Disclaimer: FF7 can never be owned by anyone besides Squaresoft, but the characters I created are mine, bitches.

-It's been a guns-blazing trip so far, let's see what's goin' on now that the team is off to Junon. Cloud and Tifa. Let's pay them a visit...

CH. 4 Relaxation Celebration

The team decided to stay put on the Highwind for a day before going to Junon, and they docked outside Kalm near the ocean between Bone Village and Midgar.

Cloud looked at Tifa who was currently tending to his wounds. He couldn't believe the one who he went out of his way to protect saved him. "She didn't get hurt at least," he thought to himself. Tifa gave him a kiss on his cheek, and told him he should be better soon.

"You make sure you keep those bandages on," teased Tifa

"Why did he just stop like that?" asked Cloud

"I said something about love, and he just froze," answered Tifa

"Let's go see the rest of the crew on the main deck," said Cloud as he held Tifa's hand and they walked up to where the rest of the gang sat.

"Brother...how long has it been?" asked Bruno

"I have no idea, you left many, many years ago, before Hojo took Lucrecia from me," said Vincent filled with morose.

"Brother, I'm sorry I could not help you, you know Wutai needed me, I hate the people of Shin-Ra for fighting Wutai, but I go to wherever gets me the money, you know, plus they made me entry level General (Brigadier General is one-star General)," said Bruno

"You fought alongside my dad, what was he like," interrupted Yuffie

"He was a strong then, his Materia was strong then, our limit breaks decimated all, he always use to compliment the way I dressed, funny man he was," said Bruno

"Haha, can you show me those moves you did with your Tantos?" asked Yuffie

"Show me how you used those Magnums!" said Barrett like an eager child

Bruno smirked at this, and he sat there, next to his brother whom he abandoned to go on his own way, he, being the younger of the two, thought his brother was strong enough, he had to save her, his childhood friend, his love that he needed to be with, but he felt the deepest remorse that he never told her, and if she was even alive to tell this. He promised her he'd be there, she promised to always believe in him and follow him anywhere. He would save her, no matter what it took.

"Why did you freeze when Tifa said the words "love" ? What made a tough man like you stop dead in your tracks, huh Mr. Mercenary?," taunted Cloud sarcastically.

"You want another round?" inquired Bruno

"Cloud, don't," said Tifa

"Fine, he'd lose," said Cloud reassuring himself even though Bruno gave an evil grin at him and the rest of the group.

Bruno sat there wondering why he didn't kill them in the first place, the useless group needed his help, if they were going to annihilate Shin- Ra, they would take him to her anyways.

"If you must know I fight only to earn enough gil to pay for my equipment, you know the equipment, with my Materia which I earned through fighting that beat you? Speaking of, my Ducati better not have ONE scratch on it, because I'll take this ship down in one pulse of my "Contain" materia which has been mastered unlike the one I see equipped to your sword. Ya, you got "Break," nice, but you still got two more to go, plus one more for mastery. Anyways, to answer all your questions, no one learns my moves, because what you think takes 1 month took 5 years, and you, Cloud are not the only one who has someone you love to fight for. I feel horrible for not helping my elder brother in his quest to stop Hojo, but my friend that I have had since I was a child left. I have had only one friend my entire childhood, as I know you have had too Cloud, I read your background report before I was sent on my mission. Unlike you, I didn't meet a socially unfit group of ragtag rebels like these here," said Bruno as the rest of AVALANCHE looked at him with surprise and a hint of anger.

"Fucker here has a girlfriend?" said Cid

"She is a friend from the past that is all, I need to make sure she is safe," said Bruno trying to hide his emotion as he always does.

"Bruno...I love Cloud, and I am glad he protects me, and I speak for the rest of the team when I say I want to help," said Tifa making Cloud blush and Bruno raise his eyebrow.

"What the...yeah, sure whatever, I can do this by myself, but you all seem to be going towards Shin-Ra, so besides paying me badly, they have her captive and I must rescue Courtney," said Bruno giving away his friend's identity.

"This mystery girl has a name?" mocked Barrett

"How would you like my magnum magazines...in your good arm?" asked Bruno making Barrett, for once, back down.

