Chapter 13

Phew! This was an interesting chapter to write. I had this entire chapter laid out in my head but once I began to write…it didn't quiet go as I had wanted it to but still. I'm hoping everyone enjoys it!

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)

~ oOo ~

Although she had already settled the confusion within her brain, Amalia was still struggling with the pain in her heart. She knew that she would always choose Reno but these people were her friends.

While they might be my friends, she argued within herself. It could very well be just Tifa who has discovered that I'm with Reno and wants some answers. Or…maybe Cloud spilled the beans and told her everything since the two are together! No, no Cloud wouldn't do that to me, ; especially with something like this…I trust my brother and he promised to keep this between us.

Amalia struggled mentally the entire ride over with what was yet to come. She tightly bound her arms around Reno's waist as he sped from the apartment towards Seventh Heaven in less than three minutes. As he pulled up towards the infamous bar, Reno slowed and eventually parked in front of the door. Placing the bike pedal down, he gently grabbed Amalia's hands and loosened them so he could stand; once he was on his feet, he held his hand out for Amalia to take. Before they opened the door together, Reno gently kissed Amalia's lips and whispered, "I'm right by your side. Whatever happens in there, you still have me. I will never abandon you."

Taking a deep breath, Amalia knew she had psyched herself out the entire time. What she had said to Reno before they was true – she honestly didn't care if her friends agreed with her relationship with Reno. But she did care that they respect her decision, that's all that really mattered to her. Hell, she wasn't that fond of Vincent and Yuffie when she found out they were together but she had set aside her feelings of misunderstanding in order for their relationship to grow. And look at them now, married for almost two years with a baby on theway. Amalia stole a quick glance at Reno as they walked towards the door. I wonder if we'll ever have a life like that. Marriage, a home…kids. Would Reno ever want that? Where does he see in our future together, I wonder?

And before she could ponder her thought any further, Reno grabbed the handle and opened the door, allowing Amalia to enter first. Deliberately turning her head to watch as Reno closed the door behind him, Amalia didn't want to stare into the bar, not wanting to know who was in there. But once the door close, she was left with no other choice and once she turned her head, she immediately wished she could crawl into bed with Reno and hide forever. Every single member of AVANLACNHE stood before her.

Tifa stood behind the bar, ever working as she cleaned some dishes.

Barret was sitting on the bottom step of the stairs.

Cid stood against the far wall, deeply smoking a cigarette as usual.

Nanaki was curled on the floor beneath Barret's feet with Cait Sith sitting still on his back.

Yuffie, with her pregnant belly, was seated at one of the tables with Vincent standing right behind her.

But as she scanned the people within the bar, Amalia's eyes settled on one distinct blonde who stood in the farthest corner away from everyone else. Cloud…

As she continued to stand in her spot, everybody in the room, minus her brother stared her down; the look on each individual was very disdainful. Suddenly, Amalia was fearful to take a step forward but with a gentle nudge in her back from Reno, she took three smalls steps into the center of the bar. Nobody said a single word. Clearing her throat, Amalia looked straight at Tifa. "Hey Tif, I came as fast as I could and called Reno. What did you need us for?"

But Tifa didn't say anything; in fact it was Yuffie to speak first, rather quickly than Amalia had anticipated.

"Oh shut up, Amalia." The pregnant ninja slowly stood to her feet, too stubborn to accept the aid of her husband's hands. Once fully on her feet, Yuffie held one hand against her back and the other on her swelling belly. "You have a lot of explaining to do, missy."

Amalia could feel her eyes widen slightly and from behind, Reno eased his hand around her hip, pulling her closer to him. As soon as he entered the bar, the red-head could immediately feel a difference in the vibe and wasn't sure how Amalia was faring. Looking around the room, every single person in the room switched their gaze from Amalia towards himself. Reno could feel a scowl form on his face. Earlier he had tried to calm Amalia down enough so she wouldn't stress herself, but being in the same room with these people who were giving her looks of disdain made Reno want to take her back to the apartment as fast as he could.

But after a few minutes in an awkward silence, Amalia was finally able to find her voice and speak. "What're you talking about, Yuffie?"

"Seriously Amalia, all this time you came off as the intelligent one…but I didn't think you were this dumb."

