Here it is, the chapter I promised before! See? I can follow through. ;)

BEGIN CHAPTER

"Well, how do I look?" Tai came out of her room and struck a pose.

"You look great." Skyla nodded her approval, then once-overed herself in the mirror in front of her. "I hope I don't flash anyone accidentally."

"Well in that case, no alcohol for you." Tai smiled and Skyla shot her a glare. "Just kidding. But the boss man probably wouldn't want you drinking tonight anyways, yo."

"I wasn't planning on it, aside from a glass of champagne that is given for the toast. Jeez." Skyla rolled her eyes as a honk sounded in the parking lot in front of the apartment. "That must be the limo. C'mon, no time to waste."

Tai and Skyla grabbed their clutches and headed out, staring in amazement at the long white limo before them. A man in a tux bowed slightly before opening the door for them to get in. Tai and Skyla exchanged excited glances before sliding in to the dark compartment.

"Good evening, ladies." A man who worked in the office was sitting across from them, near a refreshment bar. "Mister Shinra and Tseng are both back at the estate to welcome guests. I've been sent to accompany you on the way, and to remind you on Mister Shinra's behalf that this is a very important event and that you must uphold the good name of ShinRa and those who are employed there." Tai and Skyla both tried to remember what his name was, tuning out most of everything he said after telling them where their dates were. The ride to the estate was quiet after that.

The limo slowed to a stop, a large set of gates towering before them. The chauffeur handed the security guard the invitation, and the gates swung open, allowing the limousine to continue down the long driveway before arriving before the steps of Rufus's large home that was considered a mansion, but really looked like a small country to Tai and Skyla. Rufus and Tseng were already awaiting them at the base of the stairs. The door opened, and Skyla stepped out while taking Rufus's extended hand. He had, of course, worn a white suit (did he even own anything else?). Tai followed, taking Tseng's hand, and the two couples walked arm-in-arm up the stairs. Every few steps, Rufus would pause so that photographs could be taken by the small army of press that was allowed, and then they'd continue again.

Once through the doors of his mansion, Rufus led them to the large ballroom, which was down a grand staircase. Everyone had almost arrived, people still being escorted up the stairs into his home. Rufus made Skyla stand with him just beside the top of the stairs, greeting guests as they entered, while Tseng and Tai made their way down below. After a few minutes had passed, Rufus stood at the center, everyone's attention turning towards him and silence falling upon the room.

"It is my honor and pleasure to welcome you to the Shinra Estate. I would like to thank you all for attending, and I hope we have a wonderful evening. Let the ball begin." Rufus took his time walking down the stairs and into the middle of the room. He took up a dancing position, holding Skyla's hand in his, the other on her waist. The music started, and they began to move, the entire room doing the same. It was mandatory that the first dance be with whom you came, which Skyla didn't mind at all. All the women would think she and Rufus were together, which would give her a much better chance with him. Maybe. Hopefully.

"Skyla, I would like to thank you personally for that picture frame you gave me for my birthday." Rufus looked down at her, his eyes never straying from hers. She felt the blush rushing in, and looked away quickly. She had desperately hoped that the picture frame had been lost, or that he hadn't even noticed it. "I didn't know you were into...those types of things." His lips had moved so close to her ears; she could feel his breath with each word.

"I really just meant it as a joke, you see. I didn't think you'd actually look at them. It was a test, and you passed. You really do appreciate your employees after all." She laughed nervously, her heart fluttering wildly in her chest. She had dreamt of this type of conversation with him for many more nights than she could recall, but now that it was happening, she was suddenly panicking.

"Well, how would you like to test me again in my room?"

Tseng and Tai were spinning around nearby, lost in their own conversation.

"Tai, you look wonderful tonight." Tseng smiled down at her, causing her to blush slightly as she mumbled a thanks. A small silence fell between them, the music continuing on. "Tai... there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Sure. What is it?" Tai looked up at him, curious as to what it could be.

"I have had a wonderful time with you lately, and you're a fantastic person. But... I just can't keep seeing you. I still have deep feelings for Elena, and it feels wrong to continue this. I hope you can understand." Tseng couldn't bring himself to look at her, though Tai wasn't hurt at all.

"I understand. To tell you the truth, I have deep feelings for someone else, too." Tai half smiled, thinking about Reno and how good he must look tonight.

