A/N: Woot! Longest chapter that I've ever made! Here's the next chapter for you guys and I have some bad news.

This story will be on hiatus while I rewrite 'Love and Sin'. Its summer holidays, so I should be able to work it in a month…or two…let's just see later LOL

Don't forget to review if you want me to write faster, it really helps!


Reno strolled down the stairs and found that the crowded living room was occupied by lesser people than it was four hours ago.

Elena and Tseng were seriously nodding and listening to Sei's mom, who was talking while petting the infant on her lap, probably about pregnancies what-to-do and not-to-dos, while Seira listened behind her mother with a wide grin plastered on her face.

The Turk didn't spot the other men in the living room and turned around as he heard their voices behind him. They were huddling at the kitchen's stool located beyond the hallway beside the stairs.

Rude, Kyle and Recca stood idly while they exchanged words, the odd Turk opening his mouth on certain occasions only.

The redhead curiously walked towards the suspicious group and immediately turned around as he heard a glimpse of their current subject, Weapon and explosives.

Rude, the only one who was facing him gave Reno a quick glance before throwing another one word comment at the group's current topic and ignored his partner. Reno sighed and strolled away, he was in no mood to discuss about anything serious. He just wanted to crack a joke and laugh, forget about everything which was going to happen tomorrow and if he could, tease his lover, who was now smiling at him.

He stood beside Seira who was leaning against the back of the three seated couch, listening to her mom who seems to be telling her own experience of her pregnancies period.

"The first will always be the hardest. It was plain hectic when I first knew about my first pregnancy." The eldest woman reminisced with a smile on her face as she continued.

The brunette seemed to be more attentive and leaned closer as she knew that the next topic would be about her early days.

"It was rather fast after our marriage, morning sickness is a problem for us wives while our mood swings would be a problem for our husbands. One thing I suggest best is not to fight her when this happens, just listen and things would be solved easier." The raven haired mother advised the young couples, while Reno Jr. reached out and tugged at his sister's long golden brown locks which had came to his reach.

"And that's all I could say. Actually, everything differs according to the person itself. I rarely experienced any morning sickness with Seira but she caused more mood swings than Reno, and Reno caused more morning sickness but less mood swings. So, just relax and one more thing, don't forget to exercise daily and move, but don't work or think too much either. Stress is one of the worst problems for pregnant women."

"Okay then, I think it's time for us to go." Tseng announced after one final nod and mentally made sure that he had noted everything which he had just learned, in his head.

"Kyle, Recca, shouldn't we go too?" Reina called out, and the three men came out of their previous spot and leisurely walked to the living room.

"We can leave anytime, we're all set." Her husband replied and ruffled his son's raven mane as he approached.

"Now?" The brunette straightened herself and blinked a few times in surprise. "Wait, I'll pack my bag first." Sei jumped her way upstairs and couldn't help the bubbly feeling that was building up inside of her. She knew that she shouldn't be this happy given the current situation and the real objective to travel to the other side of Gaia, but she just couldn't help getting excited over the trip.


The hapzardously packed blue duffel bag was hauled up to her shoulder, while the previously discarded jacket was once again wrapped on her lean body.

She looked at the mirror in her bathroom and took a glance at herself. Hell, awful was an understatement of her current state. There was a black ring under both of her swollen eyes and her lips were dry and cracked all over. Sei gingerly rubbed the puffy, dark skin under her jade orbs with her index finger and gave her lips a lick before walking out of the boyish room.

After fixing her appearance not to look too gleeful, she walked down the stairs and calmly met her whole family.

Her mother was carrying her infant brother in her arms while her father carried a duffel bag in each hand and one baby bag slung on his shoulder.

"Want me to help? Transporting four people-" She offered to Recca who looked distress, with his own baggage behind the others.

"Absolutely, no. how many times should I tell you that this magic is still too dangerous for you." The raven haired man refused faster than she was able to reason why she had offered the preposition in the first place.

