Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 19: Sorrow is a Woman

Elena flinched as the saw came dangerously close to tender flesh, the high-pitched buzzing it emitted setting her teeth on edge. She watched as it traversed the rigid plaster from her knee all the way to her toes, sighing in relief when it stopped.

“There yeh are,” Dr. Ward said brightly, popping the two halves of the cast apart with practiced ease, and releasing the rookie’s leg from it’s confines.

“Oh, thank Ifrit… finally!” she moaned, and scratched furiously at the formerly-unreachable spot on her ankle that been driving her absolutely mad all morning. The doctor stood, chuckling fondly, next to her.

“Yeh should be just about good as new… though I’d recommend going easy on that leg for another day or two ’til the muscles get accustomed ta being used again,” she advised. Elena rolled her pant leg down over her newly freed appendage, and carefully hopped down from the exam table. It felt a little strange at first, putting her full weight on it again after being on crutches for so long.

“Thanks, Dr. Ward,” she said, smiling widely.

“My pleasure, Elena, dear,” the doctor replied, “Oh… And when yeh see Reno, say hello for me. Right before yeh remind him he’s overdue for his annual physical. As usual. Got a nice tetanus vaccination with his name on it.”

“I’ll do that,” she said with a laugh.

---

By the time she stepped out of the elevator at the Turks’ offices, Elena was practically giddy. It felt, so good to finally be rid of the cast and those stupid crutches… especially since for the past week, Reno had taken to hiding them when she wasn’t looking and innocently pretending to know nothing about it until she threatened to get Tseng involved… again.

She was going to get him back for that. She wasn’t sure how, just yet, but she’d get him.

Right now, though, she was just happy to be able to enjoy her newly restored mobility. She was sick of desk work and being stuck in the office all day, every day. She pushed the door to the main office open, grinning madly.

“Good morning, sir,” she said cheerfully, catching sight of Tseng. The Turk leader returned her smile.

“Hmm… I doubt I need to ask the reason for your good mood today,” he commented, taking a sip of tea and setting something on Reno’s desk.

“It is so good to finally be done with that stupid cast,” she enthusiastically stated, taking a seat at her desk and logging into her email.

“Then I’m sure you’ll be equally pleased to hear that I have an assignment for you that doesn’t involve combing through the archives for hours on end,” Tseng replied, “But I’ll fill you in once Reno arrives, since he’ll be joining you. I suspect he’ll be a little late this morning.”

He turned toward his own desk before pausing, hesitantly.

“Elena…” he said, tone turning a bit more serious, “It’s perhaps not my place to say anything, but… be kind to Reno today. He very likely won’t be quite himself.”

“Sir?” she asked, caught off guard by the odd request.

“As I said, it’s really not my place. If you want to know, you’ll need to speak with him directly. I just thought you should have some warning.” With that, he returned to his desk, settling in with a thick file folder and leaving Elena to wonder what in the world that was all about. She was still pondering over it when Rude arrived… so much so that she didn’t even notice him come in.

“… No more crutches?” he asked, and Elena nearly jumped out of her skin.

“Oh! Rude! Good morning,” she said, smile returning, “Yep! Gone as of less than twenty minutes ago.”

“About time,” the bald Turk responded, sitting down at his desk. Elena stared at her monitor for a minute or two before finally getting up and walking over to him.

“Hey, Rude?” she said, keeping her voice low.

“Mmm?”

“Would… you happen to have any idea why Tseng asked me to be extra nice to Reno today?” the rookie asked, somewhat guardedly.

“…”

“I’m going to guess that’s a yes,” she said, “And I supposed you’re not going to tell me what’s going on, either.”

“…”

She sighed. “That figures…”

“It’s personal,” Rude said simply, “He wants to tell you, he’ll tell you. I won’t.”

While Rude wasn’t above teasing Reno with inconsequential things the redhead might rather not be revealed, when it came to truly important matters, the man was impenetrable. No one could keep a secret like Rude. “Okay… I get it.” she said. Rude nodded.

She sat back down at her desk, waiting for the topic of conversation himself to arrive. And waited.

At last, he walked in, fifteen minutes late, and looking far less animated than usual.

“Hi, Reno,” Elena ventured, smiling warmly.

“Mornin’,” he responded, dully, before nodding to his partner. “Hey, Rude.” Elena blinked. When Tseng had said Reno might not be himself, apparently he hadn’t been kidding. She watched as he sat down, picking up whatever it was Tseng had left for him. A half-smile briefly flickered across his face.

