Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Fragments ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Chapter 4



"Yuffie, please, come outside with me," Rufus pleaded, sitting down beside the girl on her bed. "You've been cooped up in this house for way too long, and you'd really like the flowers."

Yuffie looked up at him blankly. "I've seen plenty of flowers before. Why would I care now?"

"Well, it's just, they're the first flowers of spring," he stammered. Why didn't anything work? He had been trying everything he could think of for four months to cheer Yuffie up, but everything bounced off her like she was surrounded by some invisible forcefield. He sighed. "I just thought you'd want to come do something fun with me."

"Boy, were you ever wrong," she replied without a trace of emotion in her voice.

"Oh, God, Yuffie," he said miserably, blinking back sudden tears. "I hate to see you like this! What happened to the girl who was so nice to me the night I came here, the girl who held my hand and said she wanted to help me? What happened to her?"

She closed her eyes as though she were in pain. "Vincent took her with him," she whispered.

"You know, you're full of crap!" Rufus suddenly stood up angrily. "If that heartless, sorry excuse for a man had really cared about you, he would have stayed! I didn't know much about him, but I knew enough to realize you deserve better than him, someone who will treat you the way you *do* deserve, the way *I* treat you!"

Yuffie blinked at him in surprise. Instantly he regretted his harsh words and collapsed back onto the bed. "I'm sorry, Yuffie," he said softly, looking down at the floor. "I'm just... worried about you."

Suddenly he felt a hand on his knee. He looked up to see Yuffie smiling slightly at him. "I think I would like to see those flowers now."



"It's so strange," said Rufus thoughtfully, twirling a bright yellow flower between his thumb and index finger.

Yuffie looked up from the daisy chain she was making. "What is, Rufie?"

"Even though I'm already twenty-one, I've never had a childhood. I mean, I did, but I don't remember it. I have no memory of even *this*," he said, holding the flower close to his gaunt face. Though he had been living with Cloud, Tifa, and Yuffie for four months, he was still underweight, and his clothes hung loosely from his fragile body. He sighed. "No memory of sitting in the grass, looking at flowers. From what you, Cloud, and Teef have told me about my life, I probably never did."

"Do you remember anything?" asked Yuffie, linking another daisy into her string.

Rufus hesitated, then nodded once. "Still just fragments of things. Some guy handing me blueprints or something in a folder. I remember riding in a black helicopter. But the one thing I remember the clearest is when I was, like... seven. Really little."

Yuffie silently tied the ends of her chain and waited patiently for him to continue.

He closed his gentle azure eyes. "I'm standing in this hallway, and there's something broken on the floor. I think it's a lamp. I must have broken it, because some lady who I can tell is the maid is yelling at me. Then this fat guy comes walking up to me, and all I can feel is raw fear. Even though I don't remember my father, just this one feeling of terror tells me it's him.

"So he walks up to me, looks down at the lamp, looks back at me, then slaps me clear across the face. He grabs me by the shirt collar and slams me against the wall, knocking down a picture frame, but I don't think he cares. His hands are so huge and callused. He leans in close to me, and I can feel his hot breath on me. He says, 'Boy, you're nothing but a disappointment, you know that? I would sooner give the company to my dog than you.'" He shook his head of silky blonde hair and opened his eyes. "Then he lets me go and walks away. The maid picks me up and tries to calm me, because I'm crying this whole time."

"Rufus," she whispered softly. She entwined his thin arm in both of hers and leaned against him. Her chocolate strands of hair brushed against his neck, and she felt him shiver slightly. "I'm so sorry."

He blushed. "It's no big deal, really. I was just a stupid kid then. Of course, I'm not much better now. I feel like I'm still a child sometimes, because I don't even remember what it's like to be one."

"Well, then, that settles it!" exclaimed Yuffie, grinning. She picked up her wreath of daisies and placed it on his head. "Who says your childhood has to be lost just because you don't remember it? You can start now!"

He laughed, his voice pure and sweet. "You are so weird, Yuffers." He solemnly readjusted the wreath, then wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "So how have you been dealing with everything? I mean, about... you know."

She sighed and leaned closer into him. "I'm doing better. A *lot* better than I was at first. I was depressed, hurt, angry... practically everything at once. I..." She hesitated, then rested her head on his bony shoulder. "I just wish I knew why Vincent left, you know? He said it was for my own good, but I don't know if I can believe that. How could it be any better than it was when he was here?"

Rufus closed his eyes to fight the tears that threatened to trickle forth at her words of fondness. Why did she have to have feelings for someone who probably never reciprocated them? "Do you--" He faltered, then tried again. "Do you love Vincent?"

She looked up at him in surprise. She was silent for a long time, then she finally said simply, "I don't know."



"Well, I'm glad *someone* got Yuffie to come out of her depression," said Cloud in relief, looking out the window at his two friends.

Tifa came up beside him and squeezed his hand. "I was so worried about her."

"Yeah, me too." He paused. "Hey, Teef, do you remember what Yuffie was like when she first came to live with us?"

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "How could I forget? She was a stubborn, selfish little brat. But I can't really blame her, because I used to be a brat, too. We've both changed a lot."

"So has Rufus, for that matter; probably more than anyone." He pointed to the kind-hearted young man that Cloud still thought of as a boy. He was laughing at a cheesy joke Yuffie had told. "We've all changed, Tifa. And I *thought* Vincent had changed," he added bitterly, "But I guess not."