"Fine, I was only being kind to reduce your weight. You're the only one who'll feel tired as hell once we reach home." His niece spat and turned her head around childishly, coming to face the Turks who were standing across them.

A smile immediately crept to her face and she waved a good bye to the group as something yanked her hair back. A yelp involuntarily escaped her lips and she was ready to glare at whoever it was when she turned around and saw a little amount of her curly hair in her brother's small fist.

Sei sighed in exasperation and pried the small fingers from the delicate strands of her locks. "Since when have you become so fond of my hair, little mister?" She playfully flicked his small forehead before offering her pinky finger, knowing that he would keep pulling at her hair till he found something else to grab onto.

"Here, take these." A low voice rumbled, in front of her and quickly gained her attention at its owner.

"What's this for, Rude?" She turned around to face her lover's partner and eyed four candy bar modeled phones which were sprawled in his hand.

"A new Shinra phone, it can be used between our dimension." The silent Turks' voice had always managed to easily get her attention. It was deep and rough but somehow still gentle to the extent that it could calm her thoughts.

"Thanks." She pocketed the platinum communication device as the others behind her did the same thing and voiced out their different acknowledgement.

The brunette looked up as she felt an invisible force surround her, one hand still bound by the infant behind her.

Rude who had stepped aside, revealed Reno who was blankly staring at her face with his usual laid back posture on; Hands in his pocket and back slightly hunched.

Their goodbyes had always been as simple as this. No kisses or even hugs before they part and in less than an hour after their separation, both of them would regret and curl on their beds, trying to recollect the warmth of each other on their own skins.

It wasn't that they weren't sad to part away from each other. In fact, they didn't like the idea so much that they lost their mood to get lovey-dovey and just try to shrug their feelings off.

A flash of white light blinded her vision for a while before she blinked a few times and realized the lack of pressure on her pinky finger. "What the…hell?" She narrowed her eyes dangerously and waved a hand in front of her face to discern the white smokes which had obstructed her view and clean air to breathe.

This never happened before. She wondered in confusion. Did Recca did something wrong?

A sight of the gang of Turks in front of her startled her, but before she could react more than a small opening of her mouth, the phone that the bald Turk had given her blared loudly from her pocket.

What was this? Some sick kind of technical problem happening only at her?

Sei cursed loudly as she fished her brand new phone out of her pocket and silenced it with a forceful jab of her thumb on the green receive button. "Hello?" She spat with annoyance evident in her voice.

"Where are you?" The other end asked calmly, trying to ignore the girl's obvious pissed off state.

"Surprisingly, I'm still here, dad." She said with more venom dripping from her voice as she walked to the group who was still standing in confusion across the room.

"Recca is in no condition to go back there, can you stay in your friend's house again?" The brunette was now silenced down by her father's unusual calm demeanor. Shouldn't he be more worried or something?

"O…kay…" She answered uncertainly and waited for another instruction from her usually demanding father.

"Don't forget to lock the door, don't stay alone and we'll meet you as soon as Recca gains his strength back."

"Yes, dad." The brunette stayed silent as she didn't dare to speak more or even end the awkward conversation.

A small grunt from the other side and the annoying beeping on the communication device which was pressed against her ears, announced the end of the awkward silence. She slipped the phone back in her pocket and placed a hand on Reno's arm."Can someone explain what had just happened?"


Sei threw herself on the couch as soon as she reached Reno's apartment, the redhead following suit after locking the front door.

The fatigue had crept up to her again and it was starting to annoy her to no end. What was wrong with her body, was her gastritis acting up again? She certainly hadn't eaten properly for the past few days, but she had had a fair amount of rest to not let her stamina drop.

"You okay, babe?" Reno asked as he sensed her sudden restless state and the hard frown which was rather hard to miss on her forehead.

"Nothing, just a little headache." She brought a hand and massaged her forehead, trying to relax the tensed muscles and the hammering sensation against her skull.

"Want me to order some food?" The redhead pulled his lover to his lap and rested his head on her shoulder.

