A/N:

Kanneola: Your review put a big smile on my face all day. Thank you! I had a blast writing Rufus, and its always fun to explore tangled loyalty webs. I imagine these are issues most Turks would have to grapple with sooner or later. It's not exactly a family-friendly job...

36. Meeting in the Middle

An insistent ringing dragged me up out of sleep. I fumbled for my phone, but it only showed me the time: noon on the dot. When I looked over to the other side of the bed, Reno had lifted his phone to his ear.

"What?" he barked, rubbing his eyes. "What, like now? Oh, for fuck's sake... Yeah. Yeah. Gimme half an hour."

The call couldn't have lasted more than a minute, but by the time Reno dropped the phone on the floor with a long moan, I was wide awake. When he looked over at me, his grimace turned into something like a smile.

"Chill, Fitz. Boss man just wants a chat with me this time."

"What about?"

"Fuck knows," he groaned, crawling out of bed. "Gonna have to meet him in town."

"No rest for the wicked," I mumbled, hugging the pillow under me. It didn't do much to lessen the sting of disappointment.

"You can say that again," he scoffed. "This was s'posed to be my weekend off, first proper one since fuckin' Meteorfall. Wait here while I sort this out. It won't be long if I can help it."

"If you're going out anyway, why don't we just meet up in town once Tseng is done with you?"

"Nah," he said, shaking out the contents of his backpack on the bed. "Don't want ya wanderin' out there on your own while I'm busy."

The embers of my resentment were still quick to flare up. I pushed myself up on my elbows and fixed him with narrowed eyes.

"I've come here all the way from Kalm and you expect me to just hole up in some apartment and twiddle my thumbs? I hope you have a reason for me that's more convincing than some vague goddamn hunch."

Reno frowned and looked on the verge of protesting. Finally he sighed, and nodded.

"Yeah, fair 'nuff. Just... do me a favor and stick to the crowds, all right? Main streets and busy shops, that sorta thing."

I had expected more of a squabble. I relaxed and smiled.

"Fair enough."

We headed into town together. Reno wore jeans and a t-shirt, which I hoped meant that his meeting with Tseng would be brief and unofficial. At the plaza, he gave me a kiss on the cheek, then left me to my own devices. The center of town was not what I would have called bustling, but enough people milled along the avenues leading out from the square that I could follow his advice.

The past few days had taken a toll on me; I found myself peering down every alleyway, looking for threats. Instead I saw figures huddled in the shadows or stumbling around, leaning heavily on walls. Stigma. I counted them at first, but lost track near fifty. I mulled over Rufus Shinra's claim about the Jenova connection, trying to reconcile the sight before my eyes with my memories of James' erratic behavior and his inhuman physical changes. I shivered.

These were likely the same people who would end up as lab rats for Rufus Shinra's Geostigma team, I realized: homeless and vulnerable, with nothing left to lose. Legally, it could all be above board; there had to be dozens, maybe hundreds who would sign any waiver that was put in front of them in exchange for the mere hope of a cure. For all I knew, it was a tried and true tactic for Shinra. How many of Hojo's victims had just been desperate to get out of the back alleys of Midgar?

By now, my footsteps had quickened and my heart was thumping like a galley drum. I knew the signs, knew that senseless instinct to flee all too well. I needed a distraction, a chance to get off these streets and calm myself down before it could get worse.

In my aimless rush, I had ended up on one of the side streets of an avenue I hadn't explored before. I scanned the signs and window displays in search of a peaceful spot to sit down and compose myself. One of the names seemed familiar. My brow creased in thought as I gazed up at the sign of "7th Heaven". Then I remembered the café with the rickety furniture in the main avenue, and the waiter's odd enthusiasm for this place. Now that I stood before its iron girders and lumpish concrete facade, it didn't look terribly inviting, but that could be said for most of Edge. May as well find out if the gushing praise had been deserved.

Inside I had to remove my sunglasses to see anything in the dimness. Once I did, I realized the place was empty. The door was unlocked and I could hear soft music tinkling in the background, but I seemed to be the only customer.

"Can I help you?" the woman behind the bar called to me.

"Are you open?"

She straightened up, smiling.

"We are. It's always quiet on a Sunday afternoon. Are you in the mood for food or drink?"

"Coffee, please." The coffee itself might not calm me down, but the scent of it always brought memories of Reeve's workshop – and lately, of lazy mornings with Reno.

"Sure thing." After handing me the change from a twenty-gil bill, she nodded toward the empty tables. "I'll make a fresh pot, so take a seat. Plenty to choose from."

