Disclaimer: No amount of sitting in a darkened room surrounded by candles and singing mantras while praying has helped me own either characters or Final Fantasy 7, so until the day when my prayers are answered, none of them belong to me. The fic belongs to me though and if I catch anyone stealing or copying it without permission I'll beat them senseless with a wet fish and a spiced candle.
Chapter Two
Rufus stood looking over the edge of ShinRa's central Mako reactor, his thoughts a million miles away.
After his father had left his apartment two days ago he'd stayed in his room. He hadn't wanted to face the red haired Turk that was assigned to him. Actually, to be more precise, he hadn't wanted to face anyone. He'd sat on his bed the entire time, his eyes unfocused and staring into space and his thoughts in as much, if not more, chaos then they had been when the events of the ball had happened. He'd ignored the occasional tapings on his door by Reno, even when the man had tried to get him to come out to eat.
All the time he'd been in his room, the same thoughts had echoed through his head, father had mother killed. Why? What did she do? Will he do the same to me?
He didn't know the answers to the first two questions, but he knew the answer to the third. Yes. If I don't do a good job, he will do the same to me.
Before he'd realised the time had gone by, he was being collected for the funeral. He'd dressed carefully for it, made sure everything about the pure white suit he wore was perfect; then he'd been brought to the Midgar central reactor.
The dead weren't buried in Midgar. They were cast into the reactors; their bodies thrown in to become a part of the cities energy supply.
Rufus had stood through the entire ceremony with a look of bored arrogance on his face, trying to look as if he couldn't wait for it to be over, when all he really wanted to do was leap forward and throw his father into the reactor after the coffin of his beloved mother.
He'd suffered through the false condolences of his father's suck-ups. Then waited until everyone bar he and his shadow, as he'd begun to think of Reno, had left.
Once he was alone he had walked to the edge of the reactor to stare down into it, marvelling at its beauty. There was hardly any beauty in Midgar. He'd been told once that when the city was young, many years before he was born, the city had been beautiful. Now it was nothing but a decayed beast, left dead and alone by the roadside.
Rufus shook his head and blinked, then lidded his eyes a little against the glare of the Mako light. All he really had to do was jump. It would only take a few seconds then he'd see if the old legends were true, if he could really become one with the life stream. He held onto that legend now; it was the only thing he could believe had happened to his mother.
Behind him Reno had come closer to where he stood; Rufus could see the man out of the corner of his eye. He knows, he realised slightly bemused, knows I'd love nothing more then to throw myself in.
As Rufus watched out of the corner of his eye Reno positioned himself within easy grabbing distance, ready for nearly anything the youth might do.
I wonder how he knows…
"She was the only one who cared while I was growing up." He surprised himself by murmuring softly, his eyes pinning themselves back to where he'd seen the pristine white coffin last. He wondered for a moment if the Turk was going to reply, or if he was even waiting for one.
He decided, after a moment of silence, that the redhead wasn't going to speak. Good.
He stood for a few more minutes looking into the aqua depths of the reactor then turned and walked back down the ramp into the ShinRa building; it was about time he saw his new office.
-=-=-=-
Reno followed along behind Rufus; mimicking the shadow the boy had begun to think of him as. He watched the boy closely; he'd been worried when he'd seen the way the boy had been leaning out over the reactor. He'd be in for it if the kid had jumped; and I don't want him to do anything stupid.
Idly he traced a faint scar on his right arm that travelled up his wrist and disappeared under his sleeve. I know where that can lead. It's not pretty.
The boy and his shadow made their way through the ShinRa building till they reached the main tower then quietly stepped into the elevator. Rufus swiped his key-card through the scanner and immediately the car started moving, taking them upwards to the 69th floor.
Both men remained silent; Reno doubted anything he had to say would be appreciated so he'd better keep his mouth shut. It was as much of a surprise to him, as to the young Shinra, when he heard himself saying, "I've only ever been up this high once."
