Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 98: A New Era Begins

At the sound of the opening door, as much as he would have liked to have opened his eyes, Reno presently felt as though they were glued shut. He was pretty sure he could have managed it, but he just didn’t have the energy to try. Not after the lengthy morning briefing wherein Tseng had announced his promotion. And the lengthier training session with the rookies that followed. And the hours of paperwork that just seemed to go on and on. Not to mention the Ifrit-forsaken board meeting he’d just returned from…

“Aww… poor Baby Turkling wear himself out?”

“Seriously, Kai? I’m the fucking Second in Command now, and you’re still callin’ me that?” he groaned, finally deigning to crack one eye open just enough to glare at her. Kai grinned and took a seat next to him on the couch in the lounge. She snaked an arm behind his back and pulled the younger Turk tightly against her side.

“Not after today… Promise. But I’m gonna get in just a few more while I can still get away with it,” she laughed, “You look exhausted. I don’t think you’ll put up much of a fight right now.”

“Yeah, well… it’s been a day,” he snorted, “And that fucking confirmation meeting with the Board didn’t exactly help. Assholes didn’t even give us chairs. We had to stand there the whole time they grilled Tseng about my ‘qualifications’. Hell, I think this might be the first time I’ve sat down since this mornin’…” The redhead shook his head. “Where the fuck have you been, anyway? I was startin’ to think you disappeared on us again.”

“Oh… you know. Ran through the gauntlet a couple times… scared the rookies… started packing up my office.”

“So I guess that means you finally handed in your resignation, huh?” Reno sighed. Kai shook her head and reached into her jacket, withdrawing a plain white envelope.

“I was considering giving it to you. Make it your first official duty as Second.”

“Kai… Come on. Don’t do that to me…” he said, lifting his head off the back of the couch and looking at her pleadingly. “For real… I don’t want that to be the first thing I ever do as Second.”

Kai laughed softly and ran her fingers through his hair, pausing for a moment to fondle his ponytail.

“Don’t worry, Baby Turkling. I decided that would be way too cruel.” She moved back a bit, just sitting there, studying him.

“What?” he finally asked, and Kai grinned widely.

“You know… I’m really proud of you. I know this isn’t the way you would’ve wanted to get promoted, but… you’re gonna do great.”

“Heh… yeah, well, hopefully I’ll start believin’ that soon, too… ‘Cause right now, I’m still half convinced I’m just gonna fuck shit up,” he admitted. Kai snorted in laughter.

“Oh, you’re absolutely gonna fuck shit up. All kinds of shit. Soooo much shit. You don’t even know,” Kai assured him. The redhead looked at her incredulously.

“Wow. Thanks, Kai. That makes me feel so much better,” he sarcastically intoned. The senior Turk reached over again and gently ruffled his hair.

“It’s just part of learning the job. You don’t know any better yet, so you’re gonna fuck shit up. Shiva knows Tseng certainly did his first few months as Second…” she giggled.

Reno’s response was cut off by the loud clearing of a throat near the door. He turned his attention towards the sound, and snickered when he saw his mentor standing there, arms crossed over his chest and looking supremely annoyed at his friend.

“What?” she innocently asked, “It’s true… Remember the first time Veld left you on your own at a board meeting and you –”

“Kai, if you value your life at all, you will not finish that sentence…” Tseng stated. She laughed knowingly, as his cheeks reddened slightly. He cleared his throat again, uncomfortably, and turned back to Reno. “She is, however… correct. You will make mistakes. And you will learn from them, just as I did. It’s expected. Try not worry about it too much.”

“Yeah… Especially since Tseng told me not ten minutes ago that he’s worried about fucking shit up, too…” she added, smirking.

“I’m quite certain I have never used the phrase ‘fucking shit up’ in the course of discussing my job performance,” the Turk leader said, rolling his eyes. Kai shrugged.

“Different words, same meaning,” she chirped, happily.

