Chapter 7: His Story

(AN: Okay, I'm trying to get back in the swing of updating more often. I thought it would be easy since I'm in college now, but it really hasn't been. I've had work, work, and more work but I've tried to find time between that and my social life to write. So, here's the fruit of my labor. Please enjoy! By the way, this chapter is going to be MUCH longer than mine usually are but bare with me. This is a back-story from Reno's perspective.)

Reno stared up the drive at the large, looming mansion. His eyes wandered up to Yuffie's window, full of regret. What had he done? He was walking out on the one girl that he loved, the one girl that really understood him inside and out. He knew what he was doing was wrong, dreadfully wrong, but not wrong in the sense of the greater good. It was wrong in the sense that he would never feel whole without her. He had already assured himself time and again that this was the right thing for her. He nearly threw his hands up and called off the whole thing while packing just an hour ago, but he knew he had to go through with it. The hardest things for one person are sometimes what is best for another.

He turned from the house and sighed as he ambled over the dusty path back to his sedan.

(I don't want to confuse anyone reading this, but this next passage is a flashback. Sorry if it was obvious, I just know that in the past I've had the tendency towards being brain-dead when I read these and I don't realizing it. Therefore I just wanted to clarify to avoid any confusion...and now back to your regularly scheduled fanfic XP)

Reno sat alone in a dark corner booth of the Seventh Heaven slowly sipping a glass of J&B. He knew that the couple that owned the bar used to be enemies, at least in circumstance, but the place had a homely, familiar feeling. Besides, it was the last place that anyone from Shinra would ever look for him. However, as he caught the bar door swinging open in the corner of his eye, he frowned at a familiar face. Tseng, his stern, upright colleague from his days with Shinra, strolled in through the open door. Reno buried his face in his folded arms but hiding was no use, his bright red hair was a dead give-away. Tseng floated over and took a seat on the opposing side of the booth. He lifted a finger and a waitress flitted to the table to take his order.

"I'll have a glass of soda water," he said in a muted tone, and no sooner had she appeared but the waitress was gone.

"I see you're still living on the wild side," Reno said sarcastically as he unburied his face and rested his chin on his folded arms.

Tseng made a face at Reno, but it faded quickly.

"Reno, let us skip the formalities. You know why I'm here."

"I know, I know, but just for fun, let's pretend I don't," He sneered, "I wanna hear you beg."

"Still as childish and egocentric as ever I see, so nothing has changed after all," he ignored Reno's bitter scowl, "As you know, Shinra is regrouping. We are beginning research into new, healthy forms of energy that we can make available to everyone with tapping into the lifestream or harming the planet. I was sent to round up our original group. We're all getting promotions and exuberant pay raises. There are going to be 5 of us to run things and we will each have a group of trainees at our disposal. Rufus has sent me to gather you today."

"Not interested, Tseng, but tell him thanks for the generous offer," Reno seethed, "I don't miss anything Shinra related and I certainly won't have anything to do with whatever knew ploy Rufus has up his contrived sleeves, I've turned over a new leaf."

Tseng chuckled, "That's cute, new leaf, but I think you're confused. It wasn't really a request, it was more of an order. If you remember correctly, you signed a contract and that contract has yet to have expired."

"Now you're the one being cute, you think a piece of paper with my signature is going to make me just get up and walk out of here with you? Ha, you're sorely mistaken," Reno replied.

"Hmm, he said you might say that. But, there's one thing that will make this offer impossible for you to refuse. Did you not hear me mention that there will be five of us? If you haven't decimated all of your braincells drinking in here day after day you will remember that there were only 4 of us including yourself. You, Rude, Elena, and myself. Aren't you curious as to who that fifth person might be?" He said teasingly.

"Do you really expect me to care what poor, pathetic loser Rufus dug up and scammed into taking part in your little entourage?" Reno shot back.

Tseng reached into his jacket pocket and removed a small, square piece of stiff paper and slid it across the table to Reno.

"Anyone you recognize?" He asked.

Reno flipped over the photograph and his smile dropped instantly. He was staring at a round, ivory colored face with chin-length dark hair and bright, brown eyes. It was a face he knew all too well because it belonged to a girl that had been on his mind nearly every day since the fall of Shinra. It was the face of Yuffie Kisaragi. Reno's head drooped.