"No, I'll cook something." As much as the idea of cooking was just too tiring at the moment, she still had no choice than to do it. If her stomach was really starting to bitch, junk food would certainly not help.

"Then you would better take a bath first." He gave her cheek a peck before carrying her up in his arm and sat her on his bed.

"Thanks." Came her only response when he came back with her duffel hanging on his shoulder.

"I haven't eaten anything that you made since what, two years?" Seira rolled her eyes at her lover's exaggeration skills and sighed. "Enjoy yourself, you look dead tired." He gave a lingering kiss on her lips and reluctantly released his grip on her waist. "Or I can help, if you want?"

The brunette took her bag from his shoulder and stated right before she close the door behind her. "No, thanks."

She grabbed an oversize T-shirt and her pj's bottom from the blue bag and placed it on top of the dry sink, before unzipping her jacket and letting it fall to the ground with a loud clank.

She cringed at the unexpected noise and immediately picked up the garment with her hands.

The green sphere that she had produced from the garment's pocket softly glowed. How many times had she forgotten about this mysterious materia? She dropped the ball into the piles of clothes in her bag and began to peal each layer of her other garments.

Sei turned the bathtub's faucet and enjoyed the flowing water's sound before moving to the glass covered shower cubicle beside it.

The scalding heat from the water beat down against her head and bare back, soothing her tensed muscles and pounding headache which were slowly but surely getting on her nerves. She sighed and stayed still for a while, before taking the shampoo from the small counter right beside the shower and quickly rinsed her hair with it.

As soon as she was sure that there weren't any soap left on her hair, she wrung her golden brown curly locks and timidly tip toed out of the steam fogged cubicle, making sure to let minimum amount of water from her body to drip on the floor.

The lukewarm, clean water in the tub drowned her naked form. The brunette leant her head back and stared at the white ceiling as she recalled everything which had happened after her father's sudden odd disposition.

"No one's answering the phone." Tseng flipped his phone shut and slipped it back into his black blazer's inner pocket.

"Tifa's not in the bar? Shouldn't she be opening today?" Sei inquired as she wondered where the barmaid could've gone. According to the others, it had been a hard trial even for them, to make her take a day off for the surprise party last night. She wonder what reasons would be able to make her close the bar for two days straight.

"Maybe Cloud told her to stop working for a while before their wedding. It wouldn't be good if the bride looks tired during the ceremony, right." Reno butted in and explained lazily.

"Hmm, I don't think I'm staying there then."

"Then it's all set, you're coming with me." The redhead draped his arm around the brunette's shoulder with a wide grin plastered on his face.

"And let my father kill you tomorrow?" The brunette asked, rhetorically.

"He obviously told you not to stay alone and didn't mention anything about staying with me." He grabbed her bag from her shoulder and strolled towards the main door with his usual swagger.

She sighed and let her shoulder slumped in defeat before reluctantly following her stubborn lover. "I'll turn a blind eye at whatever happens tomorrow."

"Reno." His boss' voice stopped him dead in his tracks, a few feet ahead from the others.

"What?" The redhead looked pass his shoulder and responded with his usual drawl.

"The mission will be commenced at whatever state you come tomorrow morning, sharp." The Wutainese walked pass his second in command and walked out of the door, followed by his other subordinate.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Seira rose from her sitting position and immediately shivered as air passed through her wet, naked form. This thinking session wasn't helping anything, not her headache and definitely not producing any answers.

She snatched her towel from the open duffel bag on the floor and quickly dried her body.

Whatever comes tomorrow comes tomorrow. But right now, she had a hungry, demanding redhead to feed.


The brunette had sighed for the umpteenth time that night. She stared at the pot above the stove as she sat on a chair beside the mahogany dining table.

"Need any help?"

She literally jumped at the sudden voice behind her and whipped her head around, too fast that her neck snapped and a yelp couldn't help but escape from her lips.

"Slow down, girl. What's wrong with you?" Reno walked to his kitchen, fresh from the shower, with his usual home attire; almost the same as his Turks uniform, minus the blazer.

