Summary: This is a sequel to "Until the End." I am writing this for NaNoWriMo 2011. :)

In the current story, Reno and Cloud are settling into married life, but it will be anything but a quiet or normal life when Reno's past comes back to haunt him. While Reno deals with the repercussions of his past, an alien life form invades the Planet, and threatens the human race itself. When Cloud ends up in danger, Reno calls on for help from unlikely sources, and moves heaven and earth to save his love.

Rated M for language, Reno, and eventual smexy lemons.

Usual Disclaimer: I own nothing, Square Enix owns FF7. Any song lyrics quoted within are attributed to the artist. This fic is written for fun, not profit.

There's a story in your eyes
I can see the hurt behind your smile
For every sign I recognize
Another one escapes me

Let me know what plagues your mind
Let me be the one knows you best
Be the one to hold you up
When you feel like you're sinking

Tell me once again
What's beneath the pain you're feeling
Don't abandon me
Or think you can't be saved

I walk beside you
Wherever you are
Whatever it takes
No matter how far

Through all that may come
And all that may go
I walk beside you
I walk beside you

"I Walk Beside You" - Dream Theater

They said it would never work, Reno thought, smirking. Well….'they' were dead fucking wrong. The Turk who dropped the plate on Sector seven, and the ex-mercenary-who-thought-he-was-a-SOLDIER – who, oh, by the way, ended up saving the Planet multiple times – well, there were some idle tongues and gossips who insisted their union wouldn't last.

Not only did it last, Reno mused, it fucking prospered. Six months into their marriage, and Reno was still head over heels, insanely in love with Cloud. And he was pretty damned sure Cloud felt the same way. Hell, he knew Cloud felt the same way, there was no two ways about it. Reno sighed a bit too happily, murmuring to himself as he brought the chopper back down to the helipad, expertly landing it.

He and Rude were returning from their mission. The day's work has resulted in success for the two Turks; the suspects that Tseng had ordered them to find had been quickly located, detained, and between Reno and Rude, the two worked in their usual seamless symphony in getting the detainees to crack, and give up some needed intel.

Rude turned his head to regard Reno, certain he'd heard the redhead mutter something. "…Excuse me?" he said quietly to Reno. "You say something?"

"Nothing important, partner," Reno murmured, as he cut the engine. "Nah, I was just thinking…about Cloud." He punctuated the statement with another dreamy sigh.

"Reno? When are you going to stop acting like a swooning, lovesick teenager?" Rude said dryly, shutting off his headset and removing it. "It's getting annoying," he cracked. Rude was feeling good, with a sense of accomplishment over the day's work, but still – Reno needed to can it, in his opinion. He cast Reno a somewhat irritated, sideways glance. Really, it was getting a bit old, Rude felt - Reno's glowing adoration of Cloud. It was understandable, given that Reno and Cloud were still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship, but - the man just wouldn't shut the fuck up about Cloud this, and Cloud that, and it was getting on Rude's last working nerve.

"You know, Reno," Rude continued, giving Reno a pointed glare. "I get that you're happy. And I'm happy that you're happy. But for the love of Minerva, do you have to talk about it twenty-four/seven?"

"Hmpf," Reno snorted. He cast a somewhat cool glance at Rude. "Well, partner. I'm sorry…I didn't realize my happiness was boring you. You know, every time you bring up your happy little family with Tits McGee – "

"Asshole," Rude barked, reaching out and smacking the headset clear off of Reno's head, before he'd even had a chance to shut it off. "You do not call Tifa that. Ever." Rude was furious. He knew all too well that Reno's glib remarks were just that – no real harm intended behind the cutting words, but all the same, the man should have known better than to go there. No, Rude and Tifa weren't married yet, but they'd had a child together, their baby girl Ari. Rude loved Reno like a brother, but there were times when the redhead was just so damned thoughtless, that the more silent and more tactful Turk would like to drop-kick his scrawny ass into next week.

