Chapter 1 Beginnings
Sora felt Jonah get into their bed on his side. His tension was obvious, and Sora knew the cause for it. But he would never get enough sleep in his condition, so she cuddled next to him and started fondling him. He never refused her, and after she had given him the release he had needed, he relaxed enough to admit what was bothering him.
"I wish I could stay." Jonah said.
"You're one of our best scholars, and this research trip is important. Jenova's plague is getting serious." Sora reminded him.
"Then you should come with me." he suggested.
"You don't need me in the way." she replied. "Besides, all the healers are needed here."
"You're never in my way." Jonah emphatically stated.
Sora smiled at his denial. "Well, you're not leaving til morning, remember?"
Jonah's enthusiastic response more than pleased her. Some of the other Cetra women didn't understand why she had picked him as her mate. But none of the other potential suitors intrigued her like he did, so she had pursued him. She had sensed hidden facets and potential in him, and had never regretted her decision. After their third union, they fell contentedly asleep in each other's arms.
Jonah stood with other members of his team when Sora came running up with his satchel.
"You don't want to forget this!" she told him.
"You're sure you don't want to come with me?" He asked again as he took his bag.
Sora smiled at him. "I'll be fine. Now go figure out how to save us all."
He caressed her cheek and kissed her before rejoining his team. He turned and looked back at her standing there, her light blue dress fluttering in the wind. She waved at him, then turned and walked back to the encampment.
They had been working for two months when a messenger arrived, and Jonah felt his blood run cold when they handed him the message. Even before he opened it, he knew it was Sora. He read it, then went to his tent to start packing. He ignored the questions and demands from the other team members, leaving at once to go back home.
When he arrived back, he went straight to where the plague victims were being held. They didn't want him exposed, but he barged in and found Sora's bed. Kneeling beside it, Jonah caressed her cheek.
She opened her eyes and tried to focus them to see him. "Jonah?"
"I'm here now. Everything will be okay." Jonah told her, praying he wasn't lying through his teeth.
"Did you figure out how to save us all yet?" she asked.
"We're working on it. First we'll save you. I'll be back." Jonah caressed her cheek again and went to find the lead healer, who would only tell him there would be a public meeting at sunset to discuss the next step. He passed the time by tending to Sora, trying to ignore the fear he felt at the prospect of losing her.
The meeting was not as well attended as Jonah had thought it would be, but then he realized the plague must have taken more lives while he was gone, and those currently infected needed to be looked after. He tried to pay attention to what was being said, but his mind kept wandering back to Sora lying in that bed, fighting for her life. He suddenly heard gasps of shock coming from all around him, and he echoed their shock when the protests explained to him what had just been said.
"Kill all the infected?" Jonah numbly repeated.
The leaders called for order, and one of them stepped forward.
"Listen to me! Those infected are already as good as dead, and when they become monsters, they will kill more of us. We have to stop it now!" He yelled out to the crowd.
Jonah didn't bother staying at the meeting any longer, he rushed back to the plague ward. He noticed the attendant was sleeping, so he quietly went to Sora's bed, whispering for her to be silent, and picked her up, carrying her out the back door.
By dawn, they were far away from the main encampment, but Jonah worried about being pursued, so he took more devious routes to his destination, a place he hoped most of the other Cetra would have chosen to forget about.
Sora roused enough to eat and drink something for breakfast, then she noticed their surroundings. "Where are we?" she asked.
"Going to get you help." Jonah replied, putting the fire out.
The frantic knock on the door did not surprise the old woman, she had sensed an impending arrival. She opened the door to a young man holding a young woman unconscious in his arms. He barged in without asking for an invitation, and set the woman down in the first chair he saw.
"I'm glad to see my fellow Cetra have continued to lose all semblance of manners." The old woman said.
"Cure her!" Jonah ordered.
"Nice to meet you, too." The old woman ignored them both until Jonah introduced himself. "You can just call me Amalia." She called for her assistant, and when he arrived, she finally examined Sora. Afterwards, she beckoned Jonah to an adjoining room.
"The plague is too advanced in her. If you had been here sooner, or if our high and mighty leaders hadn't decided to exile me, I could have helped."
Jonah felt himself almost collapse and braced himself against the wall, then he heard Sora call his name. He ran to her side and she was looking at him with a knowing expression on her face.
"I could have told you it was too late for me." Sora put her hand on his face and Jonah shivered at the thought of never feeling her touch again. Her lips suddenly trembled. "I don't want to become a monster!"
"Listen to me, you could never be a monster, do you hear me?" Jonah kissed her, then he remembered something he came across in his research.
He told his new plan to Amalia, who gasped in shock.
"That is forbidden!" Amalia exclaimed.
Jonah rushed across the room and grabbed Amalia, shoving her into the wall. Her assistant went to intervene.
"Listen, you old crone…" Jonah stopped when he saw her eyes change, the telltale mark of a seer's vision.
Amalia recovered and gestured for her assistant to let Jonah go. "I'll help, but you don't have much time left before it really is too late for her."
She wrote some things down and handed it to Jonah. "This is what you'll need." She wrote more on another scroll. "And this is what you need to do. You'll have to do it where the lifestream is strongest."
Jonah put the scrolls in his satchel and went to pick up Sora, when Amalia gestured for him to come over to a table where she was preparing some kind of red ointment.
"One more thing you'll need." Amalia dipped her finger in the ointment and made a line on each side of his face, then muttered something and Jonah felt a slight burning on his face.
"What did you do?" Jonah asked
Amalia held up a mirror and Jonah looked at his face in shock as he saw the red lines tattooed into his skin.
"Why did you do that? I'm not part of the warrior clan!" The lines felt like blasphemy to him.
"You'll need to become one if you want to protect her. She's not going to have an easy time of it."
Jonah shook his head, then went back over to Sora, picking her up and walking out the door.
"What did you see?" The assistant asked Amalia when Jonah and Sora were far enough away.
"That he'll someday do what the much esteemed Council will have failed to do, save us from extinction." Amalia replied.
"If he is being followed, they'll know he came here."
"Let them come. It's too late now. That young fool doesn't know as much as he thinks he does, the ritual I gave him is not the one he thinks it is."
"It's not?"
"Of course not, that's forbidden for a reason. The one I gave him will send them onto their future lives, ahead of schedule. He'll get half his wish, he won't lose her forever, they'll be reunited eventually. Whether or not they can cheat fate and avoid the tragedy they were meant for, that's anybody's guess."
"They were meant for tragedy?"
"She's marked for an early death, if he thinks he can change that, then he is doubly a fool. Nobody likes to lose, but sometimes it's just the way it is. Look around, I was once the toast of the town, but I made the mistake of learning things that were considered treasonous, now I live in a hovel where only the insects visit on a regular basis."
When Jonah reached the area where the lifestream was strongest, he gently laid Sora down and made as comfortable as a bed as he could for her with limited materials, and then placed her on that.
He opened his satchel and got all the instructions and all the ingredients he had collected along the way. Sora started moaning and thrashing about, and he grabbed her arms until the fit was over, so she wouldn't hurt herself. She seemed to pass out, but moments later, she spoke.
"It won't be long now." Sora tried to smile. "Promise me you'll kill me before I become a monster."
"You're right, it won't be long now, but until you're cured." Jonah kissed her hand, holding it in both of his, before resuming the preparations for the ritual.
The door burst and three men burst in, startling Amalia's assistant, but she just sat there in her chair, looking at them.
"Well, if it isn't the warrior clan's finest. I'm honored they sent the best." Amalia said.