"I know. Everyone does." Tai looked up at Tseng questioningly, but he just gave her a look that seemed to imply something was obvious. Before she could ask what he meant by that, though, he continued on.

"Oh, and Tai?" he gazed down at her thoughtfully, most likely thinking about the ideal way to phrase whatever he was going to say next. He was forever the perfectionist.

"Yea?" Tia looked up at him, anticipation filling her silvery eyes.

"I want my silverware back." The last notes of the song fell away and Tseng excused himself. Tai stood rooted to the spot, dazed, before a familiar energetic voice pulled her from her bewilderment.

"Hey there, sweetheart." A glance over her shoulder confirmed what Tai already knew; Reno had strolled up to her and was gazing down at her with a cocky smile.

"Oh, uh, hi Reno." Tai returned nervously, fidgeting with her dress.

Reno edged closer, running a hand down Tai's bare arm. "You look absolutely stunning tonight. Seriously breathtaking, yo."

Tai's face flushed crimson, her heart skipping nervously. "Th-thanks, Reno. You look fantastic too." She stumbled over her words, distracted. He did look great; he was wearing a black suit and tie, and for once, his shirt was tucked in and presentable. The end result was drool worthy, especially since it happened so rarely.

"Do I? It's nothing compared to you, though. Listen," Reno leaned in, tucking a stray hair behind Tai's ear, "How about tonight, after this party is over, we continue it at my place? Just you and me."

"… Excuse me?" Tai blinked up at the smirking ginger. Had she really heard him right? Was he really saying what it sounded like he was saying?

Did Reno finally want to be with her?

Ok, maybe not be with her, in the "we're-dating-and-have-our-own-mugs-at-each-other's-places" type of be with her. But definitely in the "let's-have-crazy-hot-sex-and-then-see-each-other-at-work-the-next-day" with her… right? Which she would be content with. After all, it could be the doorway into a deeper relationship… or she could just be used and have her name checked off his list of conquests. Which she had always known could be a possibility, would most likely be the case, and had been ok with. And she was still ok with it… maybe.

Reno moved in closer, mistaking her confusion over the situation and for her being flustered over his proposal. He placed his hand on the small of her back, drawing her towards him until she was pressed against his chest, leaving him able to whisper into her ear.

"The two of us, my place. No one else, no distractions, no clothes. Sound good?"

Tai felt her stomach plummet to her feet. So he really did just want sex. Of course he did. This was Reno. She was stupid to have even thought it could be anything else, that she could have mistaken his words for a veiled attempt at something more profound. She should be ok with this, she repeated to herself over and over and over. She'd known Reno for so long, known this was how he was, known this was his style. She had fallen for it. She had always accepted this outcome readily before. After all, however close she could get to him, even if just being another name, was better than nothing. Right?

Right?

No. No, she couldn't do this. Finally being faced with this decision, she could no longer convince herself that she was fine with it. She wasn't. She didn't want to be like every other girl to him, refused to be. She had set out to become something special to him, and had failed. Tai had obviously stumbled and fucked up along the way, and now she'd have to pay for it. Anger, furious, boiling, red-hot anger swelled up inside of her. She was pissed at Reno for being a player, pissed at every girl who had come before her simply because they had been able to get close to him. But most of all, pissed at herself for falling for him, chasing after him, and letting herself get to this situation.

There exist people who are able to think clearly and rationally when in the throes of fury. Tai could not be counted among those people.

"Does it sound good? Does. It. Sound. Good? You know what, fuck face? No, it does not sound fucking good!" Tai shoved Reno away from her, catching him off-guard, causing him to stumble backwards and almost fall. He stared at her, mouth agape, eyes wide, shocked as Tai continued on her tirade.

"I swear, I have had it with you, you whore of a bastard! Years, YEARS I have known you, pursued you! And you've completely ignored me, brushed me off for skanks that, yea, are a billion times hotter than me. But that's not what really fucking pisses me off. You've known how I've felt about you the ENTIRE. FUCKING. TIME. Wanna know what the decent thing to do would have been, dickbag? Tell me that you JUST DON'T FUCKING THINK ABOUT ME IN THAT WAY, not let me make a fool out of myself tailing after you! What, does it boost that gigantic fucking ego of yours to have girls at your feet like dogs? And I know that you've known. How could you not, it was so fucking obvious to everyone else apparently. You would have to really be just as fucking stupid as Skyla claims you are to miss it." Tai's face was flushed, her hair coming undone, and her voice rising the longer she went on. The mansion had gone completely quiet at this point, everyone staring at the tiny Turk with the big ass temper.