“Is there a reason you feel such a pressing need to humiliate me today, Kai?” Tseng asked, though the question was far from serious. Reno distinctly saw the beginnings of a smile causing his lips to twitch upwards. Kai chuckled, but then sobered slightly.

“I’ve missed you guys,” she said, glancing again at the resignation letter in her hand. “I was going to give this to Reno… because the thought of making you personally accept my resignation just felt awful. But then, making my Baby Turkling do it felt even worse, so I guess there’s really only one choice.”

Tseng sighed, already resigned to losing a member of the team, and grudgingly held out his hand. Kai, however, smirked, and turned on the redhead, thrusting her hand into his left pants pocket. Reno jumped slightly in surprise at the sudden invasion of his personal space.

“Fuck, Kai, I thought you always said I wasn’t your type!” he cried, eyes widening slightly as her fingers fumbled around inside his pants. “Tch… you better be plannin’ on buying me dinner if you wanna get that friendly…”

She snorted a soft laugh, and a moment later drew her hand back, fingers curled around a small object.

“You really are adorable, Baby Turkling, but you’re way too much of prettyboy to really pique my interest in that department. Besides… I prefer blondes. Usually blondes with nice tits…” she said, jokingly before revealing what she’d taken from him. The redhead blinked in surprise as he recognized his cigarette lighter. With no further comment, she flicked it open and struck a flame… and then proceeded to set her resignation letter on fire.

“Kai?” Tseng queried, jaw dropping. She flashed him a quick smile.

“I… just can’t do it,” she admitted, watching the paper burn for a few moments before dropping it into the metal trash can next to the couch. It smoked as the paper curled in on itself. “I honestly thought that with enough time away, I could walk. But… losing Veld… coming home… seeing everyone again.” She sighed heavily. “I was lying to myself. I’ve been lying to myself for months. I don’t want to leave. Hell, I never wanted to leave. I just… didn’t want to stay and put the people I love at risk. But we’re always at risk, and me running away and pretending it’s for the best won’t change that.”

“You’re serious?” Reno asked, almost not daring to believe it.

She sighed and gave a somewhat self-deprecating laugh. “Hey, you think you’re surprised? I already had a new job lined up and everything. But… once a Turk, always a Turk, I guess…”

“Sweet!” he crowed, grinning widely.

Tseng, too, was smiling… for a moment, at least. Right up until the smell of smoke and burning cushion foam registered.

“Kai!” he shouted, “The couch!”

Reno turned just in time to see flames beginning to sprout from the side of the couch closest to the trash can. None of them got the chance to react further, however, as the smoke from the suddenly-burning furniture set off the smoke detector on the ceiling above them… and a moment after that, the sprinkler system activated.

Tseng shook his head as the water poured down on them, and with a somewhat defeated look, said, “… Remind me, again… Why did we want you to come back?”

“… Oops…” Kai said, sheepishly, as all three of them were quickly saturated by the unexpected deluge from above. It wasn’t long before several other inhabitants of Turk Headquarters came to investigate. Tseng turned towards the door, where Rude, Petra, and Ryu were now standing, looking in with matching expressions of confusion.

“Rude… call maintenance and have them shut this off and send up a cleaning crew,” he sighed. He turned back to his drenched subordinates. “Kai… it’s very fortunate that I’m far more overjoyed that you’ve decided to stay than I am irritated with this mess. Because were I not, I would be taking this opportunity to have Reno give his very first formal reprimand today.”

Kai grinned in spite of Tseng’s obvious annoyance. “Lucky me…” she said, laughing, “Come on, Baby Turkling. Let’s go find some dry clothes. And then you can help me unpack my office.”

Reno snickered and moved to follow her, but paused. “So… I know it was my lighter and all, but this doesn’t count as me fucking shit up yet… right?” he jokingly asked.

“Just… go and dry off before you catch cold,” Tseng responded, rolling his eyes at his Second in Command, before nudging him out of the still-flooding room. “And put in a requisition for a new couch, while you’re at it.”

