me finish! I want you and Cid to come too! I want the four of us to go out for dinner. I figured you three might want to hang out… Or something…”

I sat down on the couch and stared at my lap. I could feel the burning sensation in my eyes that you always get before crying.

“But if you don’t want to go, I under-...”

I didn’t get to finish what I was going to say because when I looked back up, I realized I was talking to a confused Cloud. Vincent and Cid were already running around getting ready to go.

“Well, Ms. Ama, you better get ready too!” Cid laughed as he rushed by out to the guesthouse.

“Y-yes..!” I said lightly as I smiled.