After a tensing of his shoulders, as a first reaction to the noise, Rufus remained silent, ignoring the red-haired Turk standing behind him.
Reno scowled at himself. Idiot, you keep on like this and you'll be a very unemployed Turk.
"I had to visit with President Shinra when I became a Turk. Nearly made my head pop, the air pressure and all."
Rufus slowly turned his head and peered at the Turk through a veil of unruly blonde locks, "Speak when you're spoken too, Turk. I have no time to exchange idle banter with the likes of… you."
oO, Stung. "Yes sir." He smoothed his expression and folded his hands in front of him. See, now that was smart. And for my next trick I'm going to jump off the side of the building and see if the air bubble between my ears will let me float gently to the ground.
The elevator car silently came to a halt and the doors slid open, saving Reno from anything else he or the VP may have been going to say. Lucky save.
The two men stepped out of the elevator and were immediately greeted by a woman in a hideous green dress suit, "Vice President Shinra! It's so marvellous to see you here! Please follow me to your office. Diane is waiting. She was your mothers secretary and she's been so hyped up to meet you." The woman gushed, all the while eyeing both Rufus and his bodyguard. The woman obviously decided that Reno was the easier target and began to cast suggestive glances in his direction.
Reno resisted the impulse to roll his eyes and kept his expression blank. This was just great; now I'm going to spend my time ducking around a horny secretary.
The woman finally, after a short walk with her chattering the entire way, reached her target and opened the door to Rufus' new office, showing them in. Reno found one eyebrow rising as he saw the woman that was apparently Diane sitting in the VP's chair and working on a pile of documents.
"Sir, this is Diane. Your secretary." The woman in the green suit continued to gush; Reno found an irrational urge to strangle her beginning to rise within him.
"Why is she in my chair." The boy's words were more of a statement then a question. Reno felt for his gun, an automatic reaction when he was anticipating trouble.
"Well… ah…" the woman faltered but was relieved by Diane herself.
"Vice President Shinra. I apologise; this was a normal arrangement between your mother and I; to make sure work was completed." The woman tidied the documents on the desk then stepped out from behind it and nodded politely to the young man.
Rufus stayed absolutely still and Reno felt his nerves getting so knotted that he was sure he could hear them twang.
"I'm not my mother; make sure this doesn't happen again. I saw that you have a desk outside my office, see to it that it's the one you use." The boy said finally and Reno felt himself relax.
"Of course Mr. Shinra. Is there anything else you wanted?"
Rufus thought for a moment, his head tilted slightly to one side, then he shook it slightly, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture.
Both the women nodded slightly then sidled their ways out of the office and shut the door behind them. As soon as they where gone Rufus walked slowly over to the desk and ran his hand over the leather of the chair, a far off look in his eyes.
Reno looked around the room then selected a spot off to one side, slightly near the door, and went over to settle himself in it. Then his lazy seeming eyes pinned to Rufus and he watched.
-=-=-=-
Rufus stared out the tall windows of his new office, his hand tracing invisible patterns on the cool, dark brown, leather of his mother's old chair. So much of this room is her...
Out of the corner of his eye he watched Reno as he walked languidly over to an out-of-the-way spot and settled, leaning comfortably against the wall. He moves so fluidly, with so much grace and power, the thought flitted through his mind, like a panther… but he looks like a trash heap. A small smile tugged at the corners of Rufus' mouth then he shrugged imperceptibly and turned his once again blank gaze back out the window to stare sightlessly at the panoramic view that stretched out before him.
I guess it's time I learnt my new job, the thought didn't cheer him in the least. Frowning slightly he turned and settled himself down in the chair and picked up the first pile of documents from the desk. To the boy's surprise there was a post-it note attached to the front of the first page:
Mr Shinra,
I'm aware that you have, more then likely, not done much in the way of this kind of work before so, as your mother would have wanted me too, I have been, and will continue until told otherwise, writing notes on the front of each document to show what they are for, what you should look out for and what you should do with them.
