Reno picked up the directions he'd dropped on the floor and reread the steps:

Freezer Chocolate Chip Cookies
1. Set oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease cooking sheet with non-stick butter (Pam spray or olive oil works well)
3. Place each cookie on greased sheet with enough space to expand.
4. When oven reaches 350, put sheet in oven. Wait 10-15 minutes.
5. Take out tray, let cookies cool, and enjoy!

The Turk rolled his eyes, glancing from the instructions to the baking sheet. Since when did making cookies become this hard . . . He sighed. If he messed up, he'd be eating them, overdone or underdone. More than likely, he'd give them to Rufus.

Reno gritted his teeth. Cooking had never really come as easily to him as most other things he had accomplished in his life. Elena had been one to outdo him when it came to food. Even Rude knew a few things. It was kinda sad – even his partner could cook. The last time the redhead had tried to make something, he wound up asking for help. Only because he had almost burned it, and didn't know that you were supposed to stir the meaty sauce. Or that noodles were supposed to be stirred constantly, or they'd stick to the bottom of the pot. And the sad thing – he had boasted several hours before he knew what he was doing and didn't need help. Spaghetti was not supposed to be that difficult.

"Are you sure you don't need help?"

"Yes, Elena . . ." Reno groaned. Elena had decided that he needed to start over with something easier than spaghetti. Cookies. Pre-frozen cookies that cooked in the oven.

The blonde Turk stood behind him, leaning on the counter. "You sure?"

"I'm fine, 'Lena. This isn't hard."

"That's what you said last time, before I had to step in and kick you out of the kitchen." Reno grimaced, remembering the burn mark she'd given him when she had intervened. He was too high-and-mighty to ask or even want her help, so she touched his arm with a metal fork. And it had hurt like hell.

"Cookies can't be as hard as other foods. Come on – Give me the benefit of the doubt here!"

Elena sighed. "Okay, Reno. " She turned and started to leave, but stopped for a second. "If you burn them, you're the guinea pig taster." The female Turk stepped out of the room, leaving him.

Reno nodded, setting the temperature to 350. The timer started, ever so slowly. He squirted some of the Pam spray on the metal baking sheet, rubbing in on the sheet with both hands, and placed each round cookie dough piece in a checkerboard fashion. The oven beeped at the correct temperature: 350 degrees. The sheet with the uncooked cookies was placed on the metal shelf, and the oven door closed.

He sighed, shaking his head. Now all he had to do was wait. At least that's what he remembered hearing Elena say. This was a lot easier than she made it sound. 10 to 15 minutes – that wasn't too long. This gave him time to do other things. Like catch up on that story his girlfriend was writing from a few days ago.

"What are you doing, trying to burn more things, Reno?"

"Hardly," the redhead answered, a smirk crawling across his lips.

Raven smiled mischievously, a green-eyed dark purple haired figure a few inches shorter than the Turk curled an arm around him. "What's this project called? Baking Disaster 101?" She loved to make fun of how he couldn't cook.

"This coming from a girl who can't cook . . ." Reno responded teasingly. "Or am I wrong?"

"At least I haven't burned everything I've touched." She brushed one of his bangs out of his face, kissing his cheek. "What'cha making today?"

"Cookies. I figure if I burn them, Rufus'll get 'em." Raven laughed. Rufus Shinra, the President of the Shinra Company, had a small brush with some of the 'experimental' Mako in the labs. Due to the exposure, he had been turned into a Chocobo – a blonde and white feathered Chocobo.

"By the way, you want one when they're done ?"
Raven nodded, sitting on the opposite counter. "Sure, I'll take two." She glanced at the oven – "When did you put them in the oven?"

"10 minutes ago, why?"

"You might wanna check."

Reno nodded, opening the oven door. "They look fine to me, if golden brown is the right color." He shut the oven, turning off the temperature. "I think they're better off cooling in there – don't want to get burned like last time."

"Good point." Raven glanced at the directions lying next to her. "Aren't you following the directions? 'Cause it says you're supposed to take the tray thingy out of the oven for them to cool."

"Where does it say that?"

She held up the piece of paper. "On this thing."

"It's a guideline – not a given rule."

"Guidelines are given rules." Raven shook her head, handing him cooking mittens. "Trust me; you'll burn them if you don't take it out."

Reno grinned at her before opening the oven door a second time. "Like what you did with the pizza last week, right?" Raven blushed.

At that moment, Elena walked back into the kitchen. "Reno, are the cookies done yet?"

"Yeah," Reno answered smugly, placing the tray on the convection stove. "As soon as they cool, I'll taste one, unless you want to." Raven handed him a spatula. "What's this for?"

"To pick up the cookies without smashing their perfect shape." Elena nodded in agreement.

Reno spun the spatula around like it was his EMR. "Who says they have to look perfect? They're just cookies."

The blonde raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Reno, these aren't your cookies – they're for everyone including you."

Reno rolled his eyes irritated. "You never said that." He then proceeded to lift each cookie off the tray, but much to his growing annoyance, small pieces broke off before he could catch them.

Elena shook her head. "You forgot to grease the pan, didn't you?"

The Turk scowled at her, his hand too close to the metal tray.

Rude looked up from the book he was reading to hear a high pitched scream. It sounded like the redhead had interfered with Elena again. Raven, somewhat tired, had nabbed a spot on the couch seconds before. She looked rather annoyed.

"Did Reno bother you?"

She shook her head sighing. "He's such an idiot."

Did Elena -"

The shake of her head silenced the bald Turk. "That redheaded dork burned his hand on the cooking sheet."

Rude nodded, sighing. ". . . Typical Reno . . ."