"Where are they?" The leader demanded of her.
"This is the second time today I've had someone barge in my door, demanding things of me. It's getting old to see how the Cetra now have less manners than a groused bearcat."
"So they were here! What did they want?"
"What they wanted is their business, Borlax."
"Don't test me, old woman." Borlax replied, drawing his sword.
"I wouldn't test you, because you'd fail, and you couldn't handle that. I repeat, since you seem to be a slow hearer, what they wanted is their business. But what I did for them is mine."
"And that would be?"
Amalia gave him an answer, and Borlax's jaw dropped open.
"That's forbidden! You know the penalty…" Borlax told her.
"Of course I know that. I also know the Council doesn't have the balls to do what's necessary to save us, so I did."
As Borlax approached Amalia with his sword still drawn, her assistant tried to intervene, but one of the other men knocked him out, as Borlax swung his sword, cutting Amalia's head cleanly off her body.
Jonah finished the ritual, and was waiting for Sora to be restored, when he suddenly noticed threads of the lifestream appearing and starting to encircle them. He held Sora in his arms, trying to ignore her changing skin color, when Amalia appeared before them.
"Why isn't she getting better?" he demanded to know.
"I lied to you. It was the only way for you to do what she expected you to do, save us all." Amalia noticed the thickening lifestream as it continued to surround Jonah and Sora. "There isn't much time left, just try and remember, when you find her again, don't let her go. You may never get her back again."
Jonah tried to ask Amalia what she meant, but she suddenly disappeared, and the lifestream was engulfing them. He held Sora tighter, wanting to scream as he felt a searing pain, then he felt nothing at all.
Chapter 2 Remembrance
Kunnia stood in her bedroom, fighting with her back-closure bra clasp, trying to hurry up and get ready in time for a night out with her girlfriends.
"What is wrong with this stupid thing?" Kunnia exclaimed in frustration.
"Need some help with that?" A familiar voice asked as Kunnia felt fingers on her back.
Kunnia turned around, causing the bra to become undone, and exclaimed in pleased surprise. "Roth!"
Hugging him, Kunnia felt him start to tense up as if in pain. Releasing him slightly, Kunnia looked more closely at him. His red spiky hair was more unkempt than usual, and he did seem rather worn around the edges. "Are you okay?"
"It's nothing, just a rough day at work." Roth replied.
That surprised and worried her. In the nearly three years Kunnia had known him, he never talked about work, except once in the beginning to say he was a company man. "Are you sure you're okay?"
His fingers moved from her back to her now exposed breasts. "I will be."
Kunnia started to open her mouth to say she was busy tonight, but then he kissed her and didn't give her a chance to say anything else until they both fell asleep.
Kunnia woke up the next morning alone, as she expected, since Roth never stayed the night, well except that one time, but she was surprised to find his side of the bed still warm. Usually he was gone long before she woke up. As Kunnia got out of bed to get dressed for work, she was glad not to see any packages on her nightstand. He would occasionally leave presents for her to see first thing in the morning. Sometimes she thought it was sweet, but at other times it made her feel like a damned prostitute.
Noticing the time, Kunnia took a quick shower, got dressed, and ran across the street to the pub where she worked as a waitress. Kunnia had gotten the job after she got back from a vacation in Wutai where she had met Roth. As Kunnia hurried in the door, Lori was at the bar, double-checking that everything was clean before opening.
"You're almost late." Lori said without looking up. "Five more minutes, and you would have been in trouble."
"I know, I know." Kunnia said as she tied her apron on.
"We missed you last night." Lori finally looked up at her. "He came by, didn't he?"
"Yes." Wanting to change the topic, Kunnia looked up at the chalkboard. "Wasn't that yesterday's special?"
"What? Oh dammit..." Lori grabbed the chalkboard and furiously erased the writing and wrote down a new daily special before putting it back. "There, happy now?"
"Sure thing." Kunnia was actually happy, because she didn't want to get into any discussion about Roth. Her girlfriends were overly curious about her mystery man, but she didn't have any answers, especially as to why she put up with him.
As Kunnia put her order pad and a pen in her apron pockets, another waitress flipped the switch for the OPEN lighted sign and unlocked the door. It was a few minutes before the first customers started trickling in, but it was a steady stream once lunch hour hit. During one of her breaks, her mind kept going back to how she got involved with Roth in the first place, or what Kunnia could remember of it at least. It was her first real vacation when she got to be on her own, and she chose Wutai, since they seemed to have a good reputation as a vacation spot. Unfortunately Kunnia felt the best way to celebrate was to get blackout drunk. She remembered being at the bar, then she's waking up next to a guy who said his name was Roth. Kunnia figured she'd never see him again, especially after she ignored him leaving because she was in the bathroom trying to puke her guts out.
But once Kunnia got back home to Icicle and got her waitressing job to save up for college, she was coming home from working two shifts a few weeks later when Roth approached her. Kunnia decided to invite him into her apartment to keep the nosy neighbors from seeing anything, even though she was extremely tired. Roth had to help her up the stairs to her second floor apartment, and before she knew it, they were in bed again. He was sweet that night, even if she had been too exhausted to enjoy it much. She had woken up to find him gone, with a bracelet and a note on her nightstand. Based on what he said in the note, and other comments he'd made over the years, she must have told him her name meant "honor" that first night in Wutai, and for some reason that was important to him. She had wondered on occasion if it was related to his work he never talked about.
The other waitress poked her head into the break room. "Okay, my turn, Kunnia."
"Okay, I'm coming, I'm coming." Kunnia stood up, finished the last dregs of her soda, and headed back to main room. She was surprised to notice a blond woman sitting at the bar, in an outfit similar to Roth's. Kunnia ignored her and waited tables, flirting with the regular males who were good tippers, trying to not
think the woman was watching her. Ever since Roth started showing up, she had a feeling of being watched every so often.
Finally Kunnia's shift was over, and after adding up her tips and writing it down in the ledger kept for employees to reference during tax time, she got her purse and headed out the front door. The blond woman was leaving at the same time, and she and Kunnia bumped into each other. The apologies were brief, because Kunnia was in a hurry to get home, since she had the next two days off. Rushing back across the street to her apartment building, she got upstairs and in front of her door before she discovered the key wasn't in her purse. Annoyed, she knocked on her landlady's door and had to control herself while listening to the older woman's opinions Kunnia living alone with strange men coming and going at all hours. Once she used her master key to unlock Kunnia's door, Kunnia forced herself to smile at her landlady and wish her a good night.
Back inside her apartment, Kunnia locked the door and wondered where she could have left her key. Her door was locked when she got home, so she obviously must have locked it before going to work. Dumping her purse contents on the kitchen table, she looked through it all for her missing key, but couldn't find it. Roth had his own key, but she had no way to get in touch with him, he just showed up when he did. Putting everything back in her purse, she thought maybe it fell out when she and the blond woman bumped into each other. Briefly she wondered in the blond woman might be Roth's wife and she had found out about Kunnia. She herself had the thought every so often that she might just be something on the side for him.
Except it wasn't always sex. A few months after he started coming around, she had a duplicate key made and left it on the nightstand on his side of the bed, and he didn't take it the first time he came by after that, but he did the next time. Once he had his own key, sometimes she'd wake up in the middle of the night and find him there in bed with her, just holding her. She remembered the first time he did that, the next morning at work everyone was talking about the terrorist group AVALANCHE destroying the Sector 7 pillar in Midgar, resulting in mass casualties. Kunnia thought he had lost someone in Sector 7, but she never got a chance to ask him. That was the only time he had stayed the whole night, and when she woke up to take a shower before work, he was still asleep, but he was gone when she got out of the shower.