---

By the end of the day, Reno was more than ready to head home for the night. After the day he’d had, he needed a good night’s sleep. And a beer. A very large beer.

It had been a strange day. No one in the office – not even Tseng – seemed to be sure if they ought to be mourning the loss of their commander, or celebrating the return of Kai. It felt weird to be both happy and sad at the same time… but that was where they were at. And for Reno, personally, it felt weird as all hell to be congratulated on a promotion he’d only gotten because someone had died.

He still wasn’t quite sure how he felt about being Second. Not only had Tseng picked him, but Remy had turned it down because she had thought he’d be a better fit. Hell, even Rufus, if Kai was to be believed, anyway, had stormed into Tseng’s office and demanded the redhead be promoted instead… though he was pretty sure she’d embellished the story a bit, because there was literally no way in hell Rufus had referred to him as “a shining example of what it means to be a Turk”. Even so… for quite some time after his mentor had first told him about the path his career was going to take, he’d always just assumed that everyone else went along with the idea because it was ultimately Tseng’s decision. They didn’t have a say in it one way or the other. That the rest of the team really was behind him meant more to him than he knew how to express.

A knock drew his attention away from the form he was filling out for his new security clearance… and from his silent musings. He glanced up at the door he’d intentionally left open and found his mentor leaning against the doorframe.

“You do know that your new position doesn’t actually require you to work late, don’t you?” Tseng teased. “Just because it has often been mytendency doesn’t obligate you to do the same.”

Surprised, Reno looked at his watch and saw that it was going on six thirty. He was supposed to have been off over an hour ago.

“Heh… yeah, well… If I don’t finish this shit tonight, I’m just gonna have to do it tomorrow,” Reno replied, snickering softly and finally signing his name at the bottom of the form, “… ‘sides… this is the last one, anyway. I’m outta here.”

He shoved the sheet of paper into the out box on the corner of his desk, and stood up, gathering up his coat.

“If you don’t already have plans for tonight, would you care to join me for dinner? Frankly, I… could use the company right now,” Tseng inquired.

He didn’t answer immediately. Truth be told, he was pretty beat… even after the wake-up he’d gotten from his unexpected shower a couple of hours ago. He hadn’t actually slept since before they’d left for Wutai, and Reno had been planning on going home, grabbing a beer and some food, and crashing for the night. But something in Tseng’s voice seemed to urge him to reconsider. Finally he shrugged.

“Nah, I’m not doin’ anything. Where are we eatin’?” he asked. Tseng managed a faint smile.

“The fact that you hesitated when food was offered tells me that you’re easily just as tired as I am… if not more so. Normally, I’d insist you go home and get some rest,” his mentor commented, ushering him into the hallway, “And though I’m not generally one to make a nuisance of myself, I –”

“Tch… cut yourself some slack, huh, Boss? We all lost a commander… but Veld was a lot more than just a commander to you. I don’t mind hangin’ out for awhile,” the redhead replied, and then grinned, “… ‘specially if you’re gonna feed me.”

Tseng snorted faintly in laughter and guided his protege through the hallway of their now-empty office and into the elevator. A short while later, the pair found themselves ensconced in quiet corner of a small Wutaiian restaurant not far from the Shinra Building. As they waited for their food, Reno found himself being closely scrutinized by the senior Turk.

“What?” he asked.

“I keep wondering if this is how Veld felt when he took over for Ira,” Tseng replied, “I can recall very clearly how I felt at the time, but I don’t remember Veld being anything but calm and confident. If he did have any fears about assuming command, he certainly hid them well during those first few weeks. It was only much later that he told me he’d been ‘nervous’ his first day as commander. I never really probed any further than that. Now I wish I had, while the opportunity was still available…”

The waitress arrived with their order before Reno could answer, and he happily dug into the rice and pork dish.

“What was like for you becomin’ Second?” the redhead found himself asking. Tseng gave a soft laugh and started in on his own dinner before responding.