Reno opened his mouth to defend himself, offer up an explanation to explain it all away, but a glare from Tai caused him to quickly fall back into silence. "No, don't open your fucking mouth. The only fucking reason you're even fucking paying attention to me now is because you think I'm a fucking slut. Oh, so she fucked a coworker, must be real easy to bang this bitch. Why the hell not, right? Well fuck that. I can fuck whoever the fuck I want, that's my business, and it doesn't mean I'm gonna be one of your whores. Sure, I may have wanted your attention to start with, but you know what? Not fucking now. I'm fucking done with you. Done." Tai turned on her heels, blinking furiously to hold back her tears. Guests parted in the stillness to let her pass, all eyes watching her retreating form.

After she had left the room, voices slowly began to speak once more. Hushed tones gradually became the lively banter that had existed prior to the explosion, no doubt now talking about what had just occurred. Reno, still in disbelief as to what had transpired, stood rooted to the spot Tai had pushed him to, people stirring about him. He had never meant for any of that to happen. Fuck, of course he didn't, who would? He didn't know she would take it so wrong, would breakdown in that way. He never would have gone to her if he knew that it would have destroyed what they had between them.

And it did, no doubt about that. How could they possibly return to the friendship they had before after that? She had ripped him apart, and yea, maybe he deserved it. But he really, honestly, did not know that was how she felt up until recently. If only she had said something sooner… No, this wasn't all on her. He was a fucking moron for missing the signs. If only he had opened his eyes, noticed her sooner.

"Fucking damnit… Guess Skyla's finally right about something. I'm a huge fucking dumbass." Reno murmured to himself in disgust as he turned to get a drink.

Skyla stood on the ballroom floor, her throat feeling dry and her heart pounding. She was proud of Tai, as any good friend would be, but the pride shrank back behind the nervousness she felt. Rufus stood next to her, his face seemingly expressionless, but his eyes showing the outrage that was rippling beneath the suit. He had silently observed Tai's display, all the while growing more furious as the entire mansion watched on. He turned to Skyla then, his eyes resembling those of a hunter closing in on the prey he'd chased for far too long.

"Where is she?!" His voice was low and measured, but the tone spoke loud and clear. He. Was. Pissed. Skyla mutely hoped Tai wouldn't be leaving here in a body bag.

"I-I don't know." Skyla's voice had taken a turn from its typical confidence, now timid and scarcely audible. How could she possibly know? She had been standing next to the President the entire time, not trailing her partner.

"Well I suggest you find her, now, and bring her to me."

"What about… later?" Skyla studied Rufus, her pulse quickening at the thought.

"Later? What are you…" At the sight of Skyla's suddenly downcast eyes and reddening face, Rufus caught on to what she was referring to; his remark when they were dancing earlier. "Skyla, that was a joke. You're my employee, and I could never stoop so low as to carry on relations with you. Now go find your friend, immediately." Rufus turned on his heel and pulled out a cellphone, no doubt barking orders to the head of security and overseeing damage control. He'd already put on a collected smile for the crowd when he hung up.

Skyla stood unmoving in a mixture of disbelief and hurt, struggling to keep her composure. She could feel the humiliation burning a trail up the back of her throat, eyes stinging. She rushed to the ladies room, dissolving into tears the moment the door closed behind her. What was she thinking? Obviously he wouldn't have truly meant it, she was nothing, especially to him. She wasn't in a high position, she wasn't stunningly beautiful, she was nobody. She let a few more sobs escape before righting her makeup, putting on an air of self-control, and going to search for her friend.

She exited the bathroom, wiping at her eyes a few times before someone rested their hand on her elbow. She turned to find Rude staring down at her (or, she thought he was staring down at her; he was seriously wearing his sunglasses here?).

"You ok?" An eyebrow shot up to accompany his question.

Skyla nodded fiercely, trying to muffle a sniffle. "Yea, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Rude shrugged. "Want to dance?" He held his hand out to her, and Skyla stared down at it questioningly. Was he serious? Or was this also a joke?

"I have to go find Tai, but thank you anyway." Skyla began to turn when she felt a tug on her arm once more. She looked back at him with arched eyebrows.