Reno's body tensed and he tried to take a step forward until Amalia held her hand out, indicating she did not want him to interfere which surprised the red-head. The entire drive over he had felt that she might want help with whatever was bound to happen, but in that instant, he felt she wanted to take things over on her own – at least for now. Talking a step back instead, he could feel Amalia's body trembled and Reno questioned what was running through her head. Before she could say something, Tifa finally spoke up from behind the counter. Placing the glass she was cleaning onto the counter, the fighter took a deep breath and stated, "Amalia, there is something Yuffie told us today that we need you to clarify. We need to hear the truth from you."

"And what is it exactly you would like me to clarify?"

Amalia watched as Tifa opened her mouth to speak but was beaten when Cid roared from the wall he was leaning against. "Dammit girl, Yuffie fuckin' told us that you're fuckin' miss red-head next to ya." Cid's voice echoed across the bar and as Amalia examined the remaining eyes of the people waiting, she could see the same explanation in there's as what Cid had just stated.

"Hey gramps!" It didn't take long before Reno stepped forward, all more than ready to back his girlfriend. Grabbing his arm, Amalia tried to pull him back but to no avail, Reno was determined to put these people in their place. Although what Cid had said held a somewhat 'truth' within it, it thoroughly pissed him off that Cid would bluntly accuse her of something without knowing that full truth. "What gives your old ass the right to accuse her of something like that?"

"Youngster, don' fuckin' start with me!" Stabbing his cigarette into an ash tray on the table closest to him, he pulled another from his back pocket and lit it, taking in a deep drag before finishing his sentence. "Yuffie was the one who called us and told us wha' she saw. Don' fuckin' blame me, red!"

"Yuffie," Amalia said, turning her attention towards her pregnant friend. "What did you see?"

The young ninja took a deep breath as Vincent placed a hand on her shoulder. "Earlier today Vincent and I watched as the two of you, hand-in-hand, came walking out of Joy's Craft's and saw you walking off down the street."

"Umm…" The blonde scratched the back of her head, unsure of how to proceed with the statement Yuffie just gave her. "You saw the two of us walking around together and you're getting mad at me…?"

"Oh, come on, Amalia! Seriously, you were with Reno." Yuffie emphasized, taking a few steps towards the blonde. "Reno, of the Turks, of all people!"

Any of the people who weren't glancing at Amalia suddenly looked upwards, as well as their mouths – all except for Cloud who still continued to stand off in the distance, away from the current conversation at hand. Standing towards the door of the bar with Reno by her side, Amalia was suddenly sucked into a vortex of people accusing her if what she's done wrong with her life. Placing her fingers against her temples, Amalia rubbed the sudden headache that began pounding on the front lobes of her brain. For what seemed like eternity, the voices echoing inside the room grew until all Amalia could hear was a uniform sound of complaint against her personal life. With an added addition, Reno joined in the conversation of noises and although she wasn't mad at him for wanting to help, Amalia couldn't take it anymore.

"Ok, everybody just shut the hell up!"

The silence that fell upon them was louder than anything that had already been stated.

Looking directly into the eyes of every person in the room, other than Cloud, Amalia finally landed on Yuffie. "Yuffie, we have been friends for a long time now…but what gives you the right to see one thing I did and accuse me of another?"

"Well what the hell gives you the right to go behind all of our backs and fuck the guy who tried to kill us while we saved the planet?!"

Taken back from the ninja's statement, Amalia took a step backwards into Reno who, once again, placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. In a low voice she said, "Just because I'm with Reno…makes you think I went behind your back…?"

Barret finally spoke through as he slapped a hand against his forehead. "Cours' ya did, Amalia. Your sleepin' with the enemy."

Placing a hand over her mouth, she was surprised, yet not surprised at the same time, with the things that were being said. She knew they were still considering Reno as part of the enemy, but after the last few years of actually seeing the new Shinra Company, Amalia simply couldn't see certain things the way her friends did. "I can't even believe that each and every one of you still believes that Reno is the enemy."

Yuffie, Cid and Barret exclaimed, "He's a Turk!"

"And you wanna know something? I don't give a fuck!" Amalia watched as Yuffie's eyes nearly exploded from their sockets. "You want know the truth? The here's the fucking truth!" Reaching for his hand, Amalia intertwined their fingers and stood on her tip-toes, placing a chaste kiss against her lover's lips. From the rest of the room, she could hear the audible gasps from everyone who was witnessing their 'treachery'. Turning back to the audience, Amalia continued to stand up against the people she felt never truly stood for her. "What Yuffie told you about Reno and me was wrong, we're – "

"How could it be wrong? We all know Reno's a womanizer and is only using you for your body!" Yuffie exclaimed.