“For a short time, I was in complete denial. Ira was badly injured, and his odds weren’t good, but he was the most tenacious man you could ever hope to meet. Most of us thought he’d pull through on sheer will alone. I… think Veld was really the only one who truly realized the end was near… simply because he knew the man so much better than any of the rest of us. He spent hours with him that last day,” he began, briefly turning his gaze towards the street beyond the window they were seated next to. “When the team was told that he was gone… that’s when the self-doubt set in. I even thought of trying to convince Veld that he was making a terrible mistake putting me in command… but between my own pride and my desire not to let him down, I didn’t dare. I was utterly useless those first few days, to be honest. I tried to help out where I could, but I think I was more of a hindrance than a help most of the time.” Tseng looked back over at his new Second, and smiled faintly. “In that regard, at least, you’re already ahead of the game. I’m very impressed by the way you took charge, even while out of the city on another assignment.”

Reno shrugged. “Shit needed to get done. Someone had to do it, and you had your hands full, takin’ care of Esme ‘n Felicia.”

His mentor shook his head. “Don’t be so dismissive of yourself, Reno. Not everyone is capable of seeing the bigger picture in the middle of a crisis… much less ensuring that necessary tasks get done. And this certainly isn’t the first time I’ve seen you display that quality. It’s one of many reasons you’re so well-suited to this role.”

“Heh… You tryin’ to get ahead of my inevitable freakout or somethin’, Boss?” the redhead snickered.

“Perhaps…” Tseng admitted, with a slight smirk. “I… just remember how much reassurance I needed at first. And I had far more time to prepare for it than you did. Becoming Second in Command can be both immensely gratifying and thoroughly overwhelming… and I know you’re not overly fond of sudden change to begin with. But you have always risen to the occasion, and this will be no different.”

“… That… means a lot.” Reno replied, somewhat awkwardly. Tseng chuckled and shook his head.

“I feel it only fair to tell you, though, that I amentirely terrified by my own promotion.”

“Well… guess that makes two of us, then…” Reno said. “‘Least you don’t have to worry about not bein’ ready for it.”

Tseng shook his head.

“I truly don’t think I feel any more ready than you do right now,” he said with a tinge of sadness in his voice. “Kai wasn’t joking earlier when she let slip that I expressed sentiments similar to your own. The thought of being solely responsibly for a mistake that could cost someone their life is not an easy one to ignore. I don’t feel like I’m prepared for this.” He exhaled slowly, letting his eyes close for a moment. “There are only two things that are keeping me from spiraling into a terror-induced panic at the moment, and those are the knowledge that Veld sincerely felt otherwise… and fact that I don’t have to do this on my own.”

Reno eyed his mentor, more than a little surprised by the admission. Tseng was seldom anything less than forthright with him… but it wasn’t often that he admitted his own insecurities. It was then that he realized that it wasn’t just their respective ranks that were changing. Their whole relationship was going to have to change from here on out. Reno wasn’t his protege anymore. Well… he supposed he technically still was, but he was so much more than that now, too.

From now on, the only orders that could countermand his own were Tseng’s. The only person on the team he answered to was Tseng. The only one who could order him to do something was… Tseng. But at the same time… he was there to hold Tseng accountable, just as Tseng had held Veld accountable. He couldn’t just blindly follow orders. He’d be expected not only to speak up if he disagreed with him, but to argue against Tseng’s own position if he felt it was warranted. He had to be to Tseng what Tseng had been to Veld.

A faint chuckle from across the table drew his attention back to the present.

“I take it reality is starting to sink in for you, as well?” the new Turk leader gently teased.

“Oh, no… reality started sinkin’ in hours ago. We’re way past sinkin’ at this point. I’m practically drownin’ in reality…” he breathed. Reno looked up at his mentor and gave him a somewhat shaky smile. “I’m really glad I don’t gotta do this on my own, either…”

---

Four days later, the sun was shining brightly in the sky overhead, belying the frigid temperatures down on the ground… made all the more chilling by a wind whipping in from the north. A fresh blanket of snow had fallen over night, and the city’s plows had been busy all morning clearing the roads ahead of the weekend traffic.