“Reno… Elena…” Tseng called, “If you would…?”

---

“How many interrogations you sat in on so far, ‘Lena?” Reno asked as he lead her down an unfamiliar hallway somewhere in the Shinra Building’s sub-basement. He’d been unusually quiet the entire journey down… in fact, that was the first full sentence she’d gotten out of him the whole time. The man was all business today. No teasing, no jokes… not even a comment on her lack of crutches. It was downright weird.

“Only a few,” she replied, “Twice with Tseng, and once with Rude.” She wanted desperately to ask what had gotten into him, but every time she tried, she found herself hesitating, and she didn’t really know why. Maybe it was because neither of the other Turks were acting as if anything were unusual. She was intensely curious, but if Tseng and Rude weren’t worried about whatever was bothering the redhead, maybe she should just mind her own business and leave him alone until he worked through whatever it was. He didn’t seem to be in a very talkative mood, after all… and the last thing she wanted to do was make things worse.

“Ya mind doin’ a little more than just watchin’ this time?” he asked.

“I… um… sure,” she replied, wondering what he wanted her to do.

“Good. ‘Cause this guy’s a little different from most of the people we get. Can’t get physical with him, and he knows it,” said Reno, “He’s got a soft spot for pretty, young blondes, though. They remind him of his kid. Doesn’t like to see ’em hurt.”

“O-okay…? So… what do I do?” she replied, a little apprehensive. They paused outside of an unassuming metal door.

“Lose the jacket and the tie. Your ID badge, handcuffs, and your weapon, too. Anything that identifies you as a Turk. Leave ’em out here,” said Reno. She did as he asked, shedding the requested items, and then looked up at him expectantly. “Turn around,” he said, motioning for her to turn her back to him. She did so, and he took hold of her arms, pulling them behind her. A half-second later, he snapped her own handcuffs onto her wrists and spun her around to face him. She jumped a little when his fingers unexpectedly popped the top two buttons of her blouse without comment.

“All you gotta do is convince this guy that you’re terrified of me,” Reno continued, “I’ll make that easy for ya, so don’t think too much about it. Just react to what I do to ya.”

Elena swallowed nervously and nodded. A ghost of the old Reno suddenly reappeared, along with a weak smile. “Just remember… I’d never really hurt ya, ‘Lena,” he assured her, “Stay right here ’til I come and get you.”

With that, he unlocked the door with his access card, and disappeared inside. Elena leaned against the wall, waiting and wondering what exactly was going to happen. Normally, she’d hardly think twice about anything Reno asked her to do for an assignment… but he was behaving so strangely today. She couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.

The longer she waited, the more her unease grew. It had been nearly ten minutes. What was he doing in there, anyway? Suddenly, the door opened, and Elena was a little shocked to hear laughter. And definitely not Reno’s. The Turks’ second in command angrily stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him… and then leaned back against it, perfectly relaxed.

“We’ll give him a minute or two, then you’re comin’ in with me,” he said, “Fair warning, I’m gonna be a little rough with ya.” Elena stayed silent, feeling her stomach flip as she considered the possibilities of what was about to happen to her. She had a feeling that he was being vague on purpose… probably, she realized, because he didn’t want her reactions to seem like they’re been prepared in advance.

After a short while, he pushed away from the door. “Ready?” he asked.

“I think so…” Elena replied, nodding. Reno took a deep breath himself, and then seized her harshly by the upper arm, throwing open the door and dragging her along with him as he entered the room. The rookie Turk squeaked in surprise as he propelled her forward, throwing her off-balance and sending her to her knees in front of an older man in a gray suit. She only just managed to stop herself from faceplanting… no small feat with her hands behind her back. He looked perhaps in his mid to late fifties, with a neatly trimmed beard, wire-rimmed glasses, and a stocky build. He was bound to a chair, and as Elena hit the floor, she saw the grin he’d been sporting drop from his face.

“Who’s she?” he asked, sounding worried.

“No one of any consequence,” Reno responded nastily, “Which means no one important is gonna miss her if I get a little carried away.”

He grabbed her by her hair, jerking her head up to look at him. It didn’t really hurt, but she gasped anyway… more from the expression Reno wore than what he was actually doing to her. She’d never seen him look so dangerously sadistic.