"I'll do whatever you want, just don't do anything to her please," Reno replied, defeated.

"Well now, there's a change in tune my old friend, but we're not going to hurt her in any way. Once you are put through core training to confer that you are still capable of handling yourself in battle, you two are going to be partners," Tseng replied with a cocky smile.

"What's the catch?" Reno said, raising his head in confusion to meet Tseng's eyes in search of meaning.

"No catch. As I said, Rufus wants to begin anew and take Shinra in a new direction. So, are you ready? Are you ready to come back and be reunited with your family?" Tseng said, stretching a hand across the table to Reno.

Reno nodded and shook Tseng's hand with fervor, smiling back at him.

"Let's go!"

(A few weeks later)

Reno slumped down onto the floor of his bathroom. His entire body pulsed with pain. He didn't remember training being this hard, but he also didn't doubt the possibility that this was Rufus' recompense for leaving Shinra. He reached a had tenderly up to his face to inspect the damage. The entire right side of his face was black and blue with bruises and slightly inflamed. He winced and pulled his hand away, replacing the cold compress. His ribs ached and he had trouble walking on his left leg, which had led to the development of a bit of a limp over the last few days. However, he knew he would live through the pain because it was all leading towards something bigger. Just a few more days and he would be reunited with Yuffie. Perhaps he would finally be able to tell her how he felt about her; how he had felt about her since the first time he had met her. He felt a queasy lump in his stomach start to rise a little and leaned over the toilet to brace himself for the possibility of becoming sick. The feeling passed and he lay down on the cold floor of the bathroom. He pressed his cheek against a chill tile and closed his eyes, breathing deeply as relief spread across his painfully bruised cheek. He could survive a few more days.

(The last day of training)

Reno stumbled out the door, coughing up some blood into his hand. Tseng followed close behind him with a satisfied smile on his face, clutching his side and leaning on the wall for support.

"Seems I've become a little rusty in the sparring ring. I suppose I'm not as fast as I used to be," he replied.

"Maybe I'm just better than you remember, eh?" Reno suggested with a cocky grin.

"No, no. You've never beaten me before. This is a precedent. I suppose not having been on active duty in a while has made me slightly soft," he replied in a tone that sounded as though he was trying to reassure himself.

"Whatever, Tseng. When do I get to see Yuffie?" he asked excitedly.

"What do you mean? She's been observing us the entire time," Tseng answered with a chuckle.

Reno cocked his head in confusion, but as he did so a door to his left flew open and something sped past Tseng and into Reno's arms, knocking him slightly off balance in his weakened state.

"How ya doin' buddy? Haven't seen your girly red hair in a while," Yuffie said hugging Reno tighter than he would've liked.

Reno winced in pain and pushed her back a little.

"I'm a little sore for Tseng's last sucker punch," he said as he shot a scowl at Tseng, "but much better now that I get to see you.I missed you! If you've been observing the whole time how come you never came down and told me?"

Yuffie blushed slightly at Reno's last two comments, "They wouldn't let me see you until your training was done...you missed me?"

He chuckled a little and mussed her hair, "Of course I did, kiddo."

Yuffie tried to reduce the increasing redness in her cheeks, but to no avail.

"So I hear we're gonna be partners, eh?" she said buoyantly.

"Seems that way...what did they say that got you so interested in joining up with a company you fought so hard to bring down? You used to hate Shinra and push me away for being involved with them."

"They made me an offer I couldn't refuse, but we should get you to the infirmary and get your injuries checked out," she replied, changing the subject.

Reno decided not to press the subject, but instead took Yuffie's outstretched arm and followed her through the door.

(Several weeks later)

Reno's cellphone rang on his bedside table. He awoke with a grumpy noise and fumbled through the darkness to find it.

"Hello?" he asked, with an edge in his voice after having flipped his phone open and pressed it against his cheek.

"Reno, there's been an incident. We need you now!" a smooth voice replied from the other end of the line.

Reno suddenly perked up, "I'm on my way."

He jumped out of bed, grabbed his pants and shoes and shot through the front door of his small apartment. He dressed in the elevator and was in the car driving away in a matter of seconds. He knew exactly where he was heading: Shinra Headquarters.