"The head of security is already on it."

"Well, the head of security isn't her best friend, and what she needs is her best friend. Besides, the President ordered me to." She pulled away from Rude, somewhat regretfully. Really she was just ready for this event to be over. "I don't know what Reno said to her, but you better be watching his back. I sure as hell don't have any qualms about beating the shit out of him." With that Skyla stalked away, a newfound determination fueling her. She wandered the mansion until she found Tai in a study, slouched into an oversized loveseat and staring moodily at a lit fireplace.

Tai turned to her friend, emotions waltzing across her face. "So how bad was it?"

Skyla sat next to her friend, sighing. "Pretty bad." Tai's face fell. "But also pretty fucking awesome." Skyla let out a small chuckle, replaying it all in her head. "For the record, I am really proud of you. It's good to see you finally standing up for yourself."

Tai shrugged wryly. "Yea, well, I sure picked one hell of a time to do it, yo."

"Yea, about that… Rufus wants to see you. Immediately. I was sent to find you and bring you to him."

"Well, I'm fucked." Tai rested her head in her hands. What the fuck had she thought would happen? They had even been warned beforehand to behave.

"Probably. He was furious."

"Well, may as well get it over with." Tai stood deliberately, Skyla following. After inquiring about his whereabouts from the nearest security officer, they were escorted to Rufus's home office. Upon entering, they could practically see the air around him melting the surroundings. They were fucked. So very fucked.

"Ladies, once the others get here, we shall begin." Rufus said through gritted teeth, his eyes boring holes into the Turks apprehensively loitering near his study door. Skyla wondered who exactly he was referring to by "others", but was afraid if she asked, he would bite her head off like a lady praying mantis.

Saving her from wondering for too much longer, the door to the office opened, revealing the "others": Reno and Rude. Fucking great. There's absolutely no way this could go wrong. Rude softly shut the door behind them, his expression unreadable. Those Jenova fucking sunglasses didn't help matters either, reflecting only the firelight and forlorn faces back to her.

Reno glanced over at Skyla and Tai. Gone was his usual cockiness, his trademark smirk vanquished. Instead, he just looked defeated and crushed. Skyla bit the inside of her cheek. She wanted to march over there and slap him, give him a piece of her mind. He was such a colossal ass. And yet, she almost (read: almost, not quite) felt sorry for him. Watching him eye Tai, he just looked so broken. No, no, no. She would most definitely not give him any of her pity. He didn't deserve it.

"Now, before any of you imbeciles have a chance to open your mouths, let me begin. First of all, I will by no means let this sort of behavior go unpunished. I will not tolerate this nonsense within the company my family has toiled so hard to build up. I pride myself on running a company that demonstrates quality, especially when it comes to my employees. What I witnessed tonight? That was far, very far, from being ShinRa material. I expect much more from my Turks. And I will, one way or another, get what was lacking. Am I making myself clear?" Rufus glowered at the four before him, not earning, or expecting, any answer to his question.

"So let us discuss what's going to be done as a result of tonight's events, shall we? Reno, I'll start with you. As one of my long-standing, and highest ranking, employees I am most disappointed in you. Unlike your subordinates, I never once thought you'd cause a spectacle tonight. As a cause of your involvement, I'm going to be placing you under increased supervision. Should you be in any other similar situations in the near future, whether initiated by you or not, you will be demoted and taken out of the field for a period of time. Rude, as his partner, should he fail in his behavior, you will also suffer by being taken out of the field. Understood?"

Rude nodded once, his eyes trained straight ahead. Reno, hands shoved deep into his pockets and downward gaze never straying, muttered a clipped, "Gotcha, boss." Satisfied with these reactions, Rufus shifted his attention elsewhere.

"As for you, Tai, I can barely find the words to describe how utterly disgusted I am with you," Rufus spit out, seething in his rage. "You have pulled some asinine stunts in the past, but this? THIS tops it all. Did I not warn you prior that you were to behave? That every business partner, past, present, future, would be in attendance tonight? Do you have any idea what your little fit has cost me?!"

Tai meekly shook her head, eyes also trained down. Tears threatened to overflow, Tai's furious blinking the only barrier that held them back.