“I’m not allowed to lay a finger on you,” he spat, his gaze turning toward the man in the chair, “… this bitch, though… I can do whatever I want to her. And I can make you watch.”

Reno hoisted her to her feet and turned her so she was facing the man, then pulled her flush against his body, his arm around her waist. Elena heard the soft snap of a switchblade, and shuddered as cold, sharp steel was suddenly pressed against her cheek. Reno drew the tip of the blade down along her jawline, barely even grazing her, and certainly not using enough pressure to break the skin, but she reflexively squeezed her eyes shut anyway.

“You know… it’d be a real shame to ruin such a pretty face…” he said, darkly. Elena whimpered softly for effect… mostly for effect, anyway.

“Y-you wouldn’t…” the man stammered, before clearing his throat, and speaking in a stronger voice, “Why should it matter to me? I… I don’t even know this girl. I don’t care about her…”

“No… you don’t. But I bet someone does,” he said, lowering the knife. Reno leaned in pressing his face close to her neck, and inhaling deeply. Now that, she had to admit, was a little creepy. “Mmm… How about it? Got anyone that cares about ya?”

Elena shivered at his tone, and said nothing. She wasn’t sure if he wanted her to answer that or not. When she didn’t respond, Reno spun her around, and slapped her across the face. His palm was wide open, so she really didn’t feel much more than a light sting as training kicked in and she turned her head in time with the blow, but, gods, the sound it made… The sharp crack make her eyes widen in shock.

“Answer me when I ask ya a question, sweetheart…” Reno growled, “Now… is there anyone out there that actually cares about your worthless ass?”

“Y-yes…” she replied, softly, staring at him. He turned back to the interrogation subject. “See? Somebody cares whether or not she comes home tonight…” With that, he abruptly let go of her, and she dropped to the floor at his feet.

“Why are you doing this?!” the man shouted.

“Because you’ve got information I need,” Reno answered, and then grinned maliciously, “And because I enjoy it. But if ya tell me what I want to know, I might be willing to deny myself the pleasure of toyin’ with this little vixen, and let her skip on home with that pretty face of hers intact.”

The man looked at her, desperation clear in his eyes. “Please… she doesn’t have anything to do with this…”

“Do I look like I give a shit?” Reno asked. He drew his electro mag-rod, and gave it a sharp flick, extending it to full length, and smirked as sparks erupted dramatically from the tip. “Fine… maybe I won’t mess up her face. Maybe I’ll just make her sing for me.”

Without warning, he shoved the mag-rod against her thigh, and depressed the triggering mechanism. Elena yelped in surprise… not only because it was so unexpected, but also because it didn’t hurt at all. If anything it actually kind of tickled. She hadn’t even known it had a setting that low…

“Stop!” the man shouted.

“You gonna talk?” Reno prodded, idly giving the weapon a twirl.

“I… I can’t…”

Elena felt the mag-rod make contact again, and this time she was ready for it. When it went off, she shrieked, and tensed her entire body. She didn’t stop screaming until Reno lifted the weapon away… which, to her surprise, was mere seconds later. She stole a brief glance at him, and realized he looked horrified.

“Alright! Alright… I’ll tell you… Please, just… just let her go home…”

The plea seemed to shake Reno back to the present.

“Good choice,” he growled, and hauled Elena to her feet, dragging her out the door, and slamming it behind them.

“Are you alright?!” he asked once they were safely out in the hall. He held onto her upper arms almost painfully tight as looked at her, his eyes wide in terror.

“O-of course,” she replied, a little confused, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Reno sagged in relief and leaned back against the door, his grip relaxing. “Damn, ‘Lena… That scream was a little too convincing,” he stated, “You scared me half to death… I thought I fucked up the settings somehow.”

He pulled the handcuff key from his pocket and released her.

“Head on back up to the office,” he said, still looking a little pale, “I’ll take it from here.”

Once he’d disappeared back into the interrogation room, Elena gathered her jacket and weapon, and everything else she’d removed, quickly putting herself right, and headed for the elevator. She glanced back at the door as she went. Whatever was bothering Reno today, it didn’t seem to have diminished his protective streak, at least. That had been real fear in his eyes when he’d thought he’d hurt her.

---

The rest of the day was more of the same. Reno – what she saw of him, at least, since Tseng seemed intent on keeping him thoroughly occupied – remained withdrawn and quiet. Two characteristics no one who knew the man would ever have associated with him. The longer it went on, the more Elena wished she knew what had turned him so melancholy.