Taking another shower to refresh herself after work, she put her bathrobe as soon as she got out and headed for the kitchen to make something for dinner. One of the rare times she and Roth had an actual conversation, he made her laugh by recounting his one attempt to learn how to cook by taking a class. Checking her refrigerator, she found some pre-made meals on nice plates with a note from Roth. That was a new one, but when she looked more closely, she noticed they were takeout from one of the nicer restaurants in town. Well at least he hadn't lied about not being able to cook. She took the one closest to her and put it in the microwave to warm it up. Once it was reheated, she took the plate and some silverware and sat down by the balcony so she could watch the sunset. That's where Roth usually found her when he bothered to show up. Sometimes he would stand in the background and watch with her, other times he had different ideas about how to spend their time.
Dinner finished, she put the plate in the sink, and went back into the bathroom to hang her robe back up, then went to her bedroom to put her favorite pair of lounging pajamas on. If she thought Roth might be stopping by, she'd put on some lingerie, but he had stopped by last night, and he never came two nights in a row. In fact, after coming by on average about once a week, after that night with the Sector 7 tragedy, he didn't show up for weeks. Then nearly three months later, he appeared in the middle of the night again, just holding her in bed. After that, his reappearances were sporadic. Sometimes she feared the Geostigma would get him. Kunnia couldn't really say she loved him, because despite the longevity of their...she couldn't really call it a relationship either, not exactly, but whatever it was, she was ambivalent about the whole thing. Sometimes she thought she'd be relieved if it ended, other times she was glad to have someone in her life who just made one demand of her. Kunnia got in bed and turned her nightstand lamp off.
Chapter 3 Tattletale
Elena walked into Rufus' office, keeping an outward expression of calm, though she was always nervous entering his lair. He might have changed his goals for Shinra, but he was still as ruthless as ever. She had heard ugly stories about what happened to Cissnei, the last female Turk before her. He was sitting in his President's chair, turned to face the window. Tseng was standing next to him, facing her. She stood in front of the desk, her hands clasped in front of her for what seemed like hours before Rufus swiveled his chair around to face her.
"Report, Elena." Tseng ordered her.
"Sir," Elena addressed both of them, "Reno visited the girl two nights ago, and stayed almost all night. I found no sign any contraceptives were used."
"Well, it's been nearly three years, do you have any explanations as to why the girl isn't pregnant yet?"
"No sir, unless Reno is taking the contraceptive evidence with him, though I find that highly unlikely. He isn't that fastidious with his women." Elena couldn't keep the disgust out of her voice. "I believe he still has no idea who she is. From the information I've gathered, she believes his name is Roth, and the only thing she really knows about him is that he's a 'company' man, but not what company."
"That is all to the good," Rufus templed his fingers together, "But if that girl is who we think she is, we need her babies!" Rufus slammed his hands down suddenly on the armrests of his executive chair, gripping them until his knuckles turned white. "You put the fertility drugs on her food?"
"Yes sir," Elena replied. "I put a note in Reno's handwriting on top of the plates so she'd think it was one the gifts he leaves occasionally. I found multiple pieces of jewelry that seemed to be his taste."
Noticing the change in Elena's tone again, Rufus lifted one eyebrow. "You're not jealous, are you, Elena?"
Looking briefly at Tseng, Elena began blushing furiously. "What? N-n-no sir!"
Rufus smiled at Elena's sudden lack of composure. "You've done very well, Elena. Continue as you were, but remember, Reno is to know none of this. He has proven his loyalty, but the thought of impending fatherhood might spook him before the job is done." He turned his chair around to face the window again, dismissing her.
Elena looked at Tseng, who gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head. She gave a half-bow and turned around to walk out the door.
After staring out the window for a while, Rufus addressed Tseng. "Do you think she spoke the truth?"
"Yes sir, I have independent confirmation that corroborates her statements."
"How could we keep Reno from doing something stupid upon learning of her eventual pregnancy, if she decides to tell him?"
Tseng sighed. "I don't think even Reno knows how to keep himself from doing something stupid."
"So would the best course of action be for him to never find out?"
"I believe so, sir."
"Then so be it." Rufus decided. "Has the blood work on her come back yet?"
"We should have it in the next 48 hours, sir. The problem is finding something to compare it to. All we have is Dr. Gast's on file, since he destroyed all our work on the Ancients when he left, and Hojo's research was destroyed when Meteor hit Midgar."
"If it comes back positive...all might not be lost, if Reno and that girl will cooperate. Have you been administering fertility drugs to him as well?"
"When the opportunity presents itself, sir. It is not safe to mix them with alcohol, so I have instituted a daily vitamin supplement for the Turks, with Reno getting his dose then."
"Well done, Tseng. Let me know as soon as we have results on either count." Rufus dismissed him.
Tseng left, heading to his office to run computer simulations on Reno's possible reactions if Kunnia were to suddenly disappear.
Chapter 4 New Orders
Reno and Rude sat in the Turks' lounge in the newly rebuilt Shinra HQ in Junon, having a beer during their lunch break.
"I saw Elena leaving the President's office earlier looking flustered, and Tseng left a little while later." Rude said. "What do you think that was about?"
"Probably making sure they're recovered enough from the whole brutal torture thing to be fit for duty." Reno replied, gulping down the rest of his beer, and then getting another one from the fridge.
"You think that's why they've got us taking vitamins now?" Rude asked.
"How the hell should I know? I just hope they're not gonna turn this place into a day spa." Reno replied.
Rude looked sharply at him. "You're kinda testy lately, you know that? You either need a good fight or a good lay."
Reno sourly laughed and then gulped down some more beer. "You're one to talk. Did you ever make a move on Tifa?"
Rude looked embarrassed now. "Man, she's living with Cloud now, or didn't you catch that?"
"Yeah, and when he was doing his lone wolf thing, why didn't you pay her a visit? You could have offered to moonlight for her as a bouncer until you worked up the courage to ask her to a picnic for two."
"What about you? Is there gonna be a Mrs. Reno eventually?" Rude changed the subject.
"Marriage is boring. And divorce is expensive." Reno ended the conversation by finishing his last beer and throwing the can into the recycle bin, just as Tseng walked in.
"Break time is over, new orders for you." Tseng announced. "Now that the Remnants are gone, you're to re-examine the Crater. And just to be on the safe side, you're to stay overnight in Icicle and rest up to explore the Crater in the morning. Don't forget to restock up on everything when you get there, and refuel the helicopter. Here's your vitamins." Tseng put down two bottles that were only half full of pills, but each was clearly labeled with the name of the recipient.
"Icicle?" Reno perked up.
"Don't fail on this mission, Reno." Tseng warned.
"Sure thing, Director. Let's go, Rude." Reno stood up.
Rude looked a little confused at Reno's sudden change of attitude, but followed him out and towards the hangar.
Tseng smiled. "We're counting on you, Reno. You may be our last chance for atonement."
Chapter 5 The Green Eyed Monster
They made good time to Icicle. Rude was surprised at how eager Reno was to get there. He thought Reno was being a little too careless with the speed, but they arrived safe and sound. Once they landed at the new airport, Reno got out of the pilot's seat as fast as he could, not even contacting the staff to refuel the helicopter.
"I'm gonna go get us a hotel room, will you take care of things here, Rude?" Reno bolted out the door before Rude could say anything.