Sei rubbed the sore spot on her neck before she stood upright and walked towards the stove. "Nothing, I was just day dreaming. Can you take out the plates?"

"Sure, babe, you don't look so good." Reno eyed her while he took two plates from the cabinet just beside the stove.

And as if on call, her stomach clenched uncomfortably and a wave of nausea hit her as soon as the strong smell of curry, from the pot which she had just opened, washed over her. She groaned in annoyance and covered her mouth with a hand while the other closed the source of her sickness.

"You okay?" The redhead placed the plates he was holding on the counter before placing a hand on his pale lover's shoulder.

The brunette clamped her other hand on her mouth as she felt another wave of nausea and tried her best to hold back the urge of emptying the content of her empty stomach."Re, you can eat first." She managed to whisper before running to the bathroom.

The sight of a toilet bowl had never been this beautiful in her life. Seira fell on her knees and immediately emptied what little was left in her stomach. She ignored the hand which was pulling her hair back and panted heavily as she stared daggers at the puddle of undigested food that she had just produced.

A cold and smooth surface was pressed against her cheek and the obviously sick teen slowly turned her head to face the clear liquid in a glass. "Here, drink this." The man, who was previously standing behind her, kneeled beside her and offered the glass of water.

"Thanks" She muttered and took the glass with her trembling hand.

Gastritis is certainly what was messing up with her now. This sucks, she would have to tell her father to bring her medicine tomorrow and rest all day, she noted, dully. Right when something important was going on. True that part of it was her fault for ignoring her meals for the past few days, but why couldn't it choose another day? Not now, when she has an important mission to run, which required her to fly across the continent.

"You really okay?" The redhead asked again, concern evident in his voice.

"Yeah, it's only my gastritis acting up. A days rest and proper food would be enough." She gargle the water in her bile flavored mouth and threw it out to the toilet, before downing the whole content of the glass.

Reno stood up and dusted invisible dirt from his pants before helping the brunette up and flushed the whole mess in the toilet. "You better eat and go to bed, then." He handed her a towel before guiding her back to the dining table.

The brunette wiped her mouth with the towel and sat tiredly on the chair in front of the mahogany table. She couldn't care less to smile or convince the certainly worried Turk that she was okay. All she wanted to do now was sleep, but she knew that if she didn't fill her stomach, tomorrow would be hell worse than now.

The plate of curry was placed below her face by her lover, and she had to inhale slowly to make sure that the smell wouldn't make her sick again. "Thanks" Was all she was able to say to the Turk sitting in front of her before she began to fill her stomach.

Dinner went on in silence, Seira who was too tired and in no mood to talk and Reno who was (for once) trying to give peace to the obvious sick girl sitting in front of him didn't bother to utter a word.

"I'm done, I'll be heading to bed first" Seira said before standing up and picking up her unfinished meal.

"You done? That's not even half you've touched. " The redhead pointed at her plate and added."Let me finish it for you, need any medicines?"

"Eat more and I'll throw up again, I'll call Recca to bring my medicine tomorrow." She handed her plate and walked out of the dining area, the sound of a door opening and closing followed soon after.

Reno continued to eat with his occupied mind. His mission tomorrow would most probably consist of disguising himself as a Turk on vacation and recon the area around the target's house. But what was Tseng planning for Sei and her family to do, infiltrate the area? In no way was he going to let that happen, he was sure that the only weapon she had ever held was a kitchen knife and what if they were caught and mission failed? If they were lucky, there would be no casualties but there enemy was someone who worked for Shinra before. And nothing means good with the corporation's past.

Tseng was certainly a capable leader, even until now. Precautious and prioritizes his subordinates safety before anything else. But when he got into a mission, he would make sure that all resources were used to its maximum capacity. What if, he went too far this time and couldn't retract the dangers which he had put the brunette and her family in? What if, he fails for the first time after all the clean success mission records that he had maintained?

The redhead growled and ruffled his hair, with both of his hands, in frustration. This was one of the things that he was afraid would happen if he got too attached to someone, and being the second in command of the Turks didn't help but made everything worst.