Tseng and Rude had made it clear that they weren’t going to violate his privacy… and she felt like it would have been painfully intrusive to seek an answer from Reno. Not that she’d even had the opportunity to have a private conversation with him since that morning. Finally, though, she decided that she would drive herself crazy worrying about him if she didn’t find out what was wrong. It was almost the end of their shift… maybe he and Rude would be heading to the bar. She could talk to him there…

When five o’clock rolled around, however, Reno headed out alone, barely taking the time to say goodbye. Elena frowned, and grabbed her things, bidding a hasty goodnight to Tseng and Rude herself, before following him in the hopes of catching up to him before he disappeared for the evening. Even so, Reno beat her to the elevator, and was on his way down before she made it down the corridor. She was about to step into the neighboring car, when she realized that the panel was showing Reno’s elevator hadn’t descended to the parking deck, as she assumed it would. Instead, it had stopped on the first floor…

She hurried to catch up, wondering where he’d be going if he wasn’t going home or to the Phoenix Nest with Rude, and hit the button for one. The elevator dropped her off on the first floor concourse, and she just barely caught a glimpse of Reno as he slipped out the front door of the building. She followed as quickly as she could, avoiding the throng of workers bound for home, and found herself in the main plaza of Sector 0, scanning for her target. It wasn’t exactly difficult to pick Reno out of a crowd; his bright red hair stood out like a beacon in the sea of tired faces. She spotted him at the far south end.

He was talking to a young woman. Elena had seen her before any number of times. She sold flowers in the central train station from time to time, and sometimes there in the plaza. The rookie Turk hurried to get closer, keeping herself out of sight, though she had no reasonable explanation as to why her objective had suddenly gone from talking to the man, to tailing him. She concealed herself in the alcove of a nearby shop and watched.

The flower girl seemed to know Reno… though it was clear she was uncomfortable around him. Not shy, or nervous… but almost as if she was considering whether or not she should run – which struck Elena as decidedly odd. Unless they happened to be a… professional acquaintance… most people found Reno to be downright charming. After exchanging a few words with the Turk, however, she seemed to relax. It took Elena a moment more to realize that Reno was buying flowers from her.

That done, he was on the move again, still heading away from the building, and Elena matched him step for step from a safe distance. She didn’t dare get too close. Reno would spot her in no time flat if she did, and she’d have a hell of a time explaining what she was doing. She trailed him all the way to the train station, and watched as he boarded the train to the Sector 2 slums.

She swore quietly and broke into a run. He’d be hard enough to keep up with down below if she was right behind him… if she missed that train and had to wait for the next, she’d lose him for sure. She caught hold of the railing on the last car, and swung herself aboard just as it began to pull out of the station. Elena casually slipped inside amongst the other commuters, looking around for Reno. To her relief, he was in a different car. It would have been next to impossible to hide from him if he hadn’t been. She took a seat, and let the train carry her down to the slums.

When it arrived, she practically had to fight her way off, but finally emerged on the platform, searching the area for a familiar flash of red… which, much to her chagrin, was nowhere to be found. Elena groaned as she realized she’d just lost her target.

---

It hadn’t taken much to lose the rookie. He actually felt a little bad about it… she’d been doing a halfway decent job of it for once, right up until she’d broken cover at the station to catch the train. Any other day, he’d have given her the opportunity to practice.

Today, though… today he had other things on his mind, and Elena’s training just wasn’t a priority. Elena herself, in fact, he was somewhat ashamed to admit, hadn’t been a priority today, save for those few heart-pounding moments that morning when he thought he’d electrocuted her. At some point, he was going to have to make things up to her; he’d gotten the distinct impression that between the act he’d been putting on for the interrogation and his less than personable mood, he’d legitimately scared her a couple of times. That was a worry for tomorrow, however.

He gazed up at the metal gate that stood between him and his destination and sighed. He hated coming here, but he couldn’t not. He’d left his old life behind a long time ago… except for this. This was the only thing – outside of the occasional need to head down here for work – that drew him back to Sector 2. Otherwise, he avoided this hellhole like the plague. Reno shook his head and pushed the gate open, cringing as its hinges protested loudly.

