The meeting that took place in the hospital lobby after his partner had been well sedated had not been one Rude was looking forward to whatsoever. He paced, a very unusual manner for dealing with things for him, but then again, it was Reno laying in that bed just a few rooms down the corridor, terrified and battered and far more scarred both physically and mentally than he ever liked to show. "Any luck in catching the bastards?" The question was spoken in a deep, rumbling tone, one which like the clouds of an impending storm spoke of danger.

"Not yet, but Elena is working every hour that she can. We will find them, and they will be punished, I can assure you of that." Tseng knew how difficult this was. He had seen the looks the bald man had given his partner ever since they'd brought the boy in at the age of 13, scrawny and starving and picking pockets just to have enough to eat. The two were the reasons that Rufus was slowly working to finish the policy changes that would make it possible for them to have what he knew very well both of them wanted. He set a hand on Rude's shoulder. "Go home, get some rest.

"But sir-" Rude began to protest, only to see the look in those hawk sharp obsidian eyes. He could see that Tseng knew, that he understood, but he could also see that a refusal was not going to be accepted from his boss. There was no way.

"I understand, Rude, I do." Tseng's voice took on a gentler tone. "You know if it were the President in that room I would be feeling just as you do now. But you will be no good to him dirty, hungry, and exhausted. Go home, eat, shower, and sleep for a few hours. If he wakes while you are gone, I will call you, I promise you."

Finally, a nod, followed by the broad shouldered Costan reluctantly striding out. He knew Tseng was right, that he would do very little good to his partner if he wasn't at his best, but he still hated the idea of leaving Reno's side, even if he knew that Tseng had no intentions of leaving him alone. He turned his head as he caught a flash of blond from the corner of his eye. "Shachou." The title came out in a slightly startled tone as he realized who it was that was walking down the corridor with him.

"You sound surprised that I would be here." Rufus' tone was a bit arch, but also a bit self-deprecating. He knew he had a reputation of being cold and not having close relationships with his men, but Reno had managed to do something no one else but Tseng had managed. He had, in his own bumbling way, managed to charm his way past every guard and barrier the president of Shin-Ra corporation had ever put up to guard his heart and make Rufus care about him. "I don't normally make a habit of this but. . .Reno is a very special case." He explained no more than that, he was sure that Rude would question him, and he would answer, if he did, but Rufus was not one to volunteer a great amount.

"Sir. . .I don't understand." The look of confusion on Rude's face would be enough to make most anyone laugh, and Rufus would be no exception to that.

The soft chuckle from Rufus was followed by a shake of his head. "I've never told you about the first time Reno and I talked, did I?" He peered up at the ceiling. "It was shortly after Tseng brought him in from the slums. He was perhaps 5 and a half feet tall at that point, and 135 pounds if he was lucky. Scrawny, malnourished, but still quite strong and fast even so. Father had been intending to execute the boy because three Turks had been badly injured when he had panicked during his apprehension. " His eyes took on a hazy look, as if he was digging deeply into his memories.

"He turned to me, and he was utterly unafraid. He was bleeding from two deep slashes on his cheekbones where he'd been rammed into the window of the car that Tseng had brought, because it had been the only way to subdue him. I saw something in those eyes, courage, potential. . .it was because I begged Father to spare him that he's one of you now, did you know that? He put me in charge of his training. But as I trained him, so he trained me. . he was my apprentice, thus. .. he is a special case."

Rude's expression was almost amazed at what he'd heard from Rufus, but he supposed it made sense. Though Rufus was only two years Reno's senior, he'd already been Vice President by that point. Young, but intelligent in ways most teenagers were not. "You'll wake me in four hours, sir?" He didn't want to be away from his partner for any longer than that, things were difficult enough as it was without leaving Reno without that reassurance.

"I promise."