I sat down at a table in a corner, next to a window. As I waited, I glanced over at the woman. There was something familiar about her, but I couldn't get a good look while she was working behind the counter. I turned my attention to my phone instead and noticed Reno had tried to call.

"Hey, babe," he said when I called him back. "All done with Tseng now. Where you at?"

I couldn't hear anything odd in his voice. I could only hope it meant the meeting had been free of unwelcome surprises.

"Having coffee at a bar near one of the avenues. It's called 7th Heaven, do you know it?"

The line went silent. Just when I was about to call his name, I heard a chuckle.

"Yeah, I know the place. Be there in a bit, yo."

The woman appeared at my table just as I slipped the phone back in my purse.

"Enjoy," she said, placing the tray she carried on the table.

She flashed a smile when I thanked her, then headed back to the bar. The nagging feeling only grew stronger. She was a tad taller than me and far more endowed in the bust department, but what really caught my eye was her thick dark hair, long enough to reach her thighs. I was sure a head of hair like that had caught my eye before.

"Sir Tess!"

The shrill exclamation flung me out of my thoughts. I stared dumbly as little Marlene came bounding across the room, pigtails bouncing. By the time she stood beaming up at me from the table's edge, I had recovered enough to offer a greeting.

"Hi, Marlene. This is a surprise."

"Why?" she wondered with a giggle. "I live here!"

"Is that right?" I asked, trying to keep my voice breezy in spite of the alarm bells going off in my head.

"Uh huh, with Tifa and Cloud."

I froze. I had heard those names before, from Nanaki's tales about his time with AVALANCHE. Before I had a chance to consider this new turn, the barkeep showed up.

"You know Marlene?" she wondered with equal parts curiosity and caution.

Ohh, I so needed to call Reno.

"Um, yes," I stammered, unsure how to explain myself without going into detail. "Elmyra Gainsborough is my neighbor in Kalm."

Her face brightened. "Oh, I see."

"Tess is a knight!" Marlene piped up. "We fought the Evil Dragon King together!"

Despite the awkward situation I found myself in, I couldn't help but smile at the girl's enthusiasm.

"That's right. Marlene is quite the expert on dragon slaying."

"I'll say," the woman said with a fond smile at the girl. "I'll bet she told you all about that play in Gold Saucer, right? Ever since she heard of it, she's been obsessed with knights and dragons."

The front door swung open and she paused and looked around. I glanced over, too, and my stomach did a flip as Reno strolled in. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the woman's hands ball into fists, but before either of us could say anything, Marlene ran up to him.

"Reno!" she exclaimed, tugging on the leg of his jeans. "Hi!"

With a happy grin he obliged, sinking down on his haunches.

"Well, whaddya know? The mighty wizard herself. Zap any dragons lately, kiddo?"

She giggled and shook her head.

"Guess that means ya got the last one good, huh?"

"Uh huh!" Marlene took his hand and pulled. "Come upstairs, I wanna show you something."

His eyebrows shot up to his goggles.

"Uh, I don't–"

The bartender sprung into action. In a heartbeat, she had reached the pair and blocked the way.

"Marlene, honey," she said, drawing her back by the shoulder with a tight-lipped smile, "remember what we agreed? No customers upstairs."

"Aw." The girl's face fell, but only for a second. "Wait here," she told Reno. "I'll be back!"

She ran off through a doorway in the back and soon I heard her stomping up the stairs. The woman rounded on Reno and loomed over him with her hands firmly on her hips.

"What the hell are you up to?"

Reno held up his hands as he straightened up, and the grin on his face shifted into the usual smirk.

"Easy, Lockhart, I'm off the clock. Just a guy who wants a drink, yo."

"How does Marlene know you? Were you the one who kidnapped her?"

I blanched, staring at the two. There was way more bad blood between the Turks and AVALANCHE than I knew of, that much was clear.

With a dramatic sigh, Reno shook his head and spread his arms.

"Always so ready to think the worst of me, eh?"

"How does she know you?"

The woman bit out her question word for word, brimming with anger. Instead of answering, Reno just let his head loll to the side and sent me a toothy grin and a wink. Her eyes grew wide as they flickered between us. She opened her mouth, but Marlene chose that moment to return. As the girl ran over to me, the bartender pressed her lips into a line and grilled the Turk with a hot glare.

Marlene climbed into the seat next to me and set down a sheet of paper, then waved to Reno, beckoning him over.

"Come here, Reno!"