He knew the way by heart… he barely even had to look for the familiar landmarks to get where he was going. Ignoring the empty liquor bottles and the graffiti, he climb the little hill, passing several rows of stones until he reached the one he was looking for. He stood for a moment, staring at it.

“Hey, Mom,” he said at last, bending down to lay the small bouquet of flowers on the grave. He sat down, leaning against the back of the stone opposite hers. “Didja miss me?”

---

Elena kicked an old, rusted can in frustration. It was as if the redhead had simply vanished into thin air. She’d been looking for some indication of which direction he’d gone for almost an hour now… had tried asking people if they’d seen a man with red hair come by… but she’d come up empty-handed. She’d lost him, and she wasn’t going to find him. Aside from being incredibly annoyed with herself for failing – yet again – at effectively shadowing someone, she was also upset that now she wouldn’t have the chance to talk to him until tomorrow… assuming he was in a better mood by then. If he wasn’t, prying any information about his out-of-character behavior out of him might still prove difficult.

She suddenly realized that her search had brought her quite some distance from the train station. Sector 2 wasn’t exactly known as the friendliest of the slums, and she was effectively on her own. Not that she couldn’t take care of herself… but even Rude was wary of Sector 2, and he spent more time in the slums keeping tabs on his network of informants than any of them.

If Reno had known she’d followed him, and intentionally ditched her, he probably assumed she’d given up and gone back topside by now. And if by some miracle he hadn’t noticed, he wouldn’t even know she was down here to begin with. Which meant he wouldn’t be coming if she needed help. On top of that, she hadn’t mentioned following the redhead to either Tseng or Rude, either, so they’d have no reason to be concerned about her unless something actually happened to her and she went missing. They wouldn’t even know they needed to start looking until tomorrow morning. Elena was beginning to think she’d made a very big, very foolish mistake, and slowly reached for her PHS. At the very least, she should check in. Just in case.

“Well, lookie what we got here, boys…” a voice spoke from the shadows of an alleyway, “Definitely not your usual alley cat. More like a sweet little kitten…”

Oh, yeah… definitely a big mistake.

The rookie’s posture turned defensive, her phone call forgotten. Sometimes she hated being right. A large, heavily tattooed man emerged from the alley… and so did six of his friends. The hair on the back of her neck prickled and stood on end, as she realized that the threat wasn’t just in front of her. A swift glance over her shoulder revealed four more, equally intimidating, men behind her. She drew her gun.

“Aww… the baby kitty’s got claws,” the apparent leader laughed. He was joined by snickers and cat calls from the rest of the group. Elena’s finger tensed on the trigger. She could take him out, no problem… but the other ten? If they didn’t scatter and instead decided to come after her together, she wouldn’t stand a chance. She’d never get that many shots off before they brought her down, and even though her hand-to-hand skills were much improved, she had to be realistic… she couldn’t fight ten opponents at once, and she’d be a fool to try. That left making a run for it… but even that didn’t look promising, the way they were surrounding her.

“Back off, Jericho,” a new voice called out, “She’s with me.”

Elena swung around towards the sound, and saw a man shoving his way between two of the men who’d come up behind her. He looked strangely familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him. The tattooed man – Jericho, apparently – scowled.

“Yeah? She doesn’t look like someone who’d be interested in anything you’re sellin’,” he replied.

“She’s a friend of a friend. And trust me, you don’t wanna mess with any of my friend’s friends… Not if you wanna live to see tomorrow.”

That seemed to give Jericho pause. The man shifted anxiously, as if trying to determine just who this “friend” might be. Finally, it appeared that he decided he didn’t want to risk finding out.

“Fine… keep the kitten, then,” he muttered, “Let’s beat it…” The members of the gang grumbled, but gradually dispersed, and Elena finally let out the breath she’d been holding.

“Shit, Elena… What the hell were you thinkin’ coming down here by yourself? You got a deathwish or somethin’?” her mysterious rescuer exclaimed. She blinked in surprise.

“How do you know my…” she began, narrowing her eyes slightly and studying the man’s face, “Wait… I-I know you. From the Silver Swan over in Sector 4… You’re Reno’s friend. Kel, right?”

The man broke into a grin, and Elena immediately relaxed. She hadn’t seen him since Valentine’s Day, and she hardly recognized the hotel concierge in street clothes… but remembered that grin.

“You got it,” he replied, “Now seriously… what the fuck are you doin’ down here alone? ‘Specially walkin’ around in Jericho’s territory. You either got balls of steel or you’re completely outta your mind.”