It seemed like time was moving in slow motion around him as he drove. He reached his destination in what seemed like 5 minutes, and was bursting through Rufus Shinra's office door nearly a minute later.

He scanned the room and saw a lethargic Yuffie sitting in a padded chair in the corner, yawning and scratching the side of her head. Rufus sat in the large wing-backed chair behind his desk and Tseng and Elena flanked him. Yuffie smiled when Reno walked in the door and rose to meet him.

"Any idea why Rufus pulled us outta bed at 3AM?" he asked, catching his breath from his speedy arrival.

"He hasn't said anything yet, but he coulda at least brought us some coffee. I'm going to be useless pretty soon without a caffeine injection." Yuffie chuckled.

Rufus cleared his throat and Reno's eyes floated up from Yuffie to Rufus. Tseng and Elena took seats on the opposite side of Rufus' desk and gave him their full attention. Yuffie returned to her chair and faced Rufus to get a good view and Reno found a seat next to her. Rufus slipped a cigarette between his lips and lit it. He inhaled deeply, turning the end of the cigarette a bright red-orange color, and blew out a large puff of smoke before beginning his speech.

"We have alot on our hands," he began, pausing for what seemed like dramatic effect, "Fiends have began to pop up all over, Nibelheim, Midgar, even the most remote regions of our country like Gongaga and Wutai."

Yuffie shuddered in her seat and suddenly began to look very uneasy. Reno knew exactly why. As much as she hated where she came from, she had grown up in Wutai and her father still lived there. Reno grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. She looked up at him and he smiled his crooked smile.

Rufus took and long drag on his cigarette and continued, "I'm going to be sending Tseng and Elena to the western continent and Reno and Yuffie will stay on this continent. I'm sending a team of three trainees to the northern continent as well. Your mission is to try and narrow down the source of the fiend increase. They're record numbers of them on the continents and they are supposed more prone to violent outbursts than they have ever been. I want you all to stock up on supplies today and plan on leaving tonight. Each of you will have one military escort from SOLDIER to ensure your safe return. I wish you all luck and will see you when you return. You are dismissed."

Tseng and Elena stood and left quickly to begin preparation. Yuffie, however, kept her seat until they had left. She then stood and approached Rufus' desk.

"Sir," she swallowed loudly, obviously frightened or intimidated by Rufus, "I had a question."

She waited for him to acknowledge her request, but he didn't so she continued.

"I don't know if you knew this, but my hometown in Wutai, my father lives there, and there are alot of memories in that city," she paused for a moment, "I was wondering if you could reconsider sending Tseng and Elena to the western continent."

Rufus turned to her, "And why would you say something like that? I'm doing it for the good of the western continent. Not sending someone could lead to a spike in the death rate over there. I would think that you, being a native of that land, would want me to send someone to help relieve them of their fiend problem."

"Oh, no sir, you misunderstand," she shook her head, "I want you to send me there instead. Let me go to the western continent and let Tseng and Elena stay here."

"No no no, my child, that just won't do at all. You see, you are too connected to that land. You have too many emotions invested there. It would be silly to send you there because you wouldn't be able to act according to the rationality that we've instilled in you over the last few months."

"But sir, I-"

"No! I said no and that is my final word on the matter. Now, go! You and Reno need to make final preparations."

Yuffie turned from Rufus, looking utterly defeated, and headed toward the door. Reno caught up to her and draped an arm over her shoulders. He squeezed her close to him and smiled, trying desperately to raise her spirits.

"So, we get to go on an adventure, eh?" he laughed a little, "Are you excited?"

Yuffie looked at him, an unamused expression on her face. She continued for the elevator without a word.

"Look, Yuffie, I'm sorry that we didn't get to go to Wutai. It's not very fair, but at the same time, not to be mean, but I can kind of see what Rufus is saying," Reno sighed and continued, " He is looking out for you more than anything. He knows that when emotions get too involved in work like this that people get hurt. It would be not only further risking your friends and family in Wutai, but also risking your life sending you there. Tseng and Elena are highly skilled, well trained Shinra employees. They know what they're doing. Your father will be fine."

