Internal Crisis

Chapter 10: Prelude to disaster.

A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I am doing my final year at school and I am really busy. Sorry this update took so long. Is it bad that I updated in the middle of half yearly exams? Also, who wants to be my Beta and go back and fix all my mistakes in previous chapters XD?

Reno covered his mouth and nose with his hand in an attempt to regulate his breathing, why was it whenever you try to hide your breathing becomes heavier? The ten year old's belly was pressed to the dusty carpet. Above him the bed rocked and groaned while the occupants moaned and grunted. He wasn't ignorant, he knew exactly what they were doing, he also knew why. It was a way to earn money and gain pleasure. There was a pain filled cry and Reno clenched his fist, at least it was a way for one of them to gain pleasure. Another cry. It took all of Reno's control not to crawl out from under the bed and start shouting at the man causing all this pain while he was pleasured. Reno stayed, still and silent, he was all ears. And he heard it, like he had many times before, the build up followed by the cry of pleasure to reveal that all was now done. Reno sighed contently, it wouldn't be long now before the man would be gone and the ordeal over for the night. He rested his head on his arm and unknowingly fell asleep.

He became aware again as Maria pulled him along the dusty carpet and out from under the bed, "Sorry Reno," she said softly, "I should have sent you away sooner," Maria hated putting Reno through that time and time again but it was important that he was never seen by any patrons of the Honey Bee, if Don Corneo found out about the child his escorts were raising… Maria didn't want to think about it. She contented herself with hugging Reno to her chest, "Let's get you to bed shall we?"

Reno pouted, "I am not ready to sleep," he stated, his body quickly betraying him with a wide yawn.

Maria laughed standing up and tightening her robe around her waist, "I still think you should go to bed," she said gathering up her bee costume, "let's go Reno. I need to clean up."

Rolling his eyes Reno headed over to the door of the room and slowly opened it, checking the coast was clear he exited the room and moved down the hall towards the back area. Maria walked just behind him smiling fondly, it had been almost a year since the day she found him wondering the slums alone. She had convinced her colleagues to take him in. They hid him from clients and their bosses, but he also had to work for his food. Reno ran errands for the girls and picked pockets for a bit of extra money, it was by no means a good life style for the kid. Maria knew this, but contented herself with the fact that at least she was doing something good for him by keeping him off the streets at night.

The backroom was lined with single beds, all of them identical with a chest at the foot for their personal possessions. Reno greeted and was in turn greeted by the few women who were in the back room. Yuki, a Wutain woman sat up at the site of him and Maria.

"Maria," Yuki said in her Wutain accent, "let me put Reno to bed, you look like you really need to clean up," she swung her legs off the bed smiling at Reno, "and this one looks like he needs to sleep," she messed up his hair. At the age of ten Reno was already almost as tall as Yuki. The Wutain placed her hand on Reno's shoulder.

"Thank you," Maria gave Yuki a tired smile as she kissed Reno on the forehead, "Sleep well my dear," she headed off towards the showers while Yuki guided the child towards Maria's bed.

Keeping a child a secret was a lot easier then the women first thought it would be, he ate what they bought him and he slept beneath Maria's bed out of site and mind. During the day he would leave to run errands, pick pockets or play with other children and at night he was suppose to stay in the back room and hide under a bed if anyone entered. Reno was good at all these things and was never spotted nor did he ever rouse suspicion, but everyone knew sooner or later he would have to leave. He was growing into a young man and he would be harder to hide, soon he would be too tall to hide beneath the beds and he would no doubt want to start living a life of his own. These thoughts plagued Maria and Yuki in particular who had grown close to Reno in the year they had had him at the Honey Bee Inn.

Reno pulled off his joggers and changed into pyjamas, a luxury he had never had before. His forehead was kissed by Yuki and he crawled under Maria's bed and into the nest he had made beneath it.

"Sleep well Reno," Yuki sang softly brushing her soft black hair from her face and moving back to her own bed.