“Neither… I’m an idiot. I’m just lucky you showed up when you did,” she said, with conviction, “Do me a favor, and don’t mention this to Reno. He’d kill me for doing something so stupid.”

“Yeah, he probably would,” Kel snickered, “Still haven’t answered my question though…”

“Well, I was looking for Reno…” Elena replied, “Or… following Reno. But I lost him, and was trying to find him again. I guess I got a little out of my depth.”

“Reno’s down here?” Kel asked, sounding surprised.

“Yeah… He’s been a little weird all day, and I was trying to figure out why. I started tailing him after work, and got as far as the train station. Then he disappeared on me.”

“Weird, huh? I think I might know where he is, then. Really only one reason besides kickin’ some ass for Shinra that Reno ever comes here anymore,” Kel said, gesturing for her to follow, “Come on… I’ll take ya there.”

---

“… and then Rude flattened the guy,” Reno said, snickering softly, as he hugged one knee to his chest. “Got a new Turk, too,” he continued, “Still a little raw, but she’s gettin’ there. You’d really like ‘Lena, Mom. She’s pretty awesome. Kind of a handful, though… and fuck, does she ever hit hard. You don’t wanna piss that woman off. Fights dirty, too…”

Reno’s shifted his gaze almost imperceptibly to the left. Someone was watching him. He smirked.

“She’s total crap at shadowin’ a guy, though. Can spot her a mile away,” he added, looking up, “Yeah, I know you’re there, ‘Lena. Come on out.”

For a moment, nothing happened. And then a very red-faced Elena peaked out from behind one of the nearby weathered statues that dotted the cemetery. Reno shook his head, and waved her over.

“Lemme guess… Rude and Tseng wouldn’t tell ya why I’ve been so off today, so ya thought you’d find out for yourself,” he said as she approached.

“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to intrude,” she said, awkwardly. This was the last place she’d expected to find him. When Kel had dropped her off at the gate, she hadn’t known quite what to think, but she’d ventured in anyway. And then she’d overheard Reno talking…

“Doesn’t matter… I was just about done here anyway,” he replied, “Ya coulda just asked though. Would’ve saved ya the trouble of trackin’ me down. How’d you find me anyway? I was sure I shook you at the station. Thought for sure you’d’ve gone right back up. You haven’t been wanderin’ around down here, have you?” Concern flashed in his eyes, and after meeting some of the locals, she could understand why.

“I ran into your friend Kel,” she replied, “He brought me here.”

“Oh… Good,” he said, looking relieved, “Guess since ya made it this far, you deserve an explanation. It’s my mom’s birthday.” He gestured to the stone in front of him. The name ‘Aria Donovan’ was chiseled into the smooth, pale surface. The born-on date matched today’s. “I get a little… depressed… when it rolls around every year. Comin’ here makes me feel better.”

“Oh… Reno, I really am sorry. Rude said it was something personal, and I should’ve just let it go at that.” She felt even worse now. “I-I should probably just leave you alone.”

Reno rolled his eyes and grabbed her wrist as she was turning to leave.

“‘Lena, if I wanted ya to leave, I’d’ve told ya to fuck off by now,” he said, only releasing his grip on her when he was sure she wasn’t going to take off on him. “Besides… Sector 2 is not a good place to be runnin’ around alone so far from the station this time of night. You’re not goin’ anywhere without me. There are people you definitely don’t wanna run into without someone to watch your back…”

‘Tell me about it,’ she thought to herself, thinking back to her run-in with Jericho and his goons.

He sighed softly. “Happy birthday, Mom,” he said, with a sad smile. He sat up from his reclined position, and Elena offered him her hand. He smiled slightly as he took it, and let her pull him to his feet. “Come on, ‘Lena… let’s getcha home before the creeps come out to play.”

By the time they reached the station, Reno was beginning to seem a little more normal again. He wasn’t his usual boisterous self yet, by any means, but the general air of melancholy seemed to have lifted. They road the train up to the Plate in silence, and when they arrived, he escorted her back to the Shinra Building, and through the exterior entrance to the parking deck.

“Hey… ‘Lena?” Reno asked as she was opening the door to her car.

“Yeah?”

“Would it, maybe be alright if I come hang out with you and Snuffy for awhile tonight?” he asked, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, “I’m probably gonna be shit company, but I kinda don’t wanna sit around at home alone, and I really don’t feel much like goin’ out either…”

“Of course you can,” Elena responded, warmly.

