Reno got back to his apartment and instantly realized something was wrong. On alert, he cautiously entered, keeping one hand on his rod, ready to spring into action. "Who's there?" he called out as he made his way to his weapons chest, trying to stay in the shadows and against the walls so he could only be attacked on one side. He heard a slight noise and felt a rush of air as his only warning. Grabbing his rod, he moved quickly to the side as he activated the taser to disable the person coming towards him with some kind of multi-edged metal weapon, the metal reflecting what light was available. Once they were on the ground, he flipped the light switch on. "Yuffie!"
"Glad to see you haven't lost your edge." she said when she could talk again, rejecting the hand up Reno offered her.
"What are you doing in my apartment? What would Tseng say?" Reno smirked at his former sparring partner and occasional lover.
"Tseng is why I'm here. My husband and I decided you'd be best for a long-term mission the W.R.O. needs done." Yuffie ignored the innuendo, used to Reno's behavior. He had been fun, but that was a long time ago.
"Since when does the W.R.O. interfere with the Turks?" Reno asked as he went into his kitchen and poured himself a drink.
"Since I'm head of military intelligence for W.R.O. and your boss is my husband, it's whenever we feel like it." Yuffie replied, and put a folder down on his kitchen counter. "That contains all the information you'll need. You and Cid leave at 0600."
"Cid?" Reno was surprised.
"Yeah, his airship is better suited for this mission than your helicopter." Yuffie informed him before she left.
Marlene crawled into bed, exhausted. Her heavy class load was harder than she thought it would be, and sometimes she had to struggle with assignments late into the night to keep up. Her stunt with Reno in front of Ron had an unexpected effect, when word got around that studious Marlene's sugar daddy was none other than the second-in-command of the illustrious and sometimes infamous Turks, she found that she quit getting bothered by the male student body for dates. She was worried about Reno, she had been told by Elena that he was on a long-term mission, but she couldn't tell Marlene anymore than that. If anything happened to Reno, Marlene didn't know what she'd do. She was making progress on him, she was sure of that, she just needed more time, and her parents never got that, any more than Denzel's parents did. She fell into an uneasy sleep praying that he was safe.
"Want some coffee?" Cid asked Reno.
"You bet your ass I do!" Reno really didn't mind spending a few months doing reconnaissance in remote areas all over the planet with Cid, he liked the gruff man's frequent crudeness.
"So how's Marlene?" Cid handed Reno a steaming mug a few minutes later.
"Marlene?" Reno nearly burned himself as the hot liquid started to slosh over the side of the mug. He managed to save his hand, but cursed the loss of the coffee that spilled onto the floor.
"Yeah, Shera and I saw her with you at her graduation/birthday party. You're a lucky man!" Cid explained.
"I'm not with her. I had no idea she was going to do that." Reno told him.
"Why aren't you taking her up on her offer? She's grown up into a sweet piece of ass-and don't you ever tell Shera I said that-she's smart, young, and she obviously wants you. What's not to like?" Cid took a gulp of his own coffee.
"She wants to marry me." he explained.
"And? What's wrong with marriage?" Cid wanted to know.
"I like my freedom." was Reno's response.
"I've been married for a damned long time, and I've got my freedom. I'm here on this mission, aren't I? And I've got the best airship in the world. I can go anywhere I want, whenever I want. Having a wife just means I have someone who takes care of me. Shera's the best…I don't know what I'd do without her, and don't tell her I said that either." Cid smiled as he finished his coffee. "Well, we better try and get some shuteye now. Tomorrow is Cactuar Island, and that's gonna be one sticky situation."
Reno went to the bunkroom. Yuffie had been right, Cid's airship was better than his helicopter. It had sleeping rooms, a kitchen galley, and a bathroom for starters. Cid had a sweet set-up with his own captain's quarters too. As Reno laid down on the bunk he had been using, his brain wouldn't quit going over Cid's conversation about Marlene and marriage. Marlene definitely was special, but…Reno fell asleep trying to remember what the good reason he had for not wanting to get married was.