"Ow!" Reno yelped, rubbing his head where Rude's hand had connected. "Fucking hell, Rude!" Reno knew he'd crossed a line; he'd done it often, and he really did feel bad anytime he went too far, and hurt someone, as he'd just done with Rude. The thing was, Reno just couldn't stop himself or his mouth sometimes. It was time to at least try and bury the hatchet…and admit to Rude that he was wrong. Again.

"I'm sorry, man," Reno said quietly, just as Rude was about to exit the chopper. The bald Turk merely grunted in acknowledgement, and looked away from Reno, slamming the door as he got out. He was still pissed at his tactless partner, and was not about to let Reno get off easily this time.

"Fucking had it with you," Rude snapped. "And your lack of common courtesy. You know, I don't bring up my 'happy little family', as you called it, nearly as much as I have to hear how fucking awesome Cloud is. And don't get me wrong, Reno - I am happy for you. I wouldn't have been your best fucking man if I wasn't. Just...enough already."

Reno blanched at Rude's unusually eloquent outburst - the man usually used as few words as possible, so whenever he went on for a spell, Reno knew the man had to be beyond pissed off. He sighed wearily, slamming the door of the chopper Had he really had his head so far up his own ass, still basking in the newlywed phase, that he'd grown even more clueless and insensitive? The redhead had to be honest with himself – he supposed he had.

"Dude, look…I'm sorry," Reno said sincerely, running his hand through his spiked red bangs. "I know, it ain't enough, and I've been a first class asshole lately. I guess I'm still in the honeymoon phase or whatever – and I know, that's a shit excuse for how I've been acting, but I'm sorry. I really am, yo."

Rude raised an eyebrow and grunted. "Don't do it again," he admonished. "Or I'll lay you flat next time, got it?"

Reno grinned. He was forgiven – for now, it seemed. "I got it, partner," he said softly. "It won't happen again." Reno coughed into his hand, suddenly embarrassed, and went through the pretense of fumbling for his pack of cigarettes, even though he didn't really feel like having one.

"So, ah, Rude," Reno began, a bit self-consciously. "Good job today, man. I'll uh…turn in our reports for us, okay?" he said, giving Rude a plaintive look. Rude smirked at this; Reno must really be sorry, that he was offering to do the hated paperwork for Tseng.

"Thanks, Reno," Rude replied, smiling slightly. He reached into his jacket pocket, and took out a folded piece of paper, handing it to Reno. "My notes," he explained, as Reno took the paper.

"Gotcha," Reno muttered, folding the piece of paper and shoving it into his pocket. "And hey man, I'm really sorry. You know, me and my big fucking mouth…"

"Yeah. I know," Rude said, chuckling. "Believe me Reno, I know. " They'd descended the stairwell from the roof, heading toward the Turks' offices. It was likely that Tseng was still there, awaiting their return from the mission; Rude planned on checking in with his superior, and heading on home to Tifa and the baby, while Reno would apparently be working a bit of overtime to get the paperwork done.

"Yo, bossman," Reno greeted the Turk Commander upon entering the office. The salutation was met with a withering glare and an eyeroll from Tseng.

"Reno, Rude," Tseng said crisply, addressing the two Turks. "How did you fare with the mission?"

"Went smooth and by the numbers, yo," Reno said easily, taking a seat behind his desk. "Listen, Rude needs to take off...seeing as he's got another mouth to feed. Don't want him skipping out on diaper duty, or Tifa will be pissed," he cracked, grinning at Rude. "I'm taking care of our reports."

"That won't be necessary, Reno," Tseng said quietly. His expression was odd, Reno noted. Something was up, and the realization of that set Reno on edge.

"Rude, you're dismissed," Tseng told him. "Go on home to Tifa and the baby. I have something to discuss with Reno here," he continued, nodding toward the redheaded Turk. Reno's eyes shot open with a look of surprise - not only was Tseng apparently taking over Reno's most despised duty for him - paperwork - now there was something that the Turk commander had to 'discuss' with Reno? Something was definitely up, and Reno didn't like the uneasy feeling he was getting. Yet, Tseng's face remained impassive; whatever it was, he wasn't going to reveal in front of Rude, which also troubled Reno.

