Reprisal

Author Note: This is a chapter I've had planned in my mind from the beginning. It marks a lot of turning points in the story, and the start of the real 'action'. This is the beginning of the end, as it were, although that won't actually come for a long while.

Chapter Fourteen

"And then Rude walked in, and Elena was standing on the chair screaming her head off, and I was rolling around on the floor in hysterics! And then Rude started laughing, and Tseng came in to see what the noise was…"

"And all because of a spider?"

"Yeah! Man, we never let Elena live that one down."

Tifa giggled and speared some food on her fork. Reno grinned at her from his seat opposite, and stretched, placing his arms on the back of the bench. The bar was almost empty, and they were sitting in a booth in the corner, hidden from view. The barman seemed to know Reno well; he'd brought them a bottle of wine and told them it was on the house.

Reno, insisting he was driving, had only drunk half a glass. The rest he seemed intent on Tifa drinking. Every time she sipped from her glass he topped it up, smiling in what she presumed to be a charming way.

She would have protested, but the wine was good and it tasted sweet, wearing away at the gnawing feeling of despair in the pit of her stomach. She knew he was trying to get her drunk. Based what she'd witnessed of his driving skills she was pretty certain a bottle of wine inside him wouldn't have phased him in the slightest.

He was reckless and cocky and arrogant. But he was also funny in a refreshing way. And he didn't like to dwell on anything. The moment she started getting wound up by his questions he'd change the subject. She found herself grinning like an idiot.

Her stomach fluttered and she forked the food into her mouth, staring at it intently. It looked good, but she couldn't really taste it. The wine was making her head spin, and she was too distracted by the aqua eyes that were smirking at her over the table…

"Tifa?"

"Mmm?" she glanced up, torn out of her thoughts by his demanding tone. He reminded her of a child.

"How's the food?"

"I…" she looked down at it, and decided to go with the truth, "I think the wine's taken over my sense of taste."

"Ah," he smiled knowingly, "That's one step away from loss of faculties."

"And you'd know, would you?"

"Why'd you think me and Rude let Elena come out with us? I'm an expert at getting people hammered."

"So you admit you are actually trying to get me drunk then?"

"Sure. Better than having you drink on your own. That's the worst way to do it. You have no fun while you're drinking. It makes the hangover even more unbearable."

"What makes you think I'm having fun?"

"'Cause you're smiling a lot."

She blushed, and sipped from her drink automatically by way of defence. It was only as she swallowed the smooth red liquid that she realised, and slammed the glass down onto the table, cheeks flushing even more.

"Don't worry about it. I'm not."

She nodded, "Ok."

"So, this week's been pretty shit for me. How's it been for you?"

She raised an eyebrow, mimicking his quizzical expression, "I'm not going to tell you what happened with Cloud. It doesn't matter how much you make me drink."

"I'm not making you drink," he smirked, topping up her glass, "And who said it had anything to do with Cloud?"

"Come on Reno, you'd already worked that out."

He shrugged amicably, and took a small sip from his own drink, shuddering, "True. True. Man, I hate wine."

"Why did you let the barman give it to us?"

"It's free?" he replied, surprised by her question, "I never turn down a free drink."

"And don't I know it," she replied, smiling.

They both carried on eating, and a silence formed between them. But this time it wasn't awkward. Reno sneaked a glimpse at her whilst she was eating, to see her smirking away to herself, staring down at her food.

He shook his head and kicked her under the table.

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied.

She giggled.

"So… where do you want to go after this?"

"Not back to your place, if that's what you're thinking."

He mock glared at her. Damnit.

"It hadn't crossed my mind, actually. I just thought you might want to stay away from the bar for a little longer…"

"I would like that, actually. But I have to get back to the kids."

"Oh…yeah…"

"But it's nice of you to offer."

He smiled at her oddly, making her stomach flutter again. But as soon as the expression formed on his lips it had gone, replaced with his trademark smirk.

"Hey, I'm not a nice person. I'm a Turk."

"I'll bear that in mind."

He grinned back at her, watching the lights twinkle in her eyes as smiled back. They seemed lighter somehow, as if the lights had been switched on in them. Her face seemed rosier too…although, he mused, that was probably the wine.

His PHS began to vibrate in his pocket, and he retrieved it, flipping it open.

"Reno," he barked formally, still nudging Tifa's foot under the table.

"Oh. Hey man, Tseng isn't looking for me is he?"

He mouthed 'Rude' at Tifa, and began to push his food around his plate idly.

"Hey that's great! You won't need it replacing now!"

He paused, and frowned, "What do you mean? Written off? How?"

Reno's face fell more as Rude continued, "Ok man, I'll be there as soon as I can."

As he hung up Tifa's PHS began to ring. She answered it, unsettled by Reno's serious expression.

"Hello…Yes, this is Miss Lockhart speaking. How can I…"

As Tifa listened her face fell, and her fork plummeted from her fingers with a loud clattering sound. It sent food skittering across the table, but Reno ignored it. Instead he stared at Tifa. The twinkle had disappeared from her eyes.

"When? Are they all right? What can I…I…"

Her voice faltered, and she closed her eyes slowly, "Yes, I'll be there right away. Thank you for getting in contact with me…"

She snapped the PHS shut and threw it down on the table as though it would bite her.

"Tifa?" Reno stared at her, concerned.

"That was… the kids… there's been an accident."