"I have had quite a few prospective clients walk out tonight after what occurred below. Money, lost. I am a laughing stock among my peers. To make matters worse, the press that attended tonight's ball had not yet departed for the evening. I am positive that a video of your tantrum will be broadcast all over Midgar by breakfast tomorrow morning. So in addition to everything else I am going to have to deal with, I shall be ridiculed by simple citizens as well. And it is all because of YOU!" Rufus's fists slammed down upon his desk in a rare show of physical fury. Tai flinched, digging her nails into the palms of her hands and biting her lip to keep a sob from escaping. Skyla silently observed her friend, wishing she could do something to help. There wasn't much, especially since it seemed their boss would be ending her life tonight.

Rufus squeezed his eyes shut tightly, struggling to regain his calm. After a few deep breaths and readjusting his tie, he opened them once more. He continued on, his voice once more composed. "I have debated on whether or not you should retain your job after what happened earlier. Lucky for you, I feel that there is a shortage of Turks and that I am not in a position to lose one, however stupid and inadequate she may be. So here's what is going to take place instead: Tai, you will be permanently removed from the field, unless in dire circumstances, for the next six months or until I see fit that you return. Since you will have more time at your disposal as a result, you will also be in charge of the majority of paperwork that comes from field work by your more successful peers. I will also be placing you under the strictest of observance, not just to make sure that you actually fulfil your duties, but to determine whether or not you and Skyla will remain partners. I am not quite sure that placing you together has been the wisest decision ever made. Your office will be relocated to the furthest point away from your coworkers, so as to encourage productivity. Finally, I forbid you and Reno from any further interaction while on the clock. I obviously cannot enforce this outside of hours, but it is most likely in your favor that you notice it there as well. Skyla, as I told Rude, should Tai slip up, you will be punished as well. If you continue on as her partner, of course." Skyla's hands curled into fists, shaking a bit from her effort to hold herself together. Tai had embarrassed him, she got it, but did everyone really deserve all of this?

"Personal problems shall stay personal. I don't care about your lives outside of ShinRa, so don't bring them in. Should I find out that any stipulation has been breached, this little chat will feel tame to what you will encounter. Now get out of my sight." Rufus nodded towards the head of security, who had been stationed at the door.

"Come with me." He gestured towards Tai, who stared at the ground as she followed. The others all stood rooted to their spots, too stunned by the nuclear explosion that was Rufus. Their attention was brought back to him when he snapped.

"What are you all waiting for? Every last one of you, out." Everyone exited, eager to get away from him for fear of another lashing. Skyla felt her phone vibrate and stealthily drew it out of her bosom. It was a message from Tai, asking her to find one of the expensive earrings she had worn tonight. Apparently she had lost it sometime during tonight's escapades. Skyla quickly typed back that she'd try, and set out to scan the manor.

She found herself in a wing she didn't quite remember. "Damn, I must have made a wrong turn somewhere," she muttered under her breath. She continued walking, hoping she might find some hint of where in the hell she was, when she saw an employee exit a room, a bottle of wine in hand. He noticed Skyla and strode to her with a stern look.

"Ma'am, I'm afraid you aren't allowed down here."

"Relax, I'm a Turk. I'm just making sure everything is running as it should." She stared him down, daring him to say something. He just nodded and muttered something about trying not to set off the president even more. Skyla made sure he'd hurried off before entering the room he had previously vacated, taking in the glorious sight that awaited.

Shelves upon shelves of alcohol sat before her, beckoning her to taste what they held inside their glossy shells. Skyla's eyes grew, just seeing some of the brands that were stockpiled; she could never hope to afford such a stash, not even one a fraction of this size. She pulled several hard liquors down, cradling them in her arms like a newborn.

She found a corner relatively out of view and slid down, settling herself as she opened the first of the many remedies that would soothe her breaking heart. She downed each bottle frighteningly fast, something that was quite uncharacteristic of her. At this point, she didn't care. In fact, she reveled in the path the liquor burned down to her stomach, each drink lessening the pain. After all this time, after all the effort, she had finally climbed the ranks and made it closer to Rufus. But he had made it clear that she'd never have a chance as anything else, no prospect at peeling away the cool exterior he held in place. Didn't he ever want to be close to anyone? Maybe he did, and she just wasn't the one to do it for him because she was an employee.

Rude opened the door, scanning the room before his eyes found the pile of empty alcohol bottles in the corner, next to a slouching Skyla. He had been doing rounds. It was required of all the Turks (minus Tai, who had been sent home, and apparently Skyla) to confirm that all guests had vacated into the main area, where they would soon be taking their leave.