Rude just sat there for a moment before contacting the tower and making sure the helicopter would be taken care of before leaving it and heading towards the town. What was up with Reno? Rude shrugged it off as he spotted a nice restaurant. Walking in, he was happy to find that it wasn't too full, so he had no problem getting a table.
Looking around, he noticed a pretty girl eating alone. Reno's comments about Tifa still rankled, so Rude approached her and asked if he could sit down.
Kunnia was surprised by the man's request, and by his outfit. Was she being stalked by Roth's tailor? Since she had her mouth full, she just gestured to an empty seat.
After Reno had paid for the hotel room, he went to Kunnia's apartment, and was seriously frustrated that she wasn't there. Rude had been right, he needed the relief he got best from her. When he couldn't make it to Icicle to see her, he had found other accommodating women, but while he could perform, they basically left him cold. Kunnia was always…warm. Walking around looking for her as well as Rude, he was passing a restaurant when he spotted Rude's familiar bald head at a table there, talking to a pretty girl. And then he did a doubletake as he realized it was Kunnia. He hurriedly ducked out of sight.
Rude was making a move on Kunnia? What was wrong with him? There are rules that partners are supposed to follow, one of the most important is that you don't hone in on the other's 'territory'. Reno's thoughts were circling like vultures as he stomped back and forth in the snow in the alley next to the restaurant, trying to figure out what to do. He didn't want Kunnia to see him with Rude and find out who he really was, but he couldn't let Rude continue. He popped a couple vitamins in his mouth, hoping it would calm him down.
Kunnia was enjoying having someone to talk to while she ate. She didn't know why the man said his name was Rude unless it really was, who would name their kid something like that?
Suddenly Rude's cellphone rang. He looked annoyed but answered it anyway. "Yes, Elena? Yes we're here. Yes, the workers are doing it. I don't know, off getting hotel rooms for us. I'm eating dinner. Yes, Elena, I understand." Rude hung up the phone.
"Is Elena your wife?" Kunnia asked Rude.
Rude nearly choked on his chicken marsala. "Elena and me? No, she's a coworker."
Kunnia pursed her lips briefly, not sure if she believed him. She put her fork down onto her plate. "Well it was nice meeting you, Rude, but I've got to call it an early night, I've got a double shift tomorrow." She stood up and looked down at him and wished him good luck on his assignment before leaving.
Rude huffed into his water glass. Damn Elena! Why did she have to call just then? And why would Kunnia think she was his wife? All she did was nag him about his job…oh. Maybe Reno was right about marriage. Rude asked for a to-go box, and hurriedly put his leftovers into it so he could go find Reno.
Reno was relieved to see Kunnia leave the restaurant alone. He let her get a little ways down the street before approaching her. "Kunnia!"
She turned around, surprised to see him again so soon. It had only been a few days since his last visit. He offered her his arm, and she hesitated a moment for taking it. She noticed that his eyes seemed green. Usually they were blue, but on occasion, due to the ambient light, they were green.
Rude left the restaurant, leftover box in hand, and noticed Reno walking arm in arm with Kunnia further down the street. Reno looked back and gestured towards the hotel. It was all Rude could do to not squish his leftover box into oblivion. As it was, when he got to his hotel room, half the box was no good anymore. Who did Reno think he was, moving in on Kunnia like that? It was one of the unwritten laws of partnership, you don't invade your partner's 'territory'. This mission was crap already. Plus he didn't like the cold. He knew better than trying to stay up waiting for Reno. No telling when he'd get back from his latest conquest.
Kunnia wondered what Roth was up to. He avoided being out in public with her as much as possible, and now he was walking arm in arm with her while it gently snowed. Some might think it was a romantic setting, but Kunnia knew where this was leading, waking up alone again.
When they got back to her apartment, she used her key to unlock it, which she had found shoved back under her door the morning after she lost it. She tried to tell Roth she needed to rest for the double shift tomorrow, but he had his own way of silencing her protests. When she woke up alone the next morning, she was unbelievably sore. Kunnia noticed another one of his notes on her nightstand, saying he might be stopping by again tonight. She crumpled it up and threw it in the trash. Whatever was the cause of his behavior, she didn't care. She wasn't going to put up with another experience like last night. He wasn't exactly violent, but he was so…intense…throughout the whole night that she felt violated.
Kunnia managed to get out of bed and make it to the bathroom, where she took a warm bath that relieved some of the pain. Once she got out, she skipped breakfast and just had some juice and a couple painkillers. Getting dressed, she chose loose fitting clothes that wouldn't bother her so much today. She walked slowly to the pub, and was surprised to see Lori there, locking up.
"What's going on?" Kunnia asked.
"Health inspectors got complaints of infestation problems, and investigated. Until we get the place fumigated and provide them proof, we're shut down." Lori replied. "Hey, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. Let me know when I can go back to work, alright?"
"Hopefully it won't be that long. Enjoy your vacation." Lori walked off towards her house.
Rude woke up around dawn to see Reno stagger in and throw himself down on the other bed. "Guess you had a good night." Rude said, with an edge to his voice. A snore answered him. "Jackass!" Rude exclaimed before going back to sleep himself.
Two hours later, the alarm went off and Rude woke up immediately, but Reno kept snoring. Rude got the coffee maker going, hoping the smell would wake Reno up. While waiting for it to be done, he went downstairs and got a couple pastries for their breakfast. When he got back to the room, Reno was in the shower murdering some song. Rude made himself a cup of coffee and ate his danish while he waited for Reno. At least Reno would get himself dressed before he left the bathroom. Most of the time.
The coffee was cold by the time Reno came out of the bathroom in a hotel robe, so he just heated it up in the microwave and nibbled on his danish. "Soon as I get dressed, I'll be ready to go if you are."
"Sure thing, partner." Rude said.
Reno glanced at over, surprised at his caustic tone. Rude just kept sipping his coffee. Reno shrugged and downed the rest of his coffee, heading into the bathroom to get dressed. When he came out, he just headed out the door, leaving Rude to follow him.
When they got to the hangar, Reno checked over the helicopter before getting into the pilot's seat. Rude got in the back as usual. Once in the pilot's seat, Reno felt more relaxed. He didn't know what came over him last night, and he wasn't sure if he apologize to Kunnia or not. She probably wasn't feeling too good, he was pretty worn out himself. He put that out of his mind as he started up the helicopter, going through his mental checklist. Once that was done, he let Rude know it was takeoff time. Airborne, Reno headed straight for the Crater, trying to ignore a sense of dread given what happened last time they were here.
Landing was smooth, and he and Rude both exited carefully. Reno noticed that Rude was a bit creeped out as well by being here. He handed Rude an isotope scanner and flashlight.
"The quicker we can check to make sure nothing is still here, the sooner we can get back to Icicle." Reno said, looking behind rocks.
"You weren't interested in being quick last night, were you?" Rude responds.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Reno turns to look at his partner.
"That woman you picked up last night, you were gone until dawn."
"What's it to you? What I do on my own time is no one else's damned business!"
"I saw her first, I was chatting with her at the restaurant while you were doing who knows what."
"She was alone when I saw her. You're getting rusty, Rude. She left without you, didn't she? She's not yours."
"She's not yours either, you don't even bother learning their names, do you?"
Reno got in Rude's face and grabbed his suit. "I know more about her than you ever will. And don't you dare go near her again." Reno kept his voice low and threatening.
Rude's hand clenched into a fist when they heard a familiar voice.
"That's enough out of both of you." Tseng reprimanded them. "Reno, go back to Icicle and wait there until we return."