Rude nodded at Tseng, grateful for the early dismissal. His daughter Ari was now entering the teething phased of babyhood, and sleep had now become a lost commodity for both himself and Tifa. "Thank you, sir," Rude said to Tseng. "Reno...see you tomorrow." He frowned, not liking the fact that Tseng wanted to discuss something with his partner, and clearly wanted to wait until Rude left. He'd be certain to ask Reno what went down the next time he saw him, however. Reno nodded at Rude, lifting his hand in a brief parting wave.

"Reno," Tseng said quietly and firmly, his unflinching gaze meeting Reno's. "Please, step into my office." He waved his hand, indicating for Reno to follow him.

"What...what's going on, sir?" Reno asked nervously. "Am I..are you going to fire me, or something? Look, I know I've been slackin' with filing my reports, and I totally was about to do those from today - "

Tseng looked at Reno, surprised, then chuckled. "No, Reno. I'm not firing you," he assured him, amused. Tseng had one hand on the doorknob, ready to open the door to his private office.

As the door slowly opened, Tseng whispered softly to Reno. "I don't even know how to prepare you for this, or how to tell you...Someone came here, looking for 'Reno of the Turks.' And her story...seems to check out. Here she is."

"Who is it?" Reno hissed, entering the room. He was suddenly on high alert, feeling suspicious. "Someone came here looking for me?" Reno stepped into Tseng's large office, and looked toward the Turk Commander's desk. There were two oversized leather chairs placed in front of it. He could barely see who was occupying one of those chair, but it appeared to Reno that a small, feminine figure was seated in one of the chairs.

"Tirsa?" Tseng called softly. As the chair turned around slowly, Reno stood there shellshocked; staring back at him was a young girl of perhaps twelve years of age, with long, wavy auburn hair; a darker shade than Reno's vibrant red, but very similar. Her eyes were of the palest spring green - aside from the hue, the eyes were identical to Reno's. The Turk couldn't hold back a gasp, as he looked into eyes that mirrored his own. A thrill of recognition ran through Reno as he struggled to remember a name from his past, buried somewhere in his mind, but it was in there somewhere, he just knew it was nearly on the tip of his brain...

"Oh my gods," Reno exclaimed, stepping forward slowly toward the young girl, who by now was scowling at Reno. "Are you...Dayanara's?" he asked hesitantly.

The girl sneered at Reno, and snorted derisively. "Dayanara's dead," she said matter-of-factly. "But, yes...I'm her daughter. And yours, apparently."

"You're...my...what?" Reno stammered, incredulous. "But I didn't even...I mean, I..." His voice trailed off as he struggled to formulate a coherent thought. Reno was one who was rarely, if ever, taken by surprise. He usually was the one to have a leg up on everyone else, not the other way around. Holy fuck, he thought, running his hand through his hair, and swallowing nervously. How...am I gonna tell Cloud? Wait, what the hell am I supposed to do...bring her home with me? She came here seeking me out for a reason...gotta find out why, now. And Dayanara...gods, what happened to her?

"So," Reno continued, rubbing his eyes. "You're...my daughter?" he said, still in disbelief.

"Did I fucking stutter?" Tirsa snapped, frowning at Reno. Gods, the mouth on her! Reno thought, trying to hide a grin. Yeah, she's mine all right.

"Yes, I'm your daughter, moron. Oh, forget this," Tirsa said, quickly standing up and heading toward the door. "Knew this would be a big mistake, coming here."

"Hold on a minute, yo," Reno said firmly, blocking Tirsa's path as she tried to leave. "Tseng here says you came here looking for me. So what gives? Why leave now? I suggest we sit down and, uh...introduce ourselves to each other."

Tirsa eyed Reno with some amusement, particularly as her eye was drawn to his vibrant red ponytailed hair. "You know, you don't look like what I picture, when I think of a Turk."

Reno frowned at this, and narrowed his eyes into slits as he stared down his smart-assed daughter. "Well, what do you picture, then?" he demanded.

"Him," Tirsa replied coolly, pointing at Tseng, who bit his lip to keep from laughing.

"Nice," Reno replied sarcastically, still unable to break his gaze from Tirsa's face. "I guess...there's no denying you're mine. You look just like me."