"The man was just leaving, Marlene," the bartender said, fake pep in her tone.

"Aw, please?" the girl pleaded, her shoulders sagging. "I wanna show him the picture."

"Don't worry, kiddo. I've got time for a quick look."

Reno cocked an eyebrow at the bartender, lifting his hands with a shrug, then sauntered past her to our table. She followed, looking just about ready to drag him out by the ponytail, but Marlene's excitement must have reined her in.

"So, whatcha got here?" Reno asked, planting himself in a chair opposite us.

"It's us! All of us."

She beamed at us with pride as he turned the drawing sideways and twisted in his seat for a better look. I craned my neck, taking a peek myself. The red creature with its legs in the air and two black Xs for eyes must have been the dragon. Above it stood three people, raising their arms to cheer.

"That's me, isn't it?" I asked, pointing to the one in red and black with a gray swirl rising from one hand.

"Uh huh, and that's me."

The girl indicated the figure with a white dress and brown hair in the middle. The pink squiggle above her head must have been the ribbon she wore in her braid that day.

"What the– Is that me?"

I bit my lip as Reno pointed to the leftmost one. The long red hair made the answer obvious, but I could understand his hesitation. His likeness wore a pink, puffy princess dress.

Marlene nodded vigorously.

"Am I wearin' a dress?"

"Uh huh."

"Why am I wearin' a dress?"

"Because you're the princess!"

I managed to stifle the first snort, but it was a losing battle. The look on Reno's face was priceless. While I tried to get a grip on myself, his gaping turned into a goofy grin, then a snigger.

"Oh, man," he chortled. "Burned by a five-year-old!"

"Do you like it?" Marlene asked.

"It's awesome, kiddo. Keep it up, yo."

The girl couldn't have grinned any wider if she had tried.

"Okay, Marlene... Time to give our customers some peace," the bartender said. "Take the picture back to your room."

"Okaaay."

As the girl scurried off again, the door opened to admit a couple of new patrons. After a long appraising look at us both, the woman left to serve the other customers.

"Hey, Lockhart," Reno called after her. "Any chance of coffee?"

She paused to give him another simmering look and pursed her lips.

"Fine."

Once she was occupied at the other table, Reno let out a slow breath.

"Well, that went better than I thought. Good thing, too. That woman kicks harder than a crazed chocobo."

I offered him an apologetic smile, squeezing the cup in my hands.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know who owned this place."

"I did, so don't worry 'bout it."

I glanced at her. She was tending to the new arrivals, her back turned to us.

"Maybe we should just go...?"

"Nah, it's cool. Might be good for her to see that us Turks are people too. 'Sides, I just asked for coffee. It'd be rude to leave now."

Even in the dim light of the bar, I could see the mischief glittering in his eyes. I narrowed mine.

"Didn't you claim you don't go looking for trouble?"

He smirked. "I ain't lookin' for trouble here. Just curious."

"You do know that killed the cat, don't you?"

"Don't worry, babe. Ol' Reno's got way more lives than any regular cat, yo."

The bartender showed up, placing a cup of coffee on our table with a little more force than necessary. Reno grinned at her and pulled out a rumpled bill from his jeans pocket.

"Thanks, Lockhart. Don't need the change."

Without a word, she opened the pouch hanging from her waist, counted out a handful of coins and slapped them on the table next to the coffee. Once she had left, Reno blew the hair out of his eyes with exaggerated relief and shot me a conspiratorial grin.

"How did the meeting go?" I asked as he pocketed the gil.

"Fine. The boss man just wanted to go over a few things."

It was a casual remark. I watched him as he nabbed several sugars from the bowl on my tray and dropped them into his coffee. I couldn't read anything off about his body language.

"Anything I should know?"

"Nah."

He leaned back in his chair, folding one arm over the back, then gazed out of the window and lifted the cup to his lips. That was the end of that line of conversation. I tried a different one.

"Is it true what Rufus said about the Geostigma?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

His eyes met mine, then darted over to the woman by the bar counter.

"Far as I know, yeah. Some of it was news to me, tho'."

"Even the part about–"

"Sorry, Doc, gonna have to cut ya off there. Ain't the time and place."

There was no sign of the usual undercurrent of amusement in his voice or in his eyes. So much for that attempt, then. So much for compromise. It was my turn to stare out the window.

"So, this is how it's going to be, is it?"

"I ain't forgettin' our deal, Fitz."

"Funny how it doesn't look that way from here."

He didn't reply straight away. I heard him swallow another swig, then heard the soft clink of the cup touching the table surface.