Reno let go of Rude's suit and stormed off to the helicopter, showering them with cave dust when he took off.
"Rude, did you get any unusual readings on the scanner?" Tseng asked him as he brushed off the dust.
Rude straightened out his tie and looked at the scanner. "No, sir."
"As you were, then."
Once he saw the helicopter safely secured in the hangar, Reno headed to the florist shop and bought a mixed bouquet of orchids in a vase. He was about to leave when the florist asked if he was planning to walk with those orchids, and then the florist explained that the cold would kill them. He showed Reno a special insulated box with hand warmers to protect the flowers. Reno grudgingly handed over the extra gil and waited for the man to arrange the flowers and vase in the box, then grabbed his package and headed for Kunnia's apartment. He didn't know what came over him last night, but he felt he should make sure he hadn't hurt her, and apologize for it.
Halfway there, he remembered that she had said she was doing a double-shift today, so started to head to the pub, and then saw the closed notices on it. Going back across the street, he got his key out and hurried up the stairs. When he got to Kunnia's door, he was surprised to find his key didn't work. Then he saw the deadbolt lock had been changed. Worried, he started knocking on her door.
"Kunnia? What's going on?" He asked through the door.
There was no response at first, then he heard her yelling at him to go away and leave her alone. Unsure what to do, he stood there for a moment more, then put the package on the floor in front of her door and left.
Lori was just leaving the pub, making sure everything out of there that she didn't want to get that fumigation smell on it, when she saw a man leaving Kunnia's apartment building. He noticed her too, and came over to ask if there was any other place in town to get a good drink at. Lori was about to send him on his un-merry way when she remembered the two bottles of scotch in her desk.
"I've got something, wait here." Lori went to her office and grabbed the bottles, and came back to hand them to the man. "Enjoy." She started to close the door when the man stopped her.
"There's two bottles here, would you mind if we shared them?" Reno asked her.
Lori looked appraisingly at him. She wasn't crazy about the hair, but she had woken up next to much worse. "Sure, why not?" Lori let him into the employee lounge, which had its own oversized couch.
Kunnia woke up the next morning and tried to ignore the orchids. She had brought them in after Roth left. They were beautiful, but she still didn't want to see him again. She went down to check her mail, and noticed the pub door wasn't closed all the way. Worried about Lori, she went inside cautiously, and noticed the employee lounge light was still on. Walking in, she found Lori standing in front of the couch, putting her bra back on.
"Lori, are you okay?" Kunnia asked her. "I saw the pub door open and I was worried."
Lori startled a bit to see Kunnia there. "Oh, Kunnia, you scared me. I'm fine, I just stayed here overnight." She yanked down her dress and started to usher Kunnia out the door, walking a little unsteady, when a head poked up from the couch.
"Kunnia?" Reno asked, slurring her name a little. "Is that you? I'm sorry about..." He frowned, trying to remember. "I'm sorry about something."
Kunnia froze in shock. "Roth?" she whispered.
"That's him?" Lori was stunned.
Reno stood up, and that's when Kunnia noticed his clothes in a pile by the coffee table, which had two empty scotch bottles on it.
"You're not half as sorry as I am that I ever met you." Kunnia told him before she turned and ran out the door.
Lori scooped up his clothes and threw them at him. "Get dressed and get out of here." She ran after Kunnia.
Epilogue Part One
"Report, Tseng." Rufus commanded.
"The tests have confirmed that the girl is the one we've been seeking. During last week's mission to the Crater, while in Icicle, Reno took two of the fertility pills and then took the girl home, as we expected. However, he was over-stimulated by the extra dosage, and after performing multiple times, he left around dawn. The girl had her locks changed while he and Rude were on their way to the Crater. After I sent him back to Icicle, hoping he could reconcile with her, he found her wanting nothing to do with him anymore. Reno then proceeded to have drunken sex with her boss, and she caught them together, further severing any ties on her part. This might be our advantage though, sir, as it would not be unexpected for her to disappear by relocating now. I also removed the fertility drugs from Reno's daily vitamins, to avoid further behavioral problems with him."
Rufus nodded. "If pregnancy is confirmed in the next two months, she should be relocated to what was rebuilt of Mideel. The lifestream proximity should encourage success. It is very lucky for us that Dr. Gast was not as morally perfect as some think."
Chapter 6 Trouble in Paradise
Kunnia woke up suddenly, unused to Mideel's warmer environment. Six weeks earlier, after…after she had changed the locks, she kept hearing about the rebuilding they were doing, and fliers kept appearing in her mailbox about all the employment opportunities. After three weeks of feeling constantly out of sorts, and thinking maybe she did need a change of scenery, she called the number on one of the fliers, and was told to expect an information packet. It arrived two days later. Looking over it, she found she would be given free fare to Mideel, as well as accommodations for a one month trial period. However, if things didn't go well, she had to pay her own way when she left. There was a regular employment application form which she filled out and mailed back in the prepaid envelope.
Three days later, she got her approval letter along with travel voucher. She gave Lori her two weeks notice, and reassured her that all was forgiven. She also gave her landlady notice. When she started packing, she wondered what to do with the orchids. They hadn't wilted yet in the weeks she'd had them, so she didn't want to just throw them out. After she was all packed, she decided to give the orchids to the orphanage.
The day of her departure arrived, and Lori and the other waitresses gave her a going away gift, which they told her she wasn't to open til she got there. After some hugs and tears, Kunnia headed to the airport where the special charter flight to Mideel was waiting.
She presented her travel voucher to the stewardess and her belongings were loaded into the cargo hold. Fifteen minutes after she boarded the plane, they took off. It took eight hours to get to Mideel, and Kunnia slept through most of it. When they arrived and she got off the plane, she was immediately greeted by an official from the Mideel Economic Development Committee and given a map of the area, with living quarters highlighted. Assured her luggage would be delivered to her, she followed the map to reach her new residence. She was too hot in her current outfit, but she planned to change soon enough. She looked around as she followed the path, and saw wild orchids growing. They were pretty, but the ones Roth gave her were nicer. Kunnia nearly tore the map up in rejection of that reminder of what she'd come here to escape.
She didn't get any unpacking done that day, because once she got to her new place, she suddenly was overwhelming tired. She noticed her boxes in a corner of the front room. She took her boots off and made it to the bed before becoming oblivious to everything.
Kunnia's eyes were adjusting to the semi-darkness she woke up in, when she suddenly got nauseous. She hurried to the bathroom, and barely made it before she started throwing up. Thinking it was due to the change in environments as she adapted to her new surroundings, she ignored it. Then for the next two weeks it came and went, so she went to see the village doctor. His diagnosis almost made her throw up again.
"I'm pregnant?" Kunnia managed to get out.
"Barely, I'd say about two months. But you understand that's not precise. Babies hold a lot of mysteries that we are still trying to figure out." Dr. Turin told her. Noticing her lack of happiness, he instructed his nurse to explain the options available as he went on to his next patient. With all the hordes of orphans needing homes, women weren't as interested in having to go through pregnancy and labor.
Kunnia only half-heard the nurse, she was too stunned. She took the pamphlets the nurse gave her, and somehow made it home. She threw the pamphlets on the coffee table and crawled into bed. She would have killed Roth if she could have. Instead, she cried herself to sleep.
Elena walked into the employee lounge, surprised to find Rude sitting there alone. "Where's Reno?" she asked.
"Passing gas for all I know." Rude answered.
"Are you two still squabbling?" Elena sighed as she went to open the fridge looking for a snack.