"I get the green eyes from my mother," Tirsa said quietly. She took a seat once again, and Reno sat down next to her.

"Reno..." Tseng said quietly. "I'll leave you two alone for a bit. But just so you know...Tirsa's story checks out. And we took the liberty of taking a blood sample from her, to see if it matched your DNA...and it does."

Reno bristled slightly. Okay, so he had a daughter, and now Tseng was running fucking tests on her, without his permission? "Hold on, Tseng," Reno said, anger creeping into his voice. "You're already sticking needles into my kid, without my permission? What the fuck?"

"Relax, dad," Tirsa said theatrically. She grinned, holding up an index finger with a small piece of gauze covering the tip. "Just a pinprick. I had to pee in a cup, too."

"All right, now wait just a gods-damned minute," Reno said irritably. "Tseng? Please tell me what the hell that was for."

"Reno, no harm was meant toward Tirsa," Tseng said, trying to reassure the irate Turk. "She had a full medical workup while we verified her story. She's been suffering from malnutrition...as she's been living on the streets since her mother died."

"Oh," Reno replied dumbly, feeling something catch in his throat. "I'm...I'm so sorry, Tirsa. I really am. I had no idea, that...well, that you existed, in the first place."

"Why did you leave my mother?" Tirsa demanded, her bottom lip trembling ever so slightly as she fought back a tear. "Why...why would you do that? Get her pregnant and just leave?"

"I - I swear to you, I didn't know - " Reno began, then paused, looking helplessly at Tseng. "Can...we have some time alone here, sir?" he asked quietly. "Please."

"Of course," Tseng replied, already heading toward the door. "You may want to call Cloud, you know," he reminded Reno. "Tell him you're going to be a bit late."

"Yeah," Reno said, licking his lips nervously. "Guess there's a few things I have to tell him."

"Who's Cloud?" Tirsa demanded, after Tseng left the room.

"He's...my husband," Reno replied hastily, quickly reaching for his cell phone. "I'm just gonna call him really quick, okay?" Without waiting for a reply, Reno dialed the number, waiting to hear Cloud pick up.

"Hi, Reno," Cloud said, the moment he answered. "Hey, I was thinking we could just grab a pizza tonight - "

"That's fine, yo," Reno interrupted, cutting him off. "Listen - I'm going to be a little late. And maybe get two pizzas. We might have company."

"Okay, I will," Cloud replied, sounding confused. "Reno? You sound weird. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Reno lied. "Oh hell, you'll...find out soon enough," he said cryptically. "Bye." He hung up the phone quickly, knowing Cloud was going to be more than pissed about the mysterious nature of his call, not to mention, Reno hanging up on him.

"I'd like you to meet him, Tirsa," Reno said gently. "If you want to, that is."

Tirsa glared at Reno suspiciously. Thus far, her street-honed instincts weren't telling her to run. She'd heard enough about the Turks to know they were loyal to their own; she wondered too, if this carried over to family members. Still, having been homeless for so long, the thought of a warm place, and a hot meal were proving to be a huge temptation for the young girl.

"Okay, I'll go for a little while," Tirsa said reluctantly, as they both stood . "I don't think I'll stay for very long, though."

"What do you mean, you don't think you'll stay?" Reno demanded, narrowing his eyes. "Where will you go?"

"Don't know," Tirsa said, shrugging her shoulders. "What does it matter to you, anyway?" The statement hit Reno in the heart like a thunderbolt, bringing him back to when he was a teen living on the streets, in the bowels of the slums of Midgar.

"It matters to me," Reno said firmly, "because I grew up on the streets too - as did your mom - and I don't want that for my daughter. You're staying with me. And don't argue with me," he said in warning, before Tirsa could even open her mouth.

"Fine," Tirsa said sullenly, as Reno ushered her out of the Turks' office. While she really was grateful for the offer of a place to stay, and hot food, the girl was already mentally calculating what Reno's weekly paycheck might be, based on his dress and appearance. She wondered if Reno, or even his husband, this Cloud guy, would have anything at their place worth stealing, that she could sell on the street for a few quick gil.