Diane.
Rufus read through the note again then closed his eyes, his mother always had been a good judge of character… at least where everyone but his father was concerned.
Quickly Rufus screwed up the note and threw it into the trash bin then turned to the first document and it's explanatory note. He had a feeling he'd better learn everything Diane had to teach him, before his father's sycophants, or President Shinra himself, figured out he hadn't a clue what he was doing.
-=-=-=-
Reno stifled a yawn and closed his eyes lazily while contemplating sitting down on the floor; this is almost as boring as a desk job. Opening his eyes again he stared over at the young blonde who was head and shoulders deep in paperwork, a line furrowed across his forehead in concentration. Cute…But no matter how cute, this was boring. Staring down at his watch he grinned, 5 minutes till break time.
Luckily Tseng had realized that Reno couldn't stay awake to watch Rufus 24 hours a day; soon Rude would be there and Reno could go have a well-deserved 2-hour break.
Speak of the devil…There was a tap on the office door then Diane poked her head around the door, "Sir. There is a man here calling himself…er… Rude. He wishes to see you."
Rufus looked up at Diane frowning, "Don't open that door unless I give you permission too." Then he added almost as an after thought. "I don't know anyone called Rude, send him away." The boy went back to his work.
Just as Diane was about to shut the door Reno put his hand out and grabbed the handle, keeping it open. The woman muttered a startled exclamation then frowned as Reno stepped around the door and into her sight, "Rude's here to relieve me. Send him in."
Diane glanced at Rufus then nodded and gestured to the huge man standing outside the office. As Rude came into Reno's sight he raised an eyebrow at the redhead from behind his shades.
With a flick of his wrist Reno said one thing, 'Don't ask.'
The gesture was part of something the Turks had developed amongst themselves back when the organization had first started. A kind of sign language, something even President ShinRa didn't know they had.
'Can't be that bad...' Rude gestured back, his big hands dancing with surprising ease through the small, delicate movements.
'Wanna bet.'
Reno turned back to Rufus who was once again staring at the doorway, his glare cutting through Reno, to the 7 foot Turk behind him, a slight look of trepidation in his eyes.
"I thought I said to send him away?" his voice was low and deadly.
"Yes sir. He is, however, here to relieve me for 2 hours so he has to stay." Reno realised the minute the words were out of his mouth that this was the wrong tack to take with the kid. Damn... Oh well, 'in for a penny, in for a pound', "So if you'll excuse me sir…" He bowed quickly and nearly ran out the door shutting it behind him leaving poor Rude to face the wraith of the arrogant VP.
Now in the apparent safety of the other side of the door, Reno ginned impishly at Diane who was glaring at him, having heard the entire exchange, "He's a good kid you know. His mother always spoke highly of him; you shouldn't treat him like a spoilt brat."
Reno raised an eyebrow and perched himself on the corner of her desk, "I may have only been around him for three days but I can tell you for sure, he is a spoilt brat; and I'll continue to treat him like one until he proves me otherwise. So what were you doing at his desk this morning?"
Diane narrowed her eyes at the Turk for the sudden change of subject, "Nothing important."
Reno felt his curiosity piked, "Nothing important? You risked the fact that it may have been President Shinra himself that brought our young VP to his new office, for 'nothing important'?"
Diane glared at him, "What business is it of yours?"
"I'm his bodyguard; everything to do with him is my business." Reno replied flatly, his eyes narrowing to slits.
Diane recoiled from the look; it was as if he were suddenly a hunting dog searching out his prey, a very dangerous, deadly, hunting dog.
"I was doing as his mother ordered me too. She knew something strange was going on so she ordered me to make sure Rufus knew what he was doing as VP if something happened to her."
"She knew something was up?"
Diane nodded.
"And you were doing what, exactly, to make sure Rufus knew what he was doing?"