The funeral had been a quiet affair… short, sweet, and to the point. Both Tseng and Ashland had spoken briefly, drawing both tears and laughter from those gathered. Esme had said a few words as well, but it was clear how grief-stricken she was and eventually Tseng had gently guided her back to her seat and held her for much of the remainder of the gathering. Felicia had been silent and morose, wanting little to do with any of the other mourners… In fact, the only people she hadn’t outright rebuffed had been Tseng and Reno himself. She’d spent a fairly significant portion of the service tightly clinging to the redhead, and saying very little to anyone.

Reno didn’t really blame her. He understood where she was coming from. He could remember feeling much the same way when his mother had died. Furious that she’d left him… and horrified at himself for being mad at the dead. And all that on top of the agonizing sadness that she was gone. In fact, he’d kind of shut down for awhile after her death, too. It was just… too much to feel all at once.

He felt for her… because he knew from experience how long it could take to recover from a loss like that, and he was glad beyond words that Felicia still had her mother.

By mid-afternoon, the entire team, as well as Esme’s parents, who had made the trip from Kalm, and Ashland were milling about the familiar living room of Veld’s condo.

That was, somehow, where they always seemed to end up. Whether it was a Christmas party, a birthday, a random dinner after work… or a funeral. This was where they so frequently seemed to gather. It felt different this time, though… and he suspected that it was because this was probably the last time. Veld was no longer there to welcome them into his home, and it certainly wouldn’t be right for them to sporadically impose, en masse, upon Esme after this.

A hand brushed softly over the top of his head, gently pushing his hair back, and Reno shook himself from his thoughts in time to see Esme standing beside him.

“Hey,” he said, forcing a smile.

“I just wanted to say thank you for being so sweet to Felicia today,” she said, sitting down beside him, “This has hit her so hard. She was always her daddy’s little girl. She idolized Veld.”

“Yeah… I know what she’s goin’ through. Kinda. I mean, I was a whole lot younger when my mom died, but… I remember how it felt.” He glanced over at her. “How are you doin’?”

Esme looked away, shaking her head slightly as she stared into the distance.

“You tell yourself everyday, that this could happen. You spend a lifetime, preparing for it and making every second count, just in case it does. But when the time comes… no amount of preparation is ever enough.”

“… Yeah,” the redhead breathed. “Listen… Esme… ya need anything just, ya know… ask.”

She turned back to face him.

“You’re only about fifth person to offer in the last twenty minutes,” she said with a sad smile. “I’m so grateful to you all.”

“You’re family…” Reno said, shrugging slightly. Esme leaned over and softly kissed him on the cheek.

“There is one thing you could do for me, actually,” she said.

“Just name it.”

“Felicia and I are going to spend some time in Kalm with my parents. We’re leaving tomorrow, and we’ll probably be gone for a few weeks. Would you mind just coming by the house once in awhile, and checking that everything is alright? It’s always been a safe neighborhood, but I’d… feel better knowing someone was keeping an eye on things.”

“Sure, Esme… no problem,” Reno assured her.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling at him before wandering off to see to her other guests. The redhead looked around for her daughter, but didn’t see her. In all likelihood, she’d retreated to the kitchen, or her room upstairs by now. The cushion he was leaning against sank slightly, and Reno turned to look over his shoulder. He found Ashland leaning over him, arms resting on the back of the couch. The man nodded at him.

“Any chance I can bum a smoke off ya, kid?” the retired Turk asked.

“Heh… have you always made a habit of callin’ the Second in Command ‘kid’, Ash, or just me?” Reno responded, reaching into his jacket for his cigarettes. The older man smirked.

“What are you going to do? Reprimand me?” he joked, “I’m retired, remember?”

The redhead snorted softly and passed him a cigarette and then got to his feet.

“Going somewhere?” Ashland inquired, raising an eyebrow. Reno shrugged.