"Hey, things would have been fine if you hadn't called me at Icicle." Rude defended himself. "Your nagging made her think I was married."
"This is my fault? You've got a lot to learn about women." Elena grabbed a sandwich marked with his name, and threw it at him as she stalked out of the room.
Rude just sat there for a moment, with the plastic wrap around the sandwich clinging to the side of his face. Then he grabbed the sandwich, took the wrapping off, and ate it, chewing sullenly as Tseng walked in.
"As soon as you're done with your sandwich, we're leaving." Tseng informed him.
"We?" Rude had trouble getting the word out over his salami and egg sandwich.
"Yes, Elena will be working with Reno for the next few months, as will you and I."
"Fine with me." Rude finished his sandwich and threw the wrapper in the trash. "What's the assignment?"
Chapter 7 A Tangled Web
Elena wrinkled her nose as Reno approached. Kunnia must have meant more to him than she thought. In the two months since she broke it off with him, Reno hadn't been the same. He still did his job to the letter, but something was missing, besides a bar of soap. She felt a slight pang of remorse for her part in it…he wasn't exactly heartbroken, but he was suffering. Pushing that from her mind, she glanced down at the folder that had their current assignment. Rufus wanted to keep Reno away from Mideel until after the babies were born.
"Where're we going?" Reno asked, scratching at his dirty face.
"Nibelheim. Don't you ever pay attention to the briefings?"
"Well, let's go then." Reno climbed into the pilot's seat.
Elena got into the helicopter and strapped herself in. At least hadn't lost his competence as a pilot. When they got there, Reno got out and started to head for the bar, when Elena demanded they go to the hotel first, and after she got them separate rooms, she told Reno to go to his room and take a shower. He ignored her and took his room key, then headed to the hotel bar. Elena sighed. How did Rude put up with him?
Reno sat down on a bar stool and ordered a bottle of whiskey. He was halfway through it when an attractive woman sat down next to him. She tried to talk to him, but when he looked at her, he saw Kunnia's face when she caught him with her boss. He turned back to his whiskey then, knowing that it would be pointless to encourage her…he had tried other women in the previous weeks, and it was disastrous, even if he didn't see Kunnia's face when he looked at them, he felt worse afterwards, not better. He finished his whiskey and left the woman there, talking to thin air. Finding his room, he threw himself down on the bed and passed out.
Elena sat down in Reno's recently vacated barstool. "Any luck?" she asked the woman.
"No. What is with that jerk? He didn't even ask my name. And does he ever bathe?"
Waking up the next morning, Reno made himself a cup of coffee and downed it with a couple painkillers. Then he headed to the shower, and barely rinsed himself off before getting out and getting dressed. He opened his hotel room door just as Elena was about to knock on it, knocking on his head instead.
"Oh, you're ready, good." Elena said, wiping her hand off on her suit. "Well, let's go then." She turned sharply and headed down the hall to the elevator.
Reno followed her, pushing the lobby button when he got in.
"How long are you and Rude going to continue to behave like children?" Elena asked.
"I'm just doing my damned job. He can do whatever he wants. What are we doing here?" Reno countered.
Elena slammed the file folder into his chest just as the elevator opened up to the lobby. "Doing our damned job." She stalked off out the door.
Reno looked at her retreating figure in surprise, then scanned the documents in the folder before heading after her.
Chapter 8 The Plot Thickens
Kunnia woke up and just laid there in bed staring at the ceiling. Pregnant! What was she supposed to do now? Her hand unwillingly went to her as-yet flat stomach. Her mind went back to her preparations for her trip to Wutai where she had first met Roth. Her parents were worried about what trouble she might get into, so she had scheduled an appointment with the family doctor to get an implant, but that hadn't been necessary. After an preparatory exam for the procedure, Kunnia was informed she could never have children. That was the main reason she put up with Roth for so long, she never had to worry about having children he'd neglect.
She laughed out loud bitterly at the irony of her only pregnancy being by the one man she never felt was fit to be a father. At least she found it highly unlikely he'd ever find out. When Lori had come for a visit, she had told Kunnia that no one in Icicle had seen him since that day. Kunnia got herself out of bed and dressed for work. She'd have to start doing double shifts at the café for the tips, and moonlight preparing/stuffing information packets for potential immigrants, to earn a nest egg to live off of, for when she was unable to work.
***
Reno and Elena were finishing up their investigations in Nibelheim when Elena got a phone call.
"Yes, sir?" Elena asked. "Alright, I understand. For how long? It will be done, sir. That is good to hear, sir." Elena hung up and turned to Reno. "We're to head to Gongaga now. Well, I am. You're to head back to Junon. The President wants to go on a cruise for a few months, and you're on guard duty."
"Yes ma'am." Reno said and headed for the helicopter.
Elena hurried after him and put her arm on his to stop him. "Reno, if talking would help…"
Reno paused for a moment, then kept walking. "There's nothing to talk about, I'm just a man without honor."
Elena sighed. She hoped he'd snap out of it soon. She had always found his attitude to be a trial, but she missed the old Reno now.
Reno landed the helicopter near Gongaga village for Elena, who started to get out, then started to come into the pilot's area instead.
"What are you doing, Elena? This is your stop." Reno said.
"I'm out of ideas on how to get the old Reno back, so I'm giving it one last shot." Elena announced, then grabbed Reno's face and kissed him, releasing him almost immediately. "Oh God, do you ever use mouthwash?" Elena scurried out of the helicopter, making gagging sounds.
When Reno flew over the Junon docks before landing, he saw Tseng and Rufus there waiting for him. He wondered what Tseng would think about Elena kissing him, even if nothing was meant by it. Aerith was long gone, so it's not like Tseng is going to moon over some dead chick when Elena is fawning all over him.
Landing the helicopter, he handed the checklist to one of the maintenance techs and headed over to the docks. When he reached Rufus' yacht, Rufus made a gesture dismissing Tseng, who promptly went off on some other errand.
"Permission to come aboard, sir." Reno remembered to say.
"Permission granted. Welcome aboard, Reno. We've been waiting for you, now the crew can get this journey under way. Join me for a drink?" Rufus asked, leading the way to the dining room, which included an elegant wet bar.
"What would you like to drink, Reno?" Rufus gestured for Reno to sit down at the table.
"Anything but scotch." Reno grimaced at the memory.
"Some brandy then." Rufus said, pouring two glasses and bringing them over to the table before sitting down opposite Reno. "I must confess, I had an ulterior motive for asking you to be my guard on this cruise."
"To fire me and dump my body in the ocean?" Reno asked as he sipped his brandy.
Rufus laughed. "Hardly. I'm the boss, I hire people to do that for me. It's so you and I can talk without any interference."
"Talk?"
"You haven't been the same since your mission to the Crater two months ago. Was it guilt about your last mission there, when you were unable to rescue two of your colleagues who were brutally tortured as a result?"
"No, but thanks for the reminder." Reno knocked back the last of his brandy, and Rufus gestured for him to refill his glass.
"Then what is it you're missing in your life that you had before the second mission to the Crater?" Rufus probed.
"Honor. My honor left me and won't come back." Reno was on his third glass now. "I want to go find it."
"Honor is not something tangible like this table or these glasses, Reno. Finding it is not like a treasure hunt. It's internal, not external."
"Mine was real. It was warm." Reno drunkenly insisted.
"Well, after this trip, if you still think that, I'll give you a month off to go look for it. Right now I think you could use some sleep. And your bathroom is fully stocked, feel free to use it in the morning. Third door on your left." Rufus gestured down towards the correct hallway.