"I'm writing notes on the documents. Explaining what they are, what they're for and what he should do with them."
For the first time Reno noticed that all the documents on Diane's desk had post-it notes stuck to the front of them.
He paused for a moment, leaning towards Diane slightly, his eyes nearly shut then suddenly stood up straight, a breezy smile lighting up his handsome face, "Stick the notes in the middle of the documents so they aren't noticeable." Then he disappeared down the hallway, heading for the elevators.
-=-=-=-
Rufus sat blinking at the door the red haired Turk had disappeared out of. It took him a moment to realise the huge bald Turk that was standing just inside the door was trying to get his attention.
"Huh?" Rufus said intelligently.
"Sir. I apologize for Reno, he should have informed you of this."
Rufus stared at him for a moment then his eyes narrowed, "Yes, he should have; is there anything else I should know about?"
"…. Midnight till dawn." Rude stated moving to the same spot Reno had been in earlier and standing at attention.
Rufus blinked at the giant, trying to wrap his brain around the statement, "What?"
"I relieve Reno every night from Midnight till dawn."
"Oh… Why?"
"Sleep."
Rufus suddenly realised that getting information from this huge man was going to be like squeezing water from a rock.
"And why exactly can't he just sleep where he is?"
Rufus suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as the Turk turned to stare at him from behind his shades, saying nothing.
Rufus scowled at the man then ignored him to get back to his paper work. This is insufferable. Now I have two Bodyguards. This won't do; I'll have to see Tseng.
Without a word Rufus rose to his feet and walked around the largish desk and headed for the door, Rude barely three steps behind him.
-=-=-=-
Reno dived around in his pocket, searching for the right amount of change for the damned drinks machine he'd found himself stuck in front of, a soft string of curses flowing from his mouth as he searched; trust him to leave the correct change at home today.
As he searched a white clad arm reached over his shoulder and slotted some gil into the machine. Reno heard the sound of his drink falling through the slot but he ignored it to turn and glare at the person behind him, he'd just fastened his best 'who the hell do you think you are' glare on his face however, when he realised who was standing behind him.
"Professor Hojo!" He stood in shock for a moment, his face completely white, staring at almost every ShinRa employees living nightmare, who stared straight back at him, a look of mild fascination on his face.
"Are you going to take your drink, Turk?" He asked after a moment, pausing before the last word then putting a small amount of emphasis on it.
Reno simply stared at the man in front of him for a moment then gathered his addling wits about him, "Yeah..." He managed to stutter out.
He found himself staring into the cold, mako tinted, eyes before him; his mind conjuring up images he wished it wouldn't. He felt pinned where he stood by those terrifying eyes… Like I'm pinned down naked on an operating table being poked and prodded to see how I work. He suppressed an involuntary shudder and inched backwards from the man before him, pressing his back up against the drinks machine.
"Quickly now; you're holding up the line." Hojo's face was now forming a slight frown, a look Reno knew instantly.
"Ah…right!" The red haired Turk snapped into action; years of experience had taught him better then to go against that look. He dived down and grabbed the drink from the holder then half ran back to where his lunch waited on an empty table at the back of the cafeteria.
Barely tasting the sandwich that he hurriedly ate, or the drink that he may as well have skulled, Reno lost himself in his thoughts; dark memories he'd thought he'd banished long ago filtering into his mind. He didn't know how long he sat staring down at his hands, which rested on the table in front of him, his mind lost in a time he loathed remembering. The crowds of employees that had been swarming the cafeteria when Reno had arrived had long since thinned by the time he was jolted out of his thoughts by a heavy hand on his shoulder.
Startled Reno jumped, turned slightly and grabbed the hand at the wrist, holding it in a grip that could break bones in a second if he willed it; glaring he looked up at the person who had disturbed him. And saw Rude.
"Damnit Rude!" He muttered releasing the hand and turning to glare at the tabletop before him.