“Thanks.” Reno smiled, and headed towards his car. “I’ll follow ya… Then ya won’t have to haul my ass home later.”

---

“Okay, that looks… kind of gross,” Elena said, staring into the box, “Are you sure that’s even edible?”

“Don’t knock it ’til ya try it, ‘Lena,” Reno replied, lifting a slice onto his plate.

“Yeah… but… pineapple, jalapeños, and onions? Really?” Elena hadn’t been planning on a dinner guest, and it had been a while since she’d been shopping. When Reno had suggested pizza, it had seemed like the perfect solution… until she’d made the mistake of letting him choose the toppings. The little ferret, who had been perched on the redhead’s shoulder, crept down his arm and stole a chunk of pineapple from his plate.

“See? Snuffy likes it…”

“Great… I’m taking dining advice from a human garbage disposal and a rodent…” she sighed, but gingerly selected a slice – the smallest slice – from the box. Reno was grinning at her, waiting for her to try it. She groaned softly… just the fact that it seemed to be cheering him up, made it impossible to say no. Elena took a tentative bite, expecting the worst… and was pleasantly surprised. “You know what? It’s actually not bad…”

“Told ya so…” her dining companion said smugly as he started in on his own slice. Between the two of them, it took them no time at all to finish off the entire thing.

“So… if you want, I’ve got a new movie I was going to watch tonight,” Elena ventured as she set their dishes in the sink. She’d deal with them later.

“Yeah? Anything good?”

“Ninja Zombies 2: The Rotting Fist…” she replied.

“That sounds absolutely horrible…” he deadpanned, before breaking into a wide grin, “I’m in.”

Elena giggled. Reno was the only person she knew who shared her guilty pleasure for bad horror movies… a fact she’d discovered last Halloween, but hadn’t had the opportunity to act on until now.

“Got any popcorn?” he asked, as Elena went to retrieve the disc.

“In the cabinet above the stove,” she called back from the living room. Moments later, she heard the microwave spring to life. She slid the disc into the player, and went to hit the power button for the TV. Before she could, though, her PHS began to ring. She quickly dug the phone out of her pocket, and glanced at the screen, a little shocked to see Tseng’s number come up. He never called her this late unless there was a work emergency.

“Elena here, sir,” she said, a little worried.

“My apologies for calling so late,” the Turk leader’s voice replied, sounding far less calm than usual, “… but I’m hoping Reno is there with you. He’s not answering his phone, and Rude hasn’t seen him tonight, either. We’re both a bit… concerned.”

“Oh, don’t worry, sir, he’s…” Elena began, only to have the phone plucked from her hand.

“Relax, Boss… I’m here, and I’m fine,” Reno said.

“… For Leviathan’s sake, Reno, turn your damn phone back on,” Tseng sighed, sounding both exasperated and intensely relieved. The redhead chuckled softly.

“Yeah, sorry. Got distracted by pizza. You can cancel the search parties… I’m not layin’ half-murdered in a gutter in Sector 2.”

“You joke, but I strongly suspect Rude has had them ready to go at a moment’s notice all day…”

“Heh… ‘night Tseng. See ya tomorrow,” Reno replied.

“Goodnight, Reno.” He ended the call and handed the PHS back to Elena.

“Search parties?” she asked.

“Yeah… Tseng’s not exactly crazy about me goin’ down there without someone to watch my back. Neither is Rude, for that matter. ‘Specially when I’m not quite at a hundred percent. They get why I do it, but..” he said, trailing off, shrugging, “Anyway, I usually turn up at one of their places by now. Probably freaked ’em out a little when I was a no-show. And I completely forgot to turn my phone back on, so I’ve probably got a half dozen increasingly panicked voice mails at this point.”

“You just turn up?” she asked.

“Kinda have a standing invite with ’em both. I never know how social I’m gonna be feelin’ when I get back. Tseng talks. Rude listens… and cooks. Where I end up depends on what kind of mood I’m in. Sometimes I just end up headin’ home ’cause I’m not really up for either. That’s sort of where I am tonight. Bein’ alone sounded pretty crappy, though, so I’m kinda glad you said I could come over,” he explained, before cocking his head to one side and grinning slightly, “So… popcorn’s ready… Movie time?”