But everything just seemed so worth it when they were together. The stubborn, moody girl who suddenly came to his life made him live a different path which he had never even dared to hope for. A life where he could live his life for someone else except himself, a real home where he could find comfort when his job had jumbled up his feelings and his Turks friend wasn't an option for placation.

Reno stood up with the remnants of his meals, to be exact- two empty plates in his hand and walked to the kitchen. He dumped the plates in the sink and indulged in a can of beer, before strolling back to his room.

It wasn't that his colleagues wouldn't be worried if something bad happened to him, Rude will certainly rescue him whatever the risk was, Elena would no doubt cry for him, and Tseng…let's not discuss that in detail, but he would certainly give him a nice long lecture about being reckless etcetera, etcetera and finally, a pat on his back.

The Turk's office had been a home for him since he joined the force years ago, a place to come back after each mission that he and his partner was ordered to do, easy or hard, moral or immoral. Even after meteor destroyed Shinra headquarters and their office, the place where the Turks gathered, had always became a home for him. But deep down he had always unconsciously yearned for someone special, and a Turk was always recommended not to have one.

Some Turks learned it the hard way though, Rude for example, was betrayed by the girl she liked, who turned out to be an AVALANCHE spy. Chelsea was her name, if he remembered properly. And they parted not in their best terms, the girl who had certainly grew a feeling for his bald partner just left without letting him say goodbye. They knew that it was for both of their own goods, they were from two opposing sides after all, but Rude still didn't take it well.

The door creaked lightly as he pushed it open. And there lay the brunette who was sleeping on her usual right side of the bed.

Sei lay on her left side, A blanket covered her shoulder and beyond but left her pale, white neck exposed.

How he wished he could kiss, lick and nibble at the sensitive skin, which was taunting and teasing him to come closer. But his professional Turk side was functioning properly tonight. He must be prepared for tomorrow's mission, even though it would just be recon on the nearby area. And Sei wasn't at her best condition to suit him too.

The redhead silently closed the door behind him and slipped into the covers. Slipped a hand into his lover's oversized T-shirt and caressed her belly.

The brunette stirred and placed a hand on top of his invading hand. "Don't stop, your hand is really warm." She stifled a yawn and said, sleepily.

"If you mean to say that I'm hot, I've known that since I learned how to stare at myself in a mirror." He chuckled and continued stroking her abdomen as she pressed her back against his chest, snuggling to his welcoming warmth.

"You leaving early tomorrow?"

"Yeah, don't wanna hear Tseng's rambling early in the morning."

Seira hugged his arm and closed her eyes, waiting for her sleep induced brain to take over when the comforting silence was suddenly snapped with a single statement by the dilemma-filled Turk.

"You'll go no matter what I say, huh." The air was suddenly tensed as his hushed voice jolted her brain awake.

She turned around and uneasily bit her lower lip as she stared at her lover's azure orbs. It held pain…his usual pained expression which she had never liked to see in his eyes. "Re… I thought we were done with this topic?" She stated rather than asked.

The minute she saw those eyes, she had regretted turning around to meet his gaze. All she wanted to do now was either turn away and end the conversation or hug him and reassure him that everything was going to be alright, anything which would avoid her from those pair of orbs. And knowing that she was the cause of those emotions on him…nothing was helping at all.

Despite the urge to just stare at the cupboard behind him or the ceiling above them, she stared right at his eyes and cupped his cheeks with both of her hands. "Everything is gonna be fine, Re. Think positive." The brunette smiled and kissed the corner of his lips. "C'mon, let's sleep. You need to rise and shine early tomorrow or Tseng's lecture would certainly fill your day."Sei entwined their hands and closed her eyes as she waited for slumber to catch up.

A hand pushed her forehead against his well toned chest and she snuggled closer to his body, seeking for the comforting warmth.

And not more than a minute or two, her mind had flown to her heavenly dreamlands.

Unaware of what all was waiting for her in the near future.