Time passes... Chapter warnings, a lot of swearing, violence in the Reno parts.

Reno Nine, Rufus Five

"I'm afraid that his behaviour is just not acceptable, no matter what the provocation." The teacher was a young woman – about Marnie's own age, and she looked tired and fraught. Marnie only had a few minutes before she needed to set off for her evening shift, and she was trying to get a look at her watch without letting the teacher see what she was doing. She smiled weakly at the teacher and could think of nothing to say apart from apologising again. "At home, he's a good boy," she tried to explain. "He does what he's told, mostly. What's he been doing this time?" The teacher sighed. "It's mainly the language, I'm afraid. That and the anger. To be fair, he doesn't tend to pick fights, but as soon as anyone says or does anything he doesn't like, he lashes out. Some other parents have complained." Marnie dropped her hands into her lap and lowered her eyes. "The trouble is – I work two jobs. I can't be home much. I guess – he watches too much TV, and plays out on the street too much."

"He has to learn what is and what isn't acceptable behaviour. Some of the language he comes out with – for a nine-year old…" She shook her head. Marnie asked, "What kind of language? How bad is it?"

"It's bad. For example, he got into a fight with one of the older boys yesterday, and when the head tried to break it up he flew into a temper because he said she'd blamed him when the other boy started it. That may well have been the truth – but he put himself in the wrong by arguing, and by using abusive language to her. I've written a report for you. I'd like you to read it, and have a think about how we can work on this together. I have to say that if his behaviour continues to worsen we will have to think about asking you to find a different school for him." Marnie's pale face drained of all colour. "Please don't do that," she said. "There aren't any other schools – not that we can afford."

"That's why it's so important that we resolve this," the teacher said. Her tone was sympathetic, but there was steel behind it. "The Shin-Ra Foundation gives out these places on merit. There are plenty of other children just waiting to make the most of a chance like this."

"I know." Marnie scanned the piece of paper the teacher had given her, hoping that things weren't as bad as they sounded. She reached the sentence, "After being reprimanded for his attitude, he replied, 'Why should I listen to you? You're not listening to me, you f***ing b****'." Marnie gasped. She asked hopelessly, "He said that?"

"I'm afraid so. I think you need to monitor the kinds of media he's being exposed to, and the kinds of children he's mixing with on the streets. You can see why we're concerned."

"Yes. I…I'm sorry. I'll talk to him."

"If you would. In spite of his attitude, Reno's a very bright boy. He seems to learn without even trying a lot of the time. It would be a shame to waste that potential."

"Yes. Yes – I will talk to him. I'm sorry. I do have to go to work now, but I'll talk to him tomorrow as soon as he wakes up."

"Thank you. We would appreciate it. We all do want the best for Reno, you know."

Marnie made it out of the door with her head up, but she couldn't stop the tears as she walked the ten blocks to work. Reno hadn't picked up language like that from TV, or from his friends in the neighbourhood. That was what he heard his father calling her, almost every day of his life except when Joe was away. She knew that she was going to have to say something to Joe about it. She knew that he wasn't going to like it.

Lucia glided into her son's bedroom trailing a long fur stole and a cloud of expensive perfume. She stood in the centre of the huge room unable to help the impression she always gave of being on a stage under a spotlight. The nanny gazed at her in admiration. Lucia's cream silk evening gown was simple but beautifully cut. The diamonds around her neck glittered brilliantly. "Rufus, darling, we're ready for you," she called softly. The way she turned slightly sideways, tilted her head and bent gracefully to kiss her five-year-old son all had the air of being very slightly staged: even the way she spoke to him sounded like lines from one of her films. The little blond boy had been immaculately dressed in made-to-measure white tie. His hair was neatly cut and his pale blue eyes shone in his solemn little face as he gazed up at the exotic creature that was his mother. He held the custom-made, quarter-size violin carefully in one hand, and his mother's cool hand in the other, as she led him down the curving staircase to the ballroom where her guests were assembled. "Will father be there?" Rufus asked quietly. "Of course, darling. He adores hearing you play. If he weren't such a busy and important man he would hear you every day." Rufus nodded calmly, but he felt a rare excitement. His father! Lucia ushered him into the ballroom, and the room fell silent. Rufus saw his father standing at the far end of the room, with a group of men in dark suits. He gave a timid smile, and thought his father smiled back. Lucia led him to the raised platform where the musicians sat. Rufus spoke to the accompanist at the piano with calm authority, and the man couldn't help but be impressed by the adult manner with which the little boy checked the tuning of his violin. When he was ready Rufus turned to face his audience, as he'd been taught. Someone coughed, and the corner of the boy's mouth twitched in annoyance. Lucia waited for absolute silence, then spoke, her famous voice carrying across the crowded room perfectly, sounding unforced and yet projecting clearly. "Our son, Rufus, would like to play you a little piece he's been practising." There was a ripple of applause, then silence as Rufus raised the violin. The pianist began the accompaniment, and some eyebrows in the audience were raised as people recognised the piece, and doubted whether a five year old could possibly give a creditable performance of something so difficult. They needn't have worried. Rufus had been learning this piece for months now, and he loved it. He didn't know what it was about music that made him feel this freedom, this peace, but something in the soaring notes touched his soul. At five, he had no words to express his joy in playing except 'love'. He closed his eyes as he played, feeling the notes vibrating from the strings, the bow, his fingers, and out into the air. When he had finished there was a moment of perfect stillness, and then astonished, genuine applause filled the room. Rufus gave a little bow, and when he looked up, he saw his father watching at him, smiling. President Shin-Ra nodded approval to his son from the other side of the room. Lucia kissed him, and led him back up to his nanny, to get changed and go to bed. "You did brilliantly, darling," she told him, dropping a soft kiss on the top of his head in a haze of perfume.