Bruno brushed away his jet black hair that got in his way, and Red XIII, for once spoke to him.

"Bruno, may I talk to you for a bit?" he asked

"Sure, you seem like an interesting fellow, meet me in the Chocobo stables," replied Bruno

"Oh yeah, guys, the Chocobo stable, my Ducati is parked there, so...yeah...peace," Bruno said casually.

Cloud motioned for Tifa to follow him and they headed to the Conference room. Vincent went back to the corner wondering when he'd have his brother to talk to again, it has been a while since he and his little brother (not that little, they are the same height (6'0) ) had a chance to talk about the past. Barrett, Cait Sith and Cid joked about Bruno as they made some repairs to the Highwind before they left for Junon Harbor.

"Cloud, I love you," said Tifa

'I love you too," replied Cloud as he brushed her hair back over her face.

"I just want to stare into your eyes for a while, ok?" asked Tifa who gave him a puppy-dog look, in which Cloud blushed and nodded.

Tifa thought to herself about how they made the promise to always be together at Kalm that night. She didn't want to leave his side. She bent in and put his hand in hers, and then he put his hand to her face and they sat there for 5 minutes just looking at each other until she put her head on his lap and he ran his hands through her hair. The cool breeze blew through the window and his hair got all in his face, and she sat up and brushed his hair aside.

"I'm going to take a shower, then do you want to help me make dinner for the crew?" she asked

"Can't Yuffie learn to cook!" he said jokingly.

She gave him a puppy-dog look, and like always it worked, they kissed, and she departed to her room on the Highwind (There are 20 rooms, all with individual bathrooms, showers, and the works, plus 2 rooms for dining, and 5 rooms for relaxation, plus more, it's 'pimped' out).

He sat there, then left. About an hour later, the team rendezvoused in the dining hall. They all discussed plans, and Bruno intervened with a clever scheme.
"Shin-Ra is having a banquet to induct the newest President. What if we snuck in and threw a lil party of our own...heheh," said Bruno in a devilish laugh.

"Uh, Rufus, Rude, and Elena prolly alerted President Firestone on the matter of you slashing them big time back at Kalm," answered Cloud as the rest of the team nodded.

"Oh...yeah...but...we could...disguise...?" asked Bruno

"YEAH, STEALTH!!! JUST LIKE WE DO IN WUTAI!!!!!" exclaimed Yuffie

"Yeah, Yuffie, she knows," chuckle Bruno, feeling at ease for once.

"Alright, we'll try it, give us some info on this party Bruno," said Red XIII

"Ok, here it is. It is a very elegant event, lots of ballroom dancing, some fancy shit, and them bitches from Shin-Ra will be there, Elena, Rufus, Rude, Pres. Firestone, the General, General Sandstrom, oh man, SOLDIER will be there as guards, it'll be tough. I wonder if my ole' company will be there from Wutai...they took my boys from Wutai, and since they were so good, instead of killing them made them SOLDIER. Basically it's gone be tough, but we need to take about...5 of us and go in there and get info, rendezvous outside Junon, and then go in and light it up, ya know?" said Bruno with a grin.

*Entire team grins*

"Let's do it," said Cloud

"Who's going said?" Red XIII

"It'll need to be a mix of people. No big red tigers, no gun arms, sorry boys," Bruno

Barrett and Red XIII looked at each other, and the entire team laughed, everyone seemed to be at ease.

"Bruno, Me, Tifa, Yuffie, and Vincent will go," said Cloud.

"YES!" said Yuffie

"Er, if Yuffie controls herself, it should work perfectly," joked Bruno

"I will, said Yuffie, but I want to dance with you Bruno!" said Yuffie

'I don't...dance,' said Bruno

Yuffie gave Bruno a puppy-dog look "I don't do that either," responded Bruno

"Now I see how he is related to Vinny!" said Yuffie

Everyone except Bruno and Vincent laughed.

"Bruno, I need to talk to you," said Vincent

Bruno and Vincent left to go talk in the conference room, and the team secretly followed them and sat outside the room eavesdropping on the entire conversation...

-What are they going to talk about? What's this secret past? We'll see. Cloud and Tifa, such a nice couple, too bad that never happens in life...(...R&R!