Yuffie said nothing, but the air seemed less heavy. Reno knew that although she was silent, she had absorbed what he had said and agreed. He followed her out of the elevator and into the parking garage wordlessly. Just when they were about to split for their respective cars, Reno took Yuffie's wrist.

"Yuffie, do you maybe wanna go get a drink with me? Lift some of these bad feelings?" he asked with a grin.

"It's 3:30 in the morning! Nothing's going to be open at this time," she laughed a little.

"Well, then we can go back to my place, I've got a fully stocked liquor cabinet," he said boldly.

Yuffie hesitated and the corners of her lips curled under into a sort of a frown.

"Reno, I'm not sure if that's such a good idea. I don't want to lead you on. You're a nice guy and all, but I'm not at a point in my life where I want to be tied down in a relationship. I want to be free to travel and do what I want when I want without having to take anyone else's feelings or opinions into account."

"Geez, it was just an innocent invitation for a drink," Reno laughed, "I didn't realize that it had to have so much more attached to it."

Yuffie smiled at her own stupidity and giggled along with Reno.

"Alright," she nodded, "We are friends after all, and co-workers. What's one drink among friends? But, after that I have to insist that we get some sleep and prepare to leave tonight."

"I agree," Reno replied, steering Yuffie towards his car.

(At Reno's apartment)

Yuffie and Reno sat on a fluffy, white sofa in the living room of Reno's darkly lit apartment. Reno, a beer in hand, and Yuffie, finishing her 4th martini, laughed in unison as they recalled memories from what seemed like a previous life.

"D'you remember that hair? What made him ever think that spikes were in?" Reno laughed.

"I think he got all his styling tips from that old friend of his, Zack," Yuffie replied with a chuckle.

As the laughter died down, Yuffie locked eyes with Reno and blushed a little.

"Old habits die hard, I suppose," she muttered to herself.

"What do you mean?" Reno asked curiously.

Yuffie laughed a little, "Well, I guess I used to have something of a crush on you," she replied.

Reno's lips twisted upward a bit at the corners.

Yuffie stared into his deep green eyes, "I guess I still do."

She slid a hand over his cheek and ran it through his hair and onto the nape of his neck. Reno shifted closer to her on the sofa and rested his hands on her creme colored shoulders, feeling her soft, warm skin beneath his palms.

"I've wondered for a long time what it would be like, with you I mean," Yuffie whispered, her warm breath dancing over Reno's cheek as she pressed her lips to it, "but circumstances in our life always seemed to pull us apart. Now everything just seems to fit."

All Reno could muster was a slight nod as he was lost in Yuffie's big, brown eyes that resembled polished stones. He felt like he was living a dream. The girl he'd always wanted, always fantasized about being with was sitting on his sofa in his apartment and he couldn't imagine the circumstances being any more in his favor. However, as much as he wanted to pluck her off of the sofa, carry her into the other room, and indulge their collective fantasies, something held him back.

Yuffie leaned in, her lips mere inches from his, but Reno caught her shoulders and pushed her away.

"Yuffie, we can't do this!" he said, regretting the words the second they came out of his mouth, "You're drunk."

She sat back and stared at him, looking like a small, wounded animal. Before he had time to complete his thought, she had stood, gathered her things, and was at his door fiddling with the lock. Before he could rise to stop her she had twisted the doorknob and was in the hallway and headed down the stairs. He merely stood in the doorway grasping at what almost was. What he had wanted to relay to her was not what had come out. He had wanted to say that she was drunk and he didn't want to take advantage of her. He wanted what she had wanted. He had wanted it for some time, but he had wanted it to be right. He wanted it to be memorable, with both participants willing and of sound mind. However, she had run out before he could finish what he was trying to say and wasn't sure if the same situation would ever arise again.

(End of flashback)

Reno sat in his car reminiscing about all the times he had nearly had Yuffie and lost her. Maybe that was fate's way of trying to clue him into the fact that he was never meant to be with her. Maybe he was just the poor shmuck trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, trying to force something that would never work. Had he truly wasted all that time trying to be with someone that he wasn't right for?

Raindrops began to fall on the windshield of the car. He twisted the key in the ignition and turned on the lights and wipers. He looked up at the house one last time before pulling out of the lot and beginning what he surmised would be the longest drive he had ever had.

Fate was cruel.