"For once, Yuffie, you're stubborn, immature assumptions are wrong and you need to accept the facts," Reno was the one to speak for Amalia. He was growing tired of this farce and wanted to leave with Amalia by his side. "Amalia and I have been together. And when I say together, I mean together. As a couple. For four years."

And at that moment, everyone in the room gasped as Yuffie walked the rest of the way towards Amalia and slapped her right across the face.

As her hand collided with the blonde's cheek, Amalia's head turned sharply as her hand immediately went to the attack point. "You…you just slapped me, Yuffie."

"Damn straight I did! How dare you get together with this…this guy?!"

Turning her head towards her attacker, the blonde lifted her hand and placed it against her reddening cheek. "You know, Yuffie, I've kept my mouth shut for all the shit you've caused in the past. I am completely appalled that this bothers you," she pointed the rest of the group across the room. "And the rest of you in here. How can you all stand here and accuse me of falling in love with someone who treats me the way I finally deserve to be treated?"

"So," Cid chimed in, his voice suddenly calmer than she expected. His eyes were filled with an emotion she was unable to read. "You're tellin' us that you're together with red?"

"What Reno said earlier was the truth – we've been together for four years," Amalia said. But before anyone could say anything against her first statement, she continued. "Yes, you heard me – four years. And, no, I have not been hiding this from you but, yes, not one of you even bothered to ask me about my personal life. Not a single one of you. We've all talked about every else in this room: Yuffie getting pregnant, Cid and Shera finally getting married, Barret moving to Edge in the next few months. Hell, even Tifa and my brother finally getting together." Amalia took a deep breath, knowing full well that she was on the brink of tears and once they fell, she would not be able to stop them. "But not one of you ever asked what was happening with me. And you know what? I'm ok with that. Because all this time, I've had Reno by my side," Amalia curled her arm around her red-head's waist as he kissed the top of her head, allowing her to finally speaking the truth that plagued her mind. "And if none of you can respect that, then I don't give a damn anymore."

Yuffie continued to speak as well. "So, you're saying that you'd rather choose him over us? Your friends?"

"You know, Yuffie, you shouldn't be giving me any crap about 'friends' because, uh, if I remember correctly…you were the one who claimed to be a part of our group to save the planet only to steal all of our materia!"

"Oh please, you're still holding a grudge against that?!"

"No, I'm not. But you're being a hypocrite – all of you are! You claim Reno is part of the enemy. Well tough shit because he's not. In the past four years I've been with Reno, I first hand have seen all the improvements Shinra has made. Also, if I remember correctly, the Turks tried to help us several times in the past as well, their most notable being when Sephiroth came back two years ago."

"I cannot believe you would turn against us, Amalia," Yuffie said.

"So…it's perfectly ok for Yuffie to marry a Turk but it's wrong for me to date one?"

"Hey!" Yuffie pointed her finger directly in Amalia's face. "Don't you dare bring my husband into this. You know damn well that Vincent is an ex-Turk. He was on our side from the very beginning."

"Yes, Vincent is an ex-Turk and Reno still works for them. But does it fucking matter?! What Shinra and the Turks do now is nothing related to what they were known for years ago – they've changed and I've witnessed it!"

"Girl, they be lying to you," Barret said.

"How could you be this – "

"She's not lying." A voice that hadn't been heard since Amalia arrived finally spoke. Turning around from his spot in the corner of the room, Cloud turned towards the rest of the crowd, finally using his words to end this catastrophic nonsense. "I've seen it as well; the Turks are not what they used to be. Amalia is right."

The three people who had been speaking the most, Yuffie, Cid and Barret remained flabbergasted. They could not believe that Cloud of all people would stand up and defend Reno of the Turks. "Everyone here is missing the bigger picture – my sister has finally found someone she is truly happy with. I've seen the way Reno treats her." From across the bar, Cloud and Reno shared a glance and within that moment, both males finally came to a non-verbal understanding. "You guys are misjudging the man before you get to know him."

The crowd remained silent for some time, soaking in the information Cloud had just provided. Should they believe what he had just said or go off of what they had initially thought? Reno squeezed Amalia's hand, ensuring her that he was still there and that nothing more was bound to happen. That is, until Yuffie decided to speak up again.

"So where the hell are you going to live?"

Amalia was taken back. She did not expect to hear such a sentence being spoken to her; especially from a little pregnant ninja named Yuffie, who, in which, Amalia didn't even live with. "E-excuse me…? Where will I live…?"