"Skyla, what are you doing?" Rude had strode over and was now towering before her, staring down intently.

"I was just- Tai lost an earring." Skyla was slurring heavily, her eyes glazed over. Rude sighed and helped to drag her to her feet. "I can walk by myself." She jerked away from Rude, stumbling as she made her way out into the hall. Rude walked closely behind, knowing things would not be so simple that she could make it out and back home without some incident occurring. He had to make sure things didn't get worse for the lot of them than they already had.

Thankfully, Skyla made it out onto the steps with no consequence. Rude decided she would be okay on her own, and went to finish his duties. Skyla turned to the valet and asked him to get her ride ready. He nodded briefly, speaking into a microphone on the cuff of his jacket sleeve.

"I'll just… I'll just go wait down here then…" Skyla rambled off to no one in particular. She staggered down the steps that led up to the front entrance of the mansion, struggling to maintain her balance as the ground swirled beneath her feet. Maybe she should stop for a moment…

Right as that thought slowly faltered across her mind, the stone below rushed up with terrifying speed. Skyla shut her eyes, sure that she'd feel the cool surface press sharply against her skin. But it never came.

"Alright, come on, help me out here. It's pretty difficult to lift dead weight, Skyla." A familiar voice grated against her ears. Her eyes snapped open.

"Wha… Da fuck, Reno? Get offa me." Skyla attempted to push him away from her but only succeeded in disorienting herself further. Reno, completely unfazed, never loosened his grip. He pulled out his mobile, mumbling a few short words into it before stashing it away again.

"Listen, I don't want to be with you anymore than you do me. So why don't you make this easy on both of us and just wait quietly until backup gets here, ok?"

"Don't you tell me what to do, you sonna bitch. I'll do whatever the fu-" Without warning, bile forced its way up and out of Skyla, projecting forcibly all over the steps beneath her… and the red head who was keeping her steady. It continued on in this fashion for what felt like forever, but in reality was only about thirty seconds.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Skyla, how much did you have to drink? I can't believe you've managed to get so wasted you're already hurling everywhere." Reno stared down at her, a mixture of disgust and concern mingling in his eyes.

"I… I dunno… I never get sick… Fucking dammit. Don't you dare fucking say a word, notta fucking word." Skyla, even in all her dizzy drunkenness, was completely mortified. She had just thrown up all over her boss's steps, in front of (and on) one of the people she hated most. He would never let her live this down.

Reno shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Chill. It's whatever. I'm beyond caring at this point. Oh good, your escort has arrived."

Skyla snapped her head up at the mention of an escort, thinking that Rufus had come to bid her farewell. But her hopes were dashed when she saw Rude, no doubt wondering what the hell happened after he had left her last, walking out of the front doors instead. He made his way down to her, taking over the task of keeping her upright.

"I don… I don't need anyone to…" Skyla trailed off, incoherent. She had lost her train of thought and didn't really feel like finding it once more.

"I've got her from here. Sorry about the suit."

"She wouldn't be the first chick who's barfed on me." Reno grimaced, remembering the handful of times before that he'd gotten a little too friendly with someone who'd had a little too much.

"You gonna be ok?"

"Man, what the fuck do you think? I lost one of my best fucking friends tonight, with no hopes of getting her back."

Rude grunted, shifting Skyla in his arms to help her down the stairs as a limo pulled up and the driver stepped out. "So you're calling it a night then."

"Not a chance in hell. I'm gonna go home and clean up. Then I'm off to a bar, where I'm gonna get so shit faced I won't remember where I am or why I'm there. Maybe you can find me in some alley way on your way into work tomorrow morning. It'll be just like old times, huh?"

Reno gave a little wave and sauntered off, going to retrieve his own ride. Rude wanted to say something to him, but he didn't know what. What could possibly get through to him at this point? He was concerned for his friend, worried that he was going to do something stupid and get himself killed. But he also knew that if he tried to voice these fears, Reno would either shake them off or blow up on him.

As Rude followed in behind Skyla, the only thing that was really sure after that night was that they were all royally screwed up.

END CHAPTER

Review, favorite, follow, message, eat some grilled cheese, hug an alpaca, whatever. Just do you. And eagerly await the next installation (already in the works, folks!). :D