"Your late." The big man stated in his normal, near monosyllabic, way.
"What?!" Reno started at his wristwatch swearing then leapt to his feet, "What are you doing here anyway?" he demanded suddenly realising that Rude was missing a certain blonde annoyance, "Where's Rufus?"
Rude looked at Reno expressionlessly, "Tseng."
Reno's eyebrows rose, "What's he doing up there?"
Quickly the two men began to walk out of the cafeteria and headed to the elevators. Reno was used to asking questions to thin air when he was with Rude so he wasn't surprised when the big man simply ignored the question and stepped into the lift with Reno right behind him.
"Give you any trouble?" Reno asked trying to figure out exactly why Rufus would be with Tseng, "Or is he complaining about my being late getting back? Tseng probably wouldn't be pleased about that." He continued, making enough conversation for the both them, as he normally did. "Could be a bonus if the kid wants to get rid of me, I could certainly handle not having to baby-sit the brat anymore."
Out of the corner of his eye Reno noticed Rude raising an amused eyebrow at him. Now Rude didn't often lower himself to mere expression and Reno had learnt, over his many years of working with him, how to read the few expressions the man did make. This one said 'You have it so wrong it's not funny and I can't wait to see your reaction to this, 'cause it's ganna be a riot.' Reno decided to be worried. Very worried.
-=-=-=-
Rufus leaned back in the only comfortable chair in Tseng's office and put his feet up on the desk and watched Tseng, who stood in front of the desk as if he were in Rufus' office and not the other way around, under his mass of blonde fringe.
In one elegant movement he swiped his hair back, out of his eyes, and levelled a cool gaze at the Turk before him.
"…I wasn't the one who decided to have Turks guarding me. If you're having staffing problems then talk to Heidiggar, it's not my concern." Rufus noted Tseng's iron control break slightly, a muscle twitching near his mouth. Rufus continued, "Actually I'm doing you a favour. This way you only have to worry about having one of your people off active duty, as it were, instead of two or three of them having to run around trying to find me." Rufus looked up at Tseng, a slight smile playing around his lips; this was the one aspect of being the vice president of ShinRa that he was going to like.
As Rufus waited for Tseng to think of something to say there was a polite cough and a knock at the door; Rufus looked past Tseng to see the huge Turk, Rude, standing in the doorway.
"Geez you lump! Get out of the way!" came the irritated complaint behind him. Rude didn't move.
With an indifferent look Rufus waved the big man in. Rude walked in and took up a position to one side of the door and Reno, a slightly suspicious look hovering on his face, came in behind him.
"Well?" The redhead demanded the second he was in the door then collapsed into one of the rooms padded chairs; ignoring the fact that the other Turks were on their feet. Rufus mentally frowned.
In front of Rufus, Tseng closed his eyes in an unconscious look of long suffering embarrassment.
Rufus raised an eyebrow at Tseng when the man opened his eyes; Tseng frowned but turned his head slightly in Reno's direction.
"Your orders have been changed. You'll be moving into Vice President ShinRa's apartment with him in order to keep a 24/7 watch on him, starting as of now. To last on an indefinite basis until, or if, further orders are given."
Reno stared at Tseng as if he hadn't heard right, "I'm sorry," his tone had the sound of a man just told something beyond his scope of comprehension, "I thought I just heard you say I had to baby-sit the brat for the rest of my life."
Rufus felt himself blush bright red and he suddenly felt an overwhelming anger start in the pit of his stomach.
Tseng paled noticeably and turned to level an iron glare at his underling.
"Reno." He said simply, the underlying threat in his voice made the redhead pale.
Reno's eyes turned to Rufus, who was now standing and attempting to resist the urge to leap forward and strangle the breath out of the rumpled Turk, then he quietly rose from the chair and stood perfectly at attention, "Yes sir!" He said sharply, turning his gaze back to Tseng, a promise of retribution showing quite clearly in his expression.