Kunnia walked to the doctor's office for her monthly prenatal exam, with a slight waddle. At four months now, she was beginning to have the weight gain happen more rapidly. She was excited for today's appointment, since she was going to have the first ultrasound and be able to see her baby. Kunnia was generally happy about the pregnancy now, as long as she kept trying to convince herself there was no father.
Once in the examining room, Kunnia could barely contain her impatience to see her child as she was told to lie down. The equipment was wheeled in, and the gel put on her slightly rounded stomach. Kunnia kept her eyes on the monitor as transducer was put on her stomach and the picture started to appear.
"Oh my word!" Dr. Turin exclaimed.
"What? What is it?" Kunnia felt a stab of fear. She just saw blobs on the screen, not sure what it was supposed to look like.
"Oh, nothing to worry about my dear, you're just having triplets." Dr. Turin informed her.
"T…triplets?" Kunnia felt faint. Caring for one child she had prepared herself for, but three? "That bastard!"
"Excuse me?" Dr. Turin said.
"Oh, never mind, Dr. Turin. Where do you see three? I'm not sure what's on the screen."
"Here is one of the heads, there's the second one, and here's the third one." Dr. Turin pointed them out on the screen.
"Are they healthy?"
"They seem to be developing properly, but it's hard to tell at this stage, especially when there are multiple fetuses. The bloodwork will tell us more. And you're lucky, my dear, that I heard a renowned specialist in multiple births is coming to vacation in the area for an indeterminate amount of time. I'm sure he wouldn't mind just popping in on your next visit."
"What's his name?"
"It's Dr….ah…Molly, what is that specialist's name again?" Dr. Turin asked his nurse. "Oh yes, a Dr. Tseng."
Chapter 9 Showtime
Kunnia woke up suddenly, aware of a sharp pain in her stomach. She put her hand on it, telling her babies to calm down. She was glad to be halfway through her seventh month now, so she wouldn't have to do this for too much longer. She had just gotten her monthly checkup in the afternoon, and as Dr. Turin suspected, Dr. Tseng was more than happy to consult. He had given her some pills to help her cope with the strain of the final trimester, and had asked if she had chosen names yet.
Kunnia had been giving a lot of thought to names. She had refused to know the gender before delivery, wanting to be surprised. For girls, the first name that popped into her head was Orchid, but that sounded ridiculous to Kunnia, so she decided on Lily instead. Then she decided to stick with plant names, so the other two girls would be Rose and Ivy. For boys, she refused to name one after their father, so she decided on Ian, Christopher, and Ethan.
"Those are fine names." Dr. Tseng had told her. "Now, I'll be leaving in the morning, so you're back in Dr. Turin's capable hands. Remember to take two of those vitamins every night before you go to sleep."
Kunnia had followed instructions, and taken the first two before managing to maneuver herself into bed. She was really getting tired of feeling like an oversized blimp. Now as she lay in bed, with the stomach pain increasing, she was starting to panic. She couldn't get out of bed with the pain to reach the phone, so she started yelling for help. Eventually she heard a response. She yelled more, and when the other voice got closer, she recognized it. It was Dr. Tseng!
"Dr. Tseng! Something's wrong with the babies!"
"Don't panic, Kunnia. I'm coming in." Dr. Tseng replied.
Kunnia heard him fight with the door until it suddenly flung open, with bits of wood flying as well. Dr. Tseng ran over to her side.
"Lucky I happened to be out for my last midnight stroll when I heard your cries. What happened?"
"I don't know, I took the pills you gave me, then I went to bed. Then I woke up to stomach pains and they're not going away."
"Well let's check you out." Dr. Tseng felt her stomach. "Okay, it seems your little ones are ready to make their stage debut."
"It's too early!" Kunnia started to panic again.
"Oh, don't you worry, your babies are developed enough, they'll be just fine. But I think we'll need to do a C-section, and I'm not sure we'll make it to the hospital in time. I need you stay here and be calm while I go grab my bag, I should only be gone around three minutes. Do not try and move." Dr. Tseng warned her before he ran out the door.
Kunnia closed her eyes and just concentrated on her breathing. Before she knew it, Dr. Tseng was running back to her side.
"Alright Kunnia, I'm going to have to put you to sleep. Don't worry, this won't harm the babies. When you wake up, you'll be in the hospital." Dr. Tseng informed her as he injected a syringe into her arm.
The last thing Kunnia remembered from that night was Dr. Tseng pulling scalpels out of his bag.
The sun shining on her face woke Kunnia up. She felt a strange combination of emptiness and pain in her stomach. Then she remembered the events of the previous night and tried to shoot up in bed, but that hurt her stomach terribly and she was forced to lay back down. A nurse walked in, and saw her clutching her stomach.
"Oh, you didn't try to sit up, did you? You won't be able for a while yet." The nurse said as she checked Kunnia's stomach, and dabbed some antiseptic cream where the stitches had just been aggravated by Kunnia trying to sit up.
"Where are my babies?" Kunnia wanted to know.
The nurse wouldn't look her in the eye. "Dr. Turin will be in shortly to give you the news." She hurriedly left the room.
Kunnia stared after her, a deathly chill coming over her. She put her hand on her sore and now flat stomach. She stayed in that position until she saw Dr. Turin walk in. He looked rather haggard.
"Dr. Turin! How are my babies?" Kunnia asked impatiently.
Dr. Turin hung his head down. "I'm so sorry, Kunnia, when Dr. Tseng brought you in, he told me what happened, and that when he was bringing you and the babies to the hospital, they suddenly…they just…"
"Where are my babies?" Kunnia's voice went shrill. "Where are my babies?
"They've already been buried, Kunnia." Dr. Turin finally managed to tell her.
"I want to see my babies! Give me my babies!" Kunnia became hysterical, trying to get out of the bed.
Dr. Turin signaled for a nurse to bring a sedative, and he had the nurse hold her down while he injected it into Kunnia.
"Where are my babies? Give me my babies!" The repeated screams finally stopped.
Epilogue, Part Two
As soon as Kunnia passed out, one of Shinra's doctors for hire came in with neo-natal equipment and performed the C-section while Tseng assisted. The two girls and the boy looked very well formed. When the doctor gave him a girl to put into the first incubator, Tseng smiled down at her. "Aerith lives on."
"What was that?" the doctor asked.
"Nothing." Tseng put her in the incubator and wrote "Lily" on the I.D. card. When given the next girl, who had red hair just like her father, he wrote "Ivy" on it. For the boy, he wrote "Ian". Then he loaded the incubators into the waiting helicopter while the doctor sewed Kunnia up.
After the doctor was done, Tseng sent him off in the helicopter with the babies, while he carried Kunnia to the hospital.
Chapter 10 Lost and Found
The yacht sailed smoothly back into Junon Harbor and Reno was anxious to leave. Rufus had kept reassuring him that he would get a month's paid vacation to search for his honor. The voyage would have been nice, but it gave him too much time to think. He wasn't sure why Rufus wanted to be ocean-bound for so long, but at least the bar was always fully stocked. Rufus did try to talk him more on occasion, but the main advice Reno paid attention to was to bathe regularly. Tseng was waiting for them, and once the docking was complete, Rufus turned to Reno.
"I'm a man of my word, the helicopter has a full tank and is waiting for you. Just remember what I said about honor. I expect to see you back in one month." Rufus told him.
"Yes, sir." Reno said, fixating his gaze on the helicopter.