"Daddy liked it, didn't he?" Rufus said.

"Daddy loved it!" his mother told him. "Now, I have to go back to the important guests, and you need to get some sleep. Be good for Mizuki."

Usually Rufus chatted away to Mizuki at the end of the day, telling her about his music lessons- violin, piano and singing – his riding lessons, or martial arts training, or reading. Today he was quiet, and unusually content. Mizuki tucked him into bed with the soft plush fox toy he always needed to get to sleep. When she had left his bedside and switched off the light, and said goodnight to the guard outside the door, Rufus snuggled down under the covers hugging Foxy extra tight out of pure happiness. For many years this day would remain in his memory as the best of his life.

Reno woke with a curse and a flash of pain, as his father cuffed him on the side of the head. "Get up, you lazy little shit. I wanna watch TV." Knowing better than to argue, Reno pulled the duvet off the sofa and threw it into the corner before going to the fridge and drinking orange juice out of the carton. He looked around hopefully, but there didn't seem to be anything else for breakfast. "Where's Mom?"

"Still in bed." Joe raised his voice. "She'd better get up soon, or she'll lose her fucking JOB!" There was no response from the bedroom. Reno wandered into the bathroom and found his school shirt and trousers from the previous day still lying where he'd thrown them. He didn't know what had happened to his tie – he hadn't seen it for days. He ran his fingers through his red hair, and ran the tap so mom would think he'd washed. He found clean underwear, but no socks. As he emerged from the bathroom, doing up the four buttons that remained on his shirt, his father called, "Throw me that lighter, Reno." Reno hesitated. "At school they said smoking causes cancer," he said. "Maybe you shouldn't –"

"At school? Who gives a fuck what they tell you at school? You don't for starters. Your mother told me last night that you called that stuck up cow of a head a 'fucking bitch'." Reno flushed. "Yeah," he mumbled, "Just, sorta, came out. Shouldn't a –"

"No – you're right – she is one." Reno sighed inwardly as he realised that Joe was still drunk from last night. Joe's narrow green eyes glinted dangerously as he continued, "You know, your mom seems to think they're gonna throw you out if you keep cursing." He stabbed a finger in the direction of the bedroom. "That fucking bitch seems to think that your fucking foul mouth is my fucking fault!" Reno looked towards the bedroom. "Oh shit," he said. "What did you do?"

Joe shrugged. "Nothing she didn't ask for." Reno shot a look of pure hate at the back of his father's head, and went into the bedroom, his heart beating hard. The curtains were drawn, and the room was very dark. He stumbled over something on the floor – his mother's shoes, he thought – and knelt by the bed. "Mom?"

"Reno." Her voice was a whisper. "I'm okay. I'm just not feeling too good. Can you phone the factory? Tell them I'm sick." Reno had never known his mom take a day off sick. He said, "Mom, I'm gonna open the curtains. Just a bit."

"No! No, Reno, don't. I've got such a bad headache." Reno took no notice. He pulled one curtain open a little way, and turned back to the bed, his breath catching when he saw the blood and bruising on his mother's face. "Oh – Mom! You – you need a doctor. I'll get a doctor…"

"No. Reno, it's not as bad as it looks. I'll be fine. What I want you to do is go to school. You have to keep going to school, and you have to behave there, and you have to stop swearing, because it's the only chance you have to make something better of your life than this!" Reno felt tears start in his eyes, but he blinked them away, because only fucking pansies cried – his dad had told him that from the age of two. He said, "This is all my fault. Because of what I said to Mrs. Troy."

"Not your fault, Reno. But I – I can't stand to think of you talking to a woman that way. I – I know he's your dad, but I can't stand the thought of you growing up like him, and calling women fucking bitches, and hitting out like him." Marnie began to cry softly. Reno had never seen her cry. "Mom, don't. Don't, please. I won't be like him, I promise. I'll go to school – I'll be good. I swear I won't say another bad word in school. Please be all right."

"I'll be fine. He's done worse than this – one time when you were two…Reno, please, phone work for me, and get to school."

"Not today. I'm not leaving you today."

"All right. Thanks, Renes. You go back tomorrow though, yeah?" She smiled, painfully. Reno glanced fearfully at the door. "What if he's..?" Marnie shook her head. "He's all bravado. If I know him, he'll have slunk off while you were in here. We won't see him for a while." Reno put his head cautiously round the door, but his mom was right. Joe had cleared out again. Reno squeezed his eyes shut tight and wished with everything he had, "Please don't let him come back. Please – don't let me ever see him again."

Thanks for reading.