"Right back atcha. I thought you were gonna try trustin' me for a change."

"You can't just demand trust and expect to get it. You have to earn it."

I kept my eyes aimed at the window. After a while, Reno sighed.

"Wanna know what Tseng wanted? To change the duty roster. After yesterday, he figured it might be a good idea to keep me away from the Prez for a week or two. Nothin' to do with you, 'kay?"

"He could have done that over the phone," I muttered, dropping my gaze to my cup of coffee.

"Yeah, he could've. Guess he wanted to check on me. If I could tell the Prez was puttin' me in line, you can bet your pretty lil' ass the boss man saw it clear as day."

Images from the day before flashed through my head. The stress, the fear, the shock – here, in the now, it all seemed so distant. Distant, but no less real.

"You never said anything," I said quietly. "About him having the Stigma."

"The Prez wants it kept hush."

Snippets I had read about the Geostigma in the papers surfaced one by one, alongside the memories of what I had seen in the newscasts and in the streets. Try as I might to avoid the thought, my mind conjured up images of dark bruises spreading across Reno's pale skin.

"What if you...?"

I trailed off, unwilling to say it out loud.

"Relax, babe. The guy's had it for months. I've been 'round him most of that time, we all have. None of us have caught anythin', not even Tseng."

I swirled the coffee around my cup, thinking it over. The disease had spread at an explosive rate in the days following Meteor's destruction. An incubation period of months didn't fit what little I knew of the disease. That was the problem, though: how little I knew. There was always the risk that it might evolve into something far more virulent, too.

Something struck my hair, then landed in my coffee with a splash. The next second Reno erupted in giggles. I looked up at him, noted the sugar cube in his fingers, and glanced down at my cup. I looked up at him again.

"You put sugar in my coffee!"

That only set off another peal of laughter.

"Y-you... Put sugar in my–" He snorted again, which degenerated into more snickering. "Ifrit's balls," he choked out, clutching his stomach. "Oh, Fitz, you should've seen you face."

His laughter was infectious, it always was. Soon I found myself hunched over with my head resting in my hand, shoulders shaking with my own giggles. It was utterly ridiculous, but it felt good to let go, if only for a minute.

"Oh, man," he said, wiping his eyes. "I needed that. Hey, uh, speakin' of needin' or whatever, when's your ride back to borin'-as-fuck town?"

"At four, from the station."

Reno sobered up and checked his watch.

"'Kay, we gotta get back to the apartment, then."

"Why? There's no rush yet."

"This weekend got all kinds of screwed up, but there's one promise I'm gonna keep, baby." He glanced around, and when he looked back at me, there was a hunger in his smile. "I ain't lettin' ya go back 'til I bend ya over somethin'."

It was abrupt and unexpected, but my muscles below clenched in instant response. The thought of that physical connection, of letting go on a whole other level and feeling the proof that he was alive and well – it made my skin hum with sudden want.

"Planning to send me off with a smile on my face, are you?"

He lowered his half-lidded gaze to my lips, then let it roam down my neck to my chest. Had it been anyone else I would have felt like punching them. When it was Reno, it was jet fuel for my desire.

"Sure am," he drawled as his gaze slowly returned to my face. "I got a rep to keep, y'know. Can't have all those Kalm hicks thinkin' us big city bad boys don't know how to show a girl a good time."

"Just a matter of masculine pride, is it?" I asked dryly, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh huh," he said with an unabashed grin. "Well, that and the fact that I wanna make damn sure you keep comin' back for more, 'specially if we gotta wait a whole friggin' week 'til next time."

We. Next time. Oh, I liked hearing him say those words.

"Think you have enough time blow my mind, loverboy?"

He had watched my fingertips trace the rim of my cup as I spoke, but he raised his eyes to mine as he answered.

"You betcha," he said without missing a beat, his voice now a low purr, "unless you plan to sit here and sip that damn coffee all day."

"Well, in that case..."

I emptied my cup in one swig. With a crooked smile, I got up and sauntered toward the door, letting my fingers trail along his shoulder on the way. I heard the slight hiss as he sucked in a breath, then the scrape of a chair pushed back with haste. My smile grew wide.

A/N:

You know that bit in Advent Children where Tifa answers the phone and says "I remember you" and seems all happy about it? When I realized who she was talking to, my reaction was whoa, wait, what happened here? When did Tifa start being friendly to the guy who dropped a plate on her home? So, here in the "Tessverse" this is the first spark that will eventually have those two end up on speaking terms.