“Tch… Well, now ya got me thinkin’ about it…” he replied. The other man snorted a quiet laugh and followed him out onto the back patio. Reno pulled a cigarette from the pack for himself and stuck it between his lips as he fished his lighter out of his pocket. He lit it and drew in a lungful of smoke before passing the lighter over to Ashland, who was quick to do the same.

The retired Turk exhaled a cloud of smoke into the winter air, with a slight cough. He flicked some ash into the snow, and stared at the cigarette for a moment.

“Hmph… Gave these damn things up going on twenty years ago. Do me a favor, and don’t tell my wife. She’ll beat me senseless if she finds out,” he said, shaking his head. He sighed and took another drag off the cigarette. “Well. Guess this make me the last of the Old Guard.”

Reno glanced sidelong at him.

“What about Tseng?” he asked, and Ashland chuckled, shaking his head.

“Your mentor may have paid his dues by now, but he’s still new blood from my perspective,” Ash replied, smirking faintly. “Nah… me ‘n Veld were all that was left of my original team. Now it’s just me. Not really sure what’s worse… Going before your time, or being the last man standing. I lost a lot of friends to the job.”

“That why you fucked off to Cosmo Canyon after you retired? To get away from all that?” Reno asked, out of curiosity.

“Nah. I’ve never had anything against the Company or the job. Hell, if it had just been me, I’d’ve stuck around ’til someone or something finally took me out,” Ashland noted, his gaze far away, “No, I left for Ada. I wanted to see my little girl grow up. Had a pretty close call when she was was around seven… and I decided that was close enough. Soon as I got out of the hospital, I gave Ira notice that I was retiring, and a few weeks later, he and Veld brought Tseng on board to replace me. I stuck around just long enough to help get him trained up.”

He smirked and glanced over at the younger Turk.

“So… you piss yourself yet?” he snickered.

“Tch… The hell’s that s’posed to mean?” the redhead responded, rolling his eyes. He didn’t really need to ask… but he wasn’t about to admit it.

“According to your mentor, you’re the youngest son of a bitch ever promoted to the Turks… and you’re definitely the youngest Second in Command we’ve ever had. Personally, I’d be hard pressed to keep my pants dry if I were in your shoes right now.”

Reno just snorted and took another drag off his cigarette. Ashland laughed.

“Well, ya got the right attitude for command, at least,” he chuckled. “Don’t let ’em know you’re afraid. Even when you’re shitting bricks.”

The redhead gave a soft laugh and stubbed out the remains of his cigarette on the snow-covered railing before tucking the butt into a pocket.

“Got any advice for me?” he queried, turning to face him.

“Well… since you asked…” Ashland said, grinning slightly, “My opinion? Good Seconds are ones who know they don’t know everything. But the best Seconds are the ones who make sure their Commander remembers that, too.” He chuckled again and gave the redhead a wink, “So keep that little pain in the butt’s ego in check. He’ll need it.”

Reno snorted in quiet laughter. It wasn’t often – or… ever, really – that he heard someone refer to Tseng as a “little pain in the butt”. Well… on second thought, Kai probably had at some point. But no one else on the team was that brave. Ashland shook his head.

“Ah, you’ll do fine,” he added. “Just keep him grounded. Tseng had a bit of temper back in the day. I’m guessing he still does from time to time. And try not to get yourself into too much trouble, while you’re at it.”

“Ya know… I don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to stayin’ outta trouble…” the redhead jokingly replied.

Ashland laughed. “You don’t say,” he sarcastically noted, “I never would’ve guessed… especially given that the first time I met ya, you were about five seconds from being crushed by good old Frank… and the last time I saw ya, you were busy being all poisoned and shit.”

“Heh… Yeah, well… like I said…” Reno shrugged, snickering.

“Ya ask me, though, there’s really only one thing you need to remember to do,” Ashland said, sobering.

“What’s that?” the redhead asked.

“Take care of your family.”

~end chapter 98~