They walked down the gangplank together, with Rufus stopping in front of Tseng. Reno gave Tseng a half-salute and then ran to the helicopter. Once Reno was out of earshot, Rufus nodded at Tseng.
"The babies are progressing well. They'll be out of the incubators next week." Tseng updated him as they walked back to the new Shinra headquarters.
The nurse came in to give Kunnia her breakfast. It had been a month since that awful day when she lost her babies, and when Dr. Turin took her to their grave, she had collapsed and been in a semi-catatonic state ever since, which she seemed to be slowly recovering from.
"It's pancakes and eggs with apple juice this morning, Kunnia." The nurse cheerfully announced as she put the tray down.
Kunnia moved her head to look at the food, and just stared at it until the nurse said her name again, and Kunnia obediently opened her mouth so the nurse could feed her.
"In a little while, the physical therapist will stop in to make sure your muscles don't atrophy, okay? I'll see you again at lunch." The nurse told her after breakfast was done.
Kunnia just stared blankly at her as the nurse wiped her mouth.
Reno landed in Icicle and went straight for the pub Kunnia worked at. When he approached the bar, Lori was facing away from him, tending another customer. When she turned to ask him for his order, an angry look came over her face.
"Get out before I throw you out." Lori said in a low voice through clenched teeth.
"Where's Kunnia?" Reno asked.
"She's not here anymore, and even if I knew where she was I wouldn't tell you. She left to get away from you." Lori signaled to one of the employees.
"Where's Kunnia?" Reno repeated, this time in a louder voice as he started being led to the door. When he was pushed out, he turned around and started pounding on the door. "Where's Kunnia?"
The door opened slightly as a man popped his head out. "Dude, get a hobby." he said before closing the door again.
Reno just stood there for a moment staring at the closed door. Kunnia moved away? But Icicle was her home…where else would she go? Reno went to Kunnia's apartment building to ask the landlady if she knew Kunnia's whereabouts, but the old lady just went on about unseemly behavior, so Reno headed back to the helicopter. He had a whole month, he could search the whole planet til he found her.
Chapter 11 Endgame
Kunnia stood at the window, looking out at the orchids. They were pretty, but for some reason they made her unhappy. The medical staff here had told her she had been there for two months, but she didn't quite understand why. She had a scar on her stomach, but whatever caused it was healed, though seeing it made her unhappy as well.
The door opened and Dr. Bandi walked in. "How are you today, Kunnia?" she asked.
"I don't like orchids." Kunnia responded.
"Do you know why you don't like them?"
"They make me unhappy."
"Well, that's a good reason." Dr. Bandi smiled. "Do you remember what we talked about yesterday?"
Kunnia concentrated for a few moments. "About why I can't go home yet."
"Yes, do you remember what the reasons were?"
"I…I hurt someone." Kunnia frowned.
"No, people were worried you might hurt yourself."
"I think I hurt someone, that's how I got this scar." Kunnia put her hand on her stomach and her eyes watered up. "That's why it still hurts."
"Well, if you think hurt someone, you need to apologize to them. Do you know who you hurt?" Dr. Bandi gently probed.
"No. But it's my fault."
"Well, when you remember, you can apologize to them, can't you?"
"What if they won't talk to me?"
"We won't know that until you remember who it is, so you don't need to worry about it."
Reno sat in the pilot's seat once more, doing an aerial search for signs of Deepground troops. He wasn't able to spend the whole month searching for Kunnia, because of the reemergence of another one of Shinra's dirty little secrets. He kept hoping he'd find her in one of these many scouting missions to help take out Deepground.
Tseng was in another helicopter when his phone rang. "Yes?"
"We need the Turks' assistance." Reeve informed him. "They're sending a contingent to Mideel because of its proximity to the lifestream, and the WRO troops are spread too thin as it is."
"We're on it." Tseng replied and hung up. He grabbed the radio. "Calling all Turks, we are heading to Mideel. This is a priority mission, your previous assignments are voided. Repeat, head to Mideel now!"
Reno radioed back. "I'm looking for Deepground already, Boss."
"Dammit Reno, if you value your honor, get to Mideel now!" Tseng repeated his order.
Reno stared at the radio. "If I value my honor?" Comprehension finally came and he turned around, heading as fast as he could to Mideel.
When the Turks arrived, they started to load the elderly and young children onto the helicopters, taking them to the battleships just offshore. Once that was done, they separated, to round up the rest of the villagers and take them to the hospital, since it was the strongest building there. Everyone was almost to the hospital when Deepground ambushed them. One unit engaged the Turks, while another went to the hospital.
Kunnia was looking at the window again, watching all the activity. The staff had placed the hospital on lockdown, but it didn't matter much to her, she didn't leave her room unless she had to anyway. She didn't like when the fighting turned bloody, and was about to close her curtains when she a familiar dark suit caught her eye. She counted four of them and memories started to resurface. Panic started to choke her.
"Reno, you and Elena start securing the hospital. We'll follow when we're done here." Tseng was breathing heavy but managed to get the words out. Some of the villagers were trying to help fight off the intruders, but they were inexperienced and way out of their depth, hindering more than they helped.
Reno and Elena nodded simultaneously and ran up the path.
Kunnia saw them coming and started pounding on the window. "You killed my babies!" she yelled repeatedly, so loud she didn't hear the door being opened forcefully.
As Reno and Elena approached the hospital, they heard the pounding. Reno recognized her instantly, Elena a split second later. But they couldn't hear what she was yelling, then she disappeared from view.
"Kunnia!" Reno started to run for the entrance of the hospital, pausing for a moment to look back at Elena.
"Go on, I'll be fine." Elena reassured him.
Reno nodded and ran full speed towards the hallway where Kunnia's room should be. The door was forced open, and he saw a Deepground fighter leaving the room. He spotted Reno and started to raise his firearm, but Reno kept running and threw himself at him. Once on the ground, Reno started hitting him in the head and didn't stop until his nightstick was covered in blood.
Picking himself up, he went to Kunnia's room and stopped momentarily in the doorway staring at the scene before him. He went to where she was crumpled on the floor and held her in his arms, until he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder. "Come on, partner, we've got work to do."
Reno looked up at him. "She's…she's cold, Rude."
Epilogue, Part Three
"Report, Dr. Andari." Rufus ordered.
"When Dr. Gast injected the infant Kunnia with some of Aerith's blood only days before Hojo found him in Icicle, he did indeed ensure the Ancients' bloodline would continue. She was only a carrier though, possessing nothing of them on the cellular level. The triplets, drawing on their mother's body for nourishment, received some of Aerith's blood on the cellular level. They only have a minute trace of the Ancients' genetic markers, but they are there. Their father, having a high concentration of recessive traits, did not pass on anything that would inhibit development of the Ancients' traits." Dr. Andari stated.
Rufus glanced over to Tseng.
"Thank you for your report, Dr. Andari." Tseng said, dismissing the man.
Once he was gone, Rufus swiveled his chair to face Tseng. "Well, Tseng, do you have any suggestions on who can be trusted to raise the children, who never knew Reno or Aerith?"
"I was thinking of Zack Fair's parents, sir." Tseng answered.
"Are they still alive?" Rufus was surprised.
"Yes, sir. They were fortunate enough to have been on vacation when the reactor exploded." Tseng replied.
"Hmmm…are they in good enough health to raise three children?" Rufus asked him.
"From what I understand, they're in very good health, but still not quite over the loss of their son."
"Well, then I think that giving them the triplets might go a long way to expiate our debt towards them. After all, if Zack and Aerith had lived, they would be grandparents by now. See that it is done once Deepground is obliterated."