"That's right, you heard me. After everything that's been exchanged today, it's clear that Tifa would no longer want you to live in her bar if you choose that man," Yuffie pointed her finger at Reno. "Over us."

Tifa was finally able to find her own voice as well, her eyes pleading with Amalia's. "Hey now, I never said something like that."

"Tifa, you wouldn't want this liar living with you – she's dating a Turk!" Tifa wasn't sure what to say. It had never crossed her mind to kick Amalia out. Sure, she wasn't all that happy to discover that one of her closest friends was in a relationship with an enemy from her past. But Tifa could recognize something that stubborn Yuffie wasn't able to see; Reno was an enemy from their past and if Amalia could see a difference in him than Tifa wanted to try as well. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't find the right words to describe what she was thinking.

"She'll live with me."

All heads turned towards Reno who turned his gaze directly at the only person in the room who mattered; Amalia. Her eyes were wide as saucers and although this wasn't how he wanted the night to go, Reno couldn't help but feel that this was the best question to ask her at this moment in time. "Amalia, move in with me."

She blinked a couple times, a state of shock written across her face. "W-what did you just say…?" She whispered.

Pulling her close to his body, Reno tipped her chin towards his face. "I want you to move in with me. You practically live there as is and…I wouldn't want anything else."

"Yes," she said quickly. "I'll gladly move in with you."

But to ruin their moment, Yuffie spoke once more. "Well then good riddance! Ugly Reno can keep you 'cause none of us want you here!"

Amalia's mouth fell open yet again, but shut it and held on tightly to Reno's hand, for without it, she might have fallen straight to the floor and cried in that very moment. But her older brother Cloud came to her rescue as he walked towards the couple, his anger gradually rising at the harmful words that were being said to her. When he was close, he spoke loud enough for only the two to hear. "Amalia, is this what you want?" She nodded. "Then be safe." Turning towards Reno he said, "Keep her safe. You have my number if you guys need me and I'll let you know once these guys cool down."

Letting go of Reno's hand, Amalia hugged her brother and said, "Thank you. I'll come by later to get the rest of my things."

"I'll make sure Yuffie doesn't destroy anything."

This made Amalia smile. "Thanks, Cloud."

And now it was Reno's turn to step in as he looked Cloud straight into the eye. "I never thought you'd ever stick up for me."

Cloud patted the red-head's shoulder and with a small smile on his face he said, "Trust me, we'll talk later. Just call when you're ready."

Reno nodded, assuming that Cloud knew what he had been thinking earlier that, while gently tugging Amalia's hand. "Hey, let's get the hell out of here and go home. Our home," he added when he finally saw a true smile spread across her face. She nodded and he grabbed the door handle, allowing Amalia to step forward first. But before she could take a single step out of the bar, she turned back towards the one who started this all.

"Yuffie, I have a few words to say to you."

"Well, I don't wanna listen to a traitor like you."

"Tch, that's fine, you never listen to anyone anyway you stubborn bitch." Behind her, Reno snickered and turned his head before he could fully laugh. "In the last few years that I have known you, you've done some crazy shit and I've always had your back, never saying a word despite what I truly thought. And the one time you discover something about me, you inevitably freak out and throw me under the bus, claiming I'm a traitor."

"Well you are!"

She had enough – there was no way she was going to get through to her pregnant friend. "Yuffie, shut the fuck up! Seriously, for once in your life, grow up! You fell in love with the person who's the father of your child. Am I not allowed that? Am I not allowed the same happiness you were granted? If not, then look around, kiddo, because I don't go slapping people around because they don't match the vision I have in my head." Looking back at Reno, a smiled formed once again on her head. "Whether you like it or not, I'm in love with this man and in the future if you cannot see that he has changed, then I don't want you in my life anymore." And with that, both Reno and Amalia left. As they neared Shiva, they straddled the bike and took off into the distance. Reno wanted to say something towards his lover but he knew she needed this time to think of what happened. Although he felt they needed to talk, Reno would allow her the time she needed.

Back inside the bar, the atmosphere had completely dropped from simply being awkward to one of stone cold silence. Cloud casually walked back towards his usual bar stool, ignoring the looks from the people within the bar, especially the death glare he was currently receiving from Yuffie. As he resumed his seat, Tifa handed him a cold bottle of beer, which he downed in several gulps. Turning around in his chair, he stared straight into the eyes of a furious ninja.

"Cloud, you of all people, were taking Reno's side?!"