---

“Hnn… I should go home,” Reno muttered, though he made no move to drag himself off the couch. The movie had ended, and the hour had grown late. Much later than Reno had intended stay. It had been an emotionally trying day… His mother’s birthday always seemed to leave him utterly spent by the end of it, and now he really, really didn’t want to get up, even though he knew he’d imposed on Elena’s hospitality for far too long.

As he’d told her in the parking deck, he was shit company tonight. A movie had been the perfect idea, really, and he was grateful to Elena for suggesting it. It let him enjoy being around someone without having to deal so much with the human interaction factor that he wasn’t feeling up to just yet.

“You’d never even make it to your car,” Elena countered, yawning, as she sat up. “I’d find you curled up in the elevator tomorrow morning when I left for work…”

“Should still go home,” the redhead murmured as he snuggled against one of the couch’s throw pillows. Elena’s couch had to have been the most comfortable couch on the planet, he mused. No matter how many times he said he should leave, aloud or just to himself, he couldn’t seem to make himself actually move to go. When Elena stood up and gently eased him out of his suit jacket, he couldn’t find the will to even feign resisting.

“No… you shouldn’t. You should stay right where you are so I don’t have to worry about you trying to get home while you can barely keep your eyes open,” she replied. His sidearm and its holster followed the jacket, as did his shirt, and the mag-rod on his belt.

“You sure?” he asked. Shoes were next, and then pants, leaving him in only his boxers, before she finished by tucking the quilt from the back of the sofa around him. He had to admit, being so casually undressed by the rookie was a somewhat surreal experience. She usually got so hung up about things like that…

“Good night, Reno,” she simply said.

“Ya know… I usually sleep naked…” he responded, unable to resist poking at least a little fun at her, and smirking sleepily.

“Good night, Reno,” Elena repeated, amusement evident in her voice, shaking her head.

“Mmph… ‘night, ‘Lena…”

He slept unusually soundly that night, never waking once, in spite of the lack of familiar noises and sensations. When he did wake, the sun was up and so was Elena… but more importantly, he smelled breakfast. He grinned and pushed aside the blanket, standing up and stretching his arms over his head.

“Hey,” he said, wandering into the kitchen. The rookie Turk already had a plate waiting for him, laden with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast.

“‘Morning,” she said cheerfully. Reno chuckled.

“You are way too fuckin’ happy in the morning, ‘Lena,” he teased, sitting down at the table and immediately digging into the pile of food.

“Only because you’re not a morning person…” she replied.

“Right…” he said, rolling his eyes, “So… um… Thanks. For lettin’ me stay, and everything. Sorry ’bout fallin’ asleep on ya like that. I didn’t mean to be a pain in the ass…”

“Reno, stop acting like needing a friend is some horrible imposition,” said Elena, “You’re always willing to drop what you’re doing to make sure I’m okay. Don’t you think I’m happy to do the same?” She smiled. “Just add me to your list of standing invites.”

Reno didn’t respond at first, swallowing harshly as he glanced away from her, refusing to make eye contact. Elena had to stop herself from giggling when she realized that he was trying very hard to hold back tears. She’d never seen him look quite so vulnerable, and it was absolutely adorable. “Thank you,” he said softly, and with more sincerity than Elena had ever heard from him.

She went back to her breakfast, giving him a moment to compose himself.

“Heh… I just realized… I never said a word about ya finally ditchin’ those crutches,” he commented a few minutes later, making a not so subtle effort at changing the subject, “Guess I gotta find a new game…”

Elena smirked down at her plate. She still owed him a little payback for that.

“Oh, that reminds me… Dr. Ward says hi,” she said, looking up, “She also says to tell you that you’re late for your annual physical. And she mentioned something about a tetanus shot…”

The hand holding Reno’s fork froze midway to his mouth.

“You’re… uh… not gonna say anything about that to Tseng, are ya?”

Elena smiled innocently, and watched as Reno began to look a bit uncomfortable.

“… ‘Cause… heh… once he finds out, he’s gonna make me go. Even if he has to literally drag me down there…”

Elena’s smile didn’t falter. If anything it widened. Reno sighed in resignation.

“This is ’cause I kept hidin’ your crutches, isn’t it…?”

“See you at the office, Reno…” she replied, cheerfully, as she finished the last few bites of her food, and set her plate in the sink.

As she grabbed her car keys and made her way out the door, she heard Reno groan.

~fin~