Tseng stared at Reno for a moment longer then turned back to Rufus who had finally managed to regain most of his composure.
"Will there be anything further, sir?"
Rufus glared at Tseng then brushed his hair back out of his eyes with the back of his hand, "No. See to it that the Turk and his things are sorted out, until then I'll take the large Turk."
With that Rufus brushed passed the two men and out the door and Rude quickly followed behind, flashing one lone gesture back at Reno.
'You're in for it now.'
-=-=-=-
"Do you know how much trouble you almost got all of us into?!" Tseng demanded the moment his office door was closed.
Reno flopped back down into the chair he'd been in earlier and decided to counter with a question, "What was he doing here?"
Tseng's eyes narrowed as he moved around his desk and sat back in his own chair, "He didn't seem to like the idea of being guarded by the entire Turk ranks."
Reno frowned and glared through scraggly fringe at his superior, "I got that; but what was he doing here?"
Tseng sighed and leant back in his chair, "I have no idea, Rude said he just," Tseng gestured helplessly, "came; apparently his keycard has clearance for this level."
"Tseng, even the President doesn't have clearance for this level."
"I am fully aware of that."
"So how come the brats card does?"
Tseng glared across the table, annoyance written over every line of his face, "I don't know; it eludes me completely in fact. All I can imagine is that perhaps Heidiggar gave it to him, except that I don't even think he knows about this floor."
Reno paused then asked, "Where did he get his keycard?"
Tseng lifted an eyebrow, "Same place as everyone else I'd imagine."
Reno breathed out, knocking his fringe out of his eyes, and looked at Tseng speculatively, "Got all his mothers things didn't he?"
Tseng's eyes narrowed, "A possibility. But if it was hers… how did she get access to this floor?"
Reno shrugged, "I think a little more active investigating of this woman is required." He suddenly frowned sourly, "Which I now won't be able to help with; what on earth possessed you?"
Tseng pulled his mind back from speculating about the late VP and pinned his gaze to Reno, "It was either that or no bodyguard at all. I haven't been able to track down much of anything in the way of solid information yet and I need him still guarded. And I really didn't want to risk him going straight to his father."
"I don't see why we're bothering; he's a spoilt little brat. In a few years he'll be no better then his father." Reno snorted dismissively.
Tseng's eyes instantly became pools of icy blankness, "Because if anything happens to him this close to his mothers death it's us who will get the blame." Slowly he leaned forward, the look on his face making Reno wish he could fall through his chair and hide behind it, "I won't let my department be held responsible for anymore of the presidents bungled dealings."
Reno decided it was a bad time to point out that it was really Heidiggar's department and closed his teeth firmly on his tongue, "So I'm stuck with him?"
Tseng nodded shortly, "Take it as punishment for embarrassing, not just me, but our entire department today."
Reno rolled his eyes and groaned, "Oh come on, it was just the brat; we don't have to snivel around him, he hasn't got the guts to do anything to us if we don't."
"I would prefer not to have to take the chance, Reno. And for your sake you should make sure you don't annoy him to badly; if you're not in this department…" Tseng left the sentence unfinished but Reno blanched anyway; clearly understanding what Tseng was getting at.
"Don't worry," Reno's tone was uncharacteristically serious, "I'd far sooner be killed then 'fired'." He paused then grinned wolfishly, "Besides, I could do worse then having to spend my time around his lordship. He's very nice on the eyes and three steps behind him is perfect to…"
"Reno!"
Reno laughed and pushed himself out of his chair, "Stop being such a prude."
Tseng ignored the comment, "Hands off, Reno. I won't warn you twice."
Reno winked and stuffed a hand in his pocket, "Don't worry, I'm not that insane. At least not yet."
Tseng scowled at Reno's back as the younger Turk disappeared out the door then slumped back in his chair. He somehow got the impression his life was going to get a whole lot harder.
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Vanyel. Please R&R!!
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