Reno yawned widely, "Night Yuki," he said softly drifting off to sleep.

Reno wasn't sure exactly what woke him, but it was about six in the morning when his eyes snapped open. At first there was nothing. And then, everything came into focus. There was shouting, lots of it. Insults were been thrown at the women who protected and looked after him. Lots of shouting.

"Useless whores! You need to make more money! Don Corneo is not at all pleased," It was Horatio, one of Don Corneo's thugs who watched over the Honey Bee for him, "Unless you want to find yourselves out on the streets," something crashed and the girls screamed in fear, a bed was thrown perhaps? Reno thought as he remained well hidden beneath Maria's, "Now you sluts listen here, you start earning more or you start working the streets as well. Ya here me!"

Reno peaked from under the bed, the girls were all huddled together while four menacing thugs of Don Corneo's stood before them, "We're doing our best," Maria said defensively, "We're working as much as possible and charging as high as customers will pay."

One of the thugs slapped Maria straight across the face, "Well your not doing good enough you whore!"

Reno bit his hand to stop himself crying out when Maria was struck. The Costan woman stumbled back several steps and was caught by one of the other girls, "If you think our job is so easy why don't you do it and make the Don some money?" Yuki asked raising an eyebrow.

The thug stepped forward menacingly, "Listen here, double you profits by tomorrow morning or else the Don himself will be coming in here and I can assure you, he won't be pleasant," The thugs turned and left.

Many of the Honey Bee Inn residents embraced each other in relief. Some were crying having become so fearful in front of the Don's men. Carefully Reno crawled out from under Maria's bed. He silently walked over to her, she didn't even notice him until the ten year old wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her chest. Tears running down her face she held him close to her, "It's alright," she soothed softly, "Everything will be just fine," Maria ran her fingers through his hair.

"I want to help," Reno said softly, "I want to get money for you so you don't get in trouble," he wide blue eyes were full of determination. These women did so much for him and the least he could do for them was get some money.

Maria gave Reno a fond and gentle smile her dark eyes alight, "Alright, this is what I need you to do little one," she said softly, "I want you to be careful when you do this I don't want you in no trouble. I want you to get as much money as you can from the streets, understand me? Any money you see on the ground, any pocket you can pick. We need the money, understand?"

Reno nodded, "You can count on me yo," he said with a bright grin. He slowly pulled away from Maria and changed into jeans, joggers and a baggy hoody. Like every other day he slipped out of the back door of the Honey Bee Inn and went to work as Maria had requested.

It was a good day for a little pick pocket, nice and crowded. Reno was surprised when he managed to scrape up just over one hundred gil before night fall. He was on his way back to the Honey Bee when he spotted one of Don Corneo's thugs, the red headed child knew the main thugs of Don Corneo pretty well. He heard the women talking about them all the time. This one, this one was named Riley, he was in charge of all the gambling that Don Corneo did. Riley was dirty rich, always carrying money around, 'Well, maybe I should teach him a lesson,' Reno used his favourite tactic to pick pocket Riley. He ran straight at the man, he shoved one hand back into his pocket grabbing out a handful of gil which he shoved into his own pocket as he ran away. Riley gave a short chase but Reno was smaller, faster and more skilled. He quickly escaped and returned to the Honey Bee with almost three hundred gil.

"Maria," Reno said softly, she was in the back room getting changed for the night after her last outfit was ruined.

"Not now Reno I am very busy," she said aggravated, working so hard was tiring and all she wanted to do was stop and go to bed.

"But Maria," Reno insisted, "I got lots of money," he put the two-hundred and ninety gil on her dresser.

Maria paused and looked at the money with wide eyes, "Reno… your such a good boy!" she planted a kiss on his cheek, "when this is all over I am going to make sure you get something nice. Now to bed with you."

Glowing with pride Reno did as he was told, he fell asleep under Maria's bed unknowing of what the next day would bring.