Turning
"Get some sleep."
The cat portion of Cait Sith turned to face Yuffie. "Huh?"
"I said, get some sleep." Yuffie's fists were on her hips, and she frowned fiercely at the Shinra president. "You've been working nonstop for two weeks now. You need rest." With that last statement, she stomped her foot for emphasis.
"But I can't. I have too many meetings, too much work," Reeve countered.
"Call 'em off. I don't care, go to your apartment, or even to the gym, and get some sleep. Otherwise, I'm gonna leave Cait Sith behind."
Reeve had never seen Yuffie look like that before. He held up his hands. "Fine, fine. I'll go down to the gym." He sighed. "But this better not be a ploy to ditch me!"
"Never," said Yuffie, batting her eyes sweetly. Cait slowly shook its head, then slumped over as Reeve took off the controls. Yuffie sighed contentedly, then lay down on the bed in the inn she stayed in. She slowly drifted off to sleep.
She was awakened by Cait's hand on her shoulder. "Miss Kisaragi?" a voice - definitely not Reeve's - asked.
She sat up. "Who're you?!" she exclaimed, grabbing her shuriken, despite the fact that it would be completely ineffective against an enemy several thousand miles away.
"I'm Cristofer Toranir, the acting president for President Tsor."
She caught herself before she asked "Who?" That must be Reeve's last name, she thought. "What do you mean, 'acting president'? What happened to the president?"
"Miss Kisaragi...there was a break-in in the Shinra building. Someone came up to the gym where he was sleeping. It was an armed attempt. He tried to stop the criminal from killing someone, and, in the process, was shot several times in the chest. He has been hospitalized."
"No...no!" she said. She let out a nervous laugh. "This is a joke, right? D-did Reeve put you up to this?"
Cait slowly shook his head. "I'm very sorry, Miss Kisaragi."
Yuffie's mouth fell open. After several seconds of indecision, she grabbed her bag and started stuffing her belongings into it.
"You're leaving?" Reno's face was a mask of incredulity. "Dammit, he's the richest man in the world! He'll have the best doctors."
"It's my fault!" The others had caught Yuffie leaving, and had been quite puzzled. "If I hadn't told him...Besides, I've only been a pain so far."
Even Reno was stunned into silence by this wildly uncharacteristic remark.
"Besides, Miss Kisaragi must return to Midgar to fulfill her duties as an executive of Shinra," added Cristofer from behind her. "Reeve, in his will, named her as president in his stead."
Yuffie turned around. "What?! Not really-"
The acting president nodded gravely. "Yes. It really is urgent you get back to Midgar as quickly as possible."
Reno whistled. "Man. I didn't know Reeve was crazy."
"Not today, Reno," was the ninja's reply, and she walked out of the door into the snow-covered plains. Cristofer, still controlling Cait Sith, bounded after her.
"Tifa?" Tifa turned away from Cloud towards the door.
"Yeah?"
"We've been able to analyze the disease." Red sounded weary. "We think that a chemical in some people's bodies neutralizes the disease. So, we think you're safe."
"Well, that's nice to know, I suppose." She frowned. "Anything on the way to a cure?"
"...Sorry."
She bowed her head. "It's all right." She looked down at Cloud, worry tingeing her brow. "Cloud, Cloud." She whispered quietly enough so the sound didn't go past her own ears. "What will become of you? What will happen?"
"Reeve..."
Yuffie looked at the president's prone form with great regret. If there was anyone less deserving of being nearly killed, it was Reeve. He truly was a kind, incredible person.
The young ninja gripped her hand into a tight fist. She roughly wiped away tears that had formed in her eyes, then wiped her wet knuckles on her shirt. Since assuming the role of the president, she had searched with all the resources she had to find the man who shot Reeve. After three days, she found him when he was trying to get out of the Midgar gates. It was fortunate that she had passed out a picture of the man to everyone working in Shinra, or he would have slipped right through Reeve's considerably lightened customs program at the gate.
She lightly touched Reeve on the cheek, as if for good luck, then walked out to deal with administrative things.
"Mi- err...President Kisaragi," greeted Cristofer as she passed him. She had stored the Cait Sith where it was usually kept when out of service after getting back. "You're requested for a meeting with a diplomat. He is in your office."
She nodded, though inwardly she felt despair and a bit of annoyance. Reeve was much better at wordplay than she; she was looking forward to him waking up so he could take over the dealings with diplomats.
She trudged to her relatively small and cluttered office. She had decided not to move into the Presidential office, as that would be far too permanent a gesture. As she walked through the door, she met a surprise.
"Godo."
The elder Kisaragi nodded, clambering to his feet from the chair he sat in. "Hello." He glanced around. "I must say, I never expected to see my daughter as the leader of that she hates the most."
Yuffie snorted. "I may as well not be your daughter, so don't call me as such. And Shinra has changed. Reeve is a good man."
"Reeve...Isn't that your friend who's going to die from the gunshot wound?"
She took several steps nearer to her father. "He is not going to die," she snarled. Having said that, she dropped into the chair behind her desk, then started filing some papers.
"Were you not the one who swore vengeance upon this company?" Godo aked, still trying to bait her.
"Indeed. And vengeance was enacted. I simply was not the one to give it. The Diamond Weapon robbed me of that privilege."
"But still, don't you feel guilty?" he pressed.
"Look, Godo, I am satisfied. Once the President wakes up, he will take his place, and I will serve out the rest of my life doing what I swore to do: aiding Wutai. I have a lot of influence now, and can lend financial aid. Wutai will be great."
"But still-"
"Look, old man, you try my patience. You've overstayed your welcome."
"I am ashamed to be your father right now."
Yuffie was shocked by those words. She reacted by lashing out verbally. "And I was always ashamed to be your daughter! Get out, old man! I always hated you. I started hating you when you killed Mother!"
The last phrase stood in the air between them as Godo slowly took his leave. Yuffie hmphed, then continued filing papers.
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