"Cloud, don't even start--"

"What could he have possibly been thinking?" he asked angrily, wild blonde locks flying as he turned toward his wife. "Whatever he said or did to Yuffie couldn't have hurt her more than leaving did! How could he have the nerve to do that to her, or to any of us?"

"Getting angry won't change anything, Cloud," replied Tifa sternly. "We both know you miss him."

He looked at her for a while with his luminous blue eyes, then sighed. "Yeah, I do, and that's what bugs me the most."

Tifa looked back out the window and shook her head sadly. "Poor Rufus."

"What?" asked Cloud, bewildered. "Why Rufus?"

"Oh, come on, Cloud," she said. "You must see the way he looks at Yuffie, and how pained he is whenever she talks about Vincent. He's fallen for her big time, and he hit the ground the second he saw her."

Cloud blinked, still astonished. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Trust me. If you don't believe me, just watch him the next time Yuffie brings up Vincent. You'll see."



"No, Rufus, let me down!" exclaimed Yuffie as the two companions raced down the path to Sector 5 on her chocobo, Hibiscus. "I changed my mind!"

He shook his head. "You said you wanted to go to lunch with me, and you're not taking back your word."

"But you're Rufus Shin-ra!" she insisted. "People will recognize you, and believe me, there aren't that many people who are fond of you!"

"I'm not that familiar with Midgar, Yuffie. Do you know many good places to eat in Sector 5?" He kicked the chocobo lightly to speed it up.

"You're not listeniiing!" Her arms instinctively shot around Rufus' waist as the bird sprinted down the road at Mach 7.

Rufus blushed as her grip tightened on his stomach. "I, uh," he began, his voice cracking, "I feel like having clam chowder. How about you?"

She groaned in defeat as they neared the gate to Sector 5. Once they arrived, they hopped off the chocobo and Rufus tethered it to a post. Yuffie suddenly put a hand on her chest and stumbled once, letting out a loud cough.

Rufus' eyes widened. "Are you okay, Yuff?"

She nodded as he put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "Yeah, I think so." When he looked at her doubtfully, she forced a smile. "Don't worry, Rufie. It's all good!"

The two walked through the streets, trying to find a place to eat. Finally they found a small but promising diner near the takeout restaurant where Cloud had first found Rufus. The waitress sat them down at a booth near the back, and they browsed the menu as they waited for her to come back and take their orders. All of a sudden a raucous voice pierced their concentration.

"Rude, tell me if I'm seein' things!!!"

Their heads turned in unison to see a trio in blue suits walking up to them. There was a blonde woman with chocolate eyes, a tall bald man with sunglasses and a goatee, and a scruffy young man with wild red hair. A neat scar adorned each of his cheeks. All three of them wore dumbfounded expressions.

"Weeell, if it isn't the Turks?" said Yuffie, shaking her head. "Haven't seen you guys since we kicked your butts in the sewer."

The man with the head of fire stuck his tongue out at the ninja. "Shaddup, kid, that's not important. What in the name of Ifrit are you doing here with *Rufus Shin-ra*?!"

"Wait a minute," said Rufus, confused. "Who are you all?"

The blonde woman blinked. "What do you mean, Mr. President? You know us!"

"No, I don't," he replied, shaking his head. "Yuffie, what's going on?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but the tall bald man the redhead called Rude said, "Are you telling us you don't remember us?"

"Okay, hold the friggin' phone for just a minute, people," said the redhead irritably. "Let me get this straight. Rufus Shin-ra, who is *supposed* to be crowfeed after the explosion at Shin-ra Headquarters, is having lunch, all buddy-buddy with Yuffie Kisaragi, a member of AVALANCHE, and he doesn't remember his own bodyguards! Is that it?"

"Reno," the blonde began.

"No, wait, Elena," said Reno, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "That's what's going on, isn't it?"

Yuffie sighed. "Yes, that's pretty much it, Reno. He doesn't remember anything. Cloud found him nearly frozen to death last winter and took him home."

"Do you believe her?" asked Elena doubtfully.

Rude nodded silently.

"Well, isn't this just a lovely little surprise?" said Reno, sitting down next to Yuffie, who scooted over distastefully to make room. Reno's sea green eyes rolled in frustration. "Are you absolutely *sure* you don't remember us, Mr. President? Reno, Rude, and Elena?"

The blonde young man shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. And please don't call me that. It's just Rufus."

Yuffie suddenly lurched forward, coughing violently. Rufus jumped up from his seat and ran to her side. "Yuffie!"

"What the--" said Reno, leaning back as Rufus climbed over him to reach Yuffie. She was clutching her chest in pain, trying to fight the coughing fit. "What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know!" the boy exclaimed miserably. Yuffie suddenly stopped coughing and abrubtly lost consciousness. "Oh, God! Yuffie, wake up!!" He put a hand to her neck, to feel her pulse. It was weak but steady, and her skin was burning and feverish.

Elena and Rude looked at each other in shock.

"Wh- what are you going to do?" sputtered Reno, suddenly unable to cope with the situation.

"You mean, what are *we* going to do?" said Rufus, rephrasing the Turk's question. "Help me lift her. We're going to take her back to the house."

"B-but I, I don't--"

"Please!" he cried, tears in his eyes. "You don't know how much she means to me!"

Reno's heart was beating frantically. Why did all this crap always have to happen at once? "Okay, okay. I'll get her legs, Mr. Pr... Rufus."