Summary: Reno's blood ran cold. He had never wished for his dream to come true. Warning: character death

Disclaimer: I didn't, don't and never will own Final Fantasy VII.

Cold

Reno looked around. Where the hell was she? He couldn't find her among the evacuees of the HQ after the discovery of the bombs.

He then asked Rude who stood next to him if he had seen her. Rude however negated. But he believed to have seen her last with the president.

First Rude didn't want to address the issue of Rufus' whereabouts. But finally he admitted that he had heard that Rufus was said to be in his office.

But before Reno could take off to the HQ the building blew up and collapsed back upon itself.

Reno's blood ran cold.

Immediately after the dust had settled Reno took off searching for her.

After searching for hours and finding her dead in the heap of ruins he hold her tightly in his arms, crying.

"LANEY, NO!"

"…NO!"

Reno woke up cold, drenched in sweat and trembling and found himself sitting in bed. He breathed deeply several times and ran his hands over his face.

"Reno, are you alright?" Only now Reno remembered that he wasn't alone and turned toward his neighbor in bed. Next to him sat the – in his opinion – most beautiful woman, his wife, and looked at him dozily but apprehensive at the same time.

"Laney, thank Gaia. You're alive!" Reno eased up a bit.

"Of course I'm alive. What's the matter?" Elena appeared confused. Nevertheless she wrapped her arms around her husband and ran her hands comforting over his back.

Reno was really relieved. Usually he had only rarely nightmares. Maybe he had had this one just because of its topicality. Only yesterday his job confronted him with a blown up hospital.

After Reno had recovered somewhat he told Elena about his dream. While doing so he stood in front of the window and looked outside.

Elena listened attentively to him and eventually hugged him from behind when he had ended. She assured him that everything was fine.

"I'm fine. Nothing is going to happen. It was just a dream, just a bad dream."

"Just a dream, just a dream, just a…" He repeated those words several times like a mantra before he turned in her arms. "You're right. We're fine. It was nothing more than a stupid dream."

Elena took – on tiptoe – his face in her hands and kissed him gently.

Reno held her warm body in his arms and returned the kiss.

He loved her. Gaia, he really did. He was so unbelievably happy. He had married the love of his life. He couldn't think of anything better.

"I love you" Elena whispered as they broke the kiss.

"I love you, too."

After another kiss they went back to bed. Entwined tightly around each other and holding each other warm they fell asleep.

The next morning started promising. As Reno woke up he still had his arms around Elena. Gently he pulled her closer and kissed her awake. Her brown eyes opened flittering and Elena looked smilingly at her husband. "Good morning"

Instead of answering he kissed her again. After a shared shower – Elena was easily persuaded – there was coffee and Reno's favorite donuts for breakfast.

But as wonderful as the morning yet had been about noon chaos broke out.

Still in lunch break the bomb alert went off and evacuation was decided. On his way to the stairs Reno learned that there was found more as enough C4 in the basement to erase the building at a single blow.

Reno's blood ran cold.

Next to Rude he ran down the stairs. But in the chaos and in between lots of panicked people he lost sight of Elena who had been just a few seconds ago still behind him. He tried to keep calm and repeated constantly his mantra "Just a dream, just a…" while trying to banish the thought of the dream.

Reno looked around. He wasn't sure but something or rather someone was missing. After several seconds of searching it stroke him. Elena wasn't there. "Oh no" Reno whispered. He felt queasy.

He approached Rude who was standing a few meters next to him. "Where is she?" She had been behind him shortly after the alarm…

"I don't know" Rude also appeared to be at a loss but immediately understood whom Reno thought of. "I think I saw her the last time close to the president."

Reno's blood ran cold.

The whole situation reminded him too much of his stupid dream.

"And where is Rufus?" Reno almost didn't have the heart to ask. He had the foreboding that he wouldn't like the answer.

Rude hesitated. "As it seems… in his office."

"What?" Reno turned around and tried to get near the HQ. It couldn't be true; it just mustn't to be the case.

But Reno didn't get far 'cause Rude took hold of his arm. "Where do you want to go to? It's too dangerous!"

Reno tried to break away from Rude's grip. "A fat lot I care! I have to save my wife!" Just as he succeeded in breaking free and ending the sentence a powerful tremble shook the ground.

With an earsplitting bang the bombs detonated and induced such a massive blast that even the evacuees at a distance of several hundred meters had to throw themselves to the ground.

Reno's blood ran cold.

"No!" He had to watch helpless as the HQ collapsed back upon itself. "Laney!"

After the rumpling had died away and the dust – that had shortly darkened the sun – had settled there was a dead silence.

Immediately Reno got up and took off running to the heap of rubble. "Elena! Where are you? Laney, say something! Please!"

Rude followed his friend and fellow.

Together they searched for Elena in the ruins.

After several hours Reno found her at last.

There she lay. In front of him. It seemed as if she was sleeping. But sadly Reno knew better.

He sat down next to her and pulled her onto his lap. He cradled her like a child in his arms.

While holding on to her lifeless and cold body he broke out in tears. The tears he had repressed for quite some time now.

Again and again he whispered into her ear how much he loved her. His voice was already hoarse because of the dust and the tears…

"LANEY, NO!"

AN: Please review! Thank you!