He stayed quiet for a moment. "You know why I took his side?" Everyone in the room nodded. "Because I trust my sister and I am appalled that none of you do. Out of all of us in this room, Ashe is the only one who can truly determine a whether a person has changed or not." Holding the bridge of his nose, Cloud sighed. "I agree with what my sister said and if none of you can trust her then just get the hell out of here." Jumping off the stool, Cloud, walking right passed everyone, bound up the stairs towards his bedroom and closed the door, leaving everyone downstairs confused.

Taking a deep breath and braving the silence the fell over Cloud's departure, Tifa spoke and in her motherly voice, advised the rest of the group. "I think…it's time everyone left. " Staring at the other female in the group she added, "Yuffie, I think you went a little too far with this one."

"But Tifa!"

"No buts, Yuffie. Amalia was right – you were given a happiness that, at first, some of us weren't all too sure about. But when she decided to find a happiness that, as far as I can see, finally makes her cheerful, you have to tear it down." Walking away from behind the counter, she turned one last time before heading upstairs to speak with Cloud. "I think all of you need to consider what has happened tonight and look back on what Cloud has said. Is Amalia truly a traitor as Yuffie claims or are we the traitors to Amalia?"

~ oOo ~

As soon as they had left Seventh Heaven, Reno raced through Edge wanting to be rid of the people he had been surrounded for the last hour. Sitting behind him and tightly embraced her arms around his waist, Amalia had yet to say a word. Not sure what she was thinking or where she wanted to go, Reno simply drove around Edge, but once he realized the speed he was currently at, he had made his way towards the outskirts of the city. Driving around the city several times, the red-head decided that they needed some alone time; but that alone time included being away from people in the city.

Leaving the area he had just arrived to, Reno circled and completed a one-eighty, turning in the same direction he had just come from. He wanted Amalia to feel safe and secure and at that moment, Reno didn't think she could handle any people. So, deciding he wanted to take her to one of her favorite spots in the area, the red-head arrived upon a cliff overlooking the city he had just left. Turning the engine off, Reno continued to sit on the bike, hoping that Amalia would realize that they stopped and that –

"Reno…? Where do you drive off to?" He heard Amalia whisper behind him and realized that her sentences sounded slightly slurred.

"Did you decide to fall asleep?" He asked.

"Not really. I closed my eyes and am leaning against your back so I can't really talk."

So that's why she wasn't really saying anything, Reno thought.

Amalia leaned back away from Reno and as she opened her eyes, she realized they were residing by the cliff – Zack's cliff. "What made you decide to bring us here?"

"Thought you might like some silence; away from people in Edge. Also, I thought it might be the best place where we can talk about what's happened." Throwing her leg over the bike and standing, Amalia walked off towards the edge of the cliff and sat down, letting her legs dangle off the side of the rock. Reno soon joined her and the two truly sat in silence for a few minutes.

As the couple looked across the afternoon sky, they noticed the sun slowly lowered in the sky, not quite close to nightfall but no longer residing as the afternoon. Not sure where to start their conversation, Amalia grabbed Reno's hand in hers and squeezed. She breathed deeply, unsure of how to feel despite the fact that she had basically been abandoned by her friends simply because she had found a happiness she had never justly felt before.

I guess this is what I deserve after all, the blonde mentally lectured herself. I did in fact hide my relationship with Reno from everybody, but…was I actually hiding it? Or was what I told Elena a few days ago the truth? That I went along with my life and if my friends found out that I wouldn't care? Dammit, I am so confused. I don't even know what to believe anymore. She took a deep breath and every now and then, clutched their hands tighter. In the end, does that all matter? My love for Reno has never once faltered and neither has my judgement about Shinra or the Turks. I guess…if I lose my friends from AVALANCHE I could live, I have made new friends at Shinra, surprisingly.

Before she could mentally converse with herself any longer, Amalia was sidetracked when Reno began to speak for the first time since arriving. "Hey, are you blaming yourself at all, for any of this?"

"Umm…not exactly. More like questioning whether this is my just reward for hiding our relationship."

Reno turned his head towards her and she continued to stare ahead. "And do you really believe any of that?"

She chuckled to herself. "Honestly? I'm not entirely sure. I'm trying to tell myself that it doesn't matter since my love for you is strong and true. But I guess I'm slightly guilty that there might be a part of me that did want to hide the fact we're together."

It was Reno's turn to sigh as he looked back across the cliff. "If we're both being honest here then…I was perfectly ok with you keeping our relationship a secret."

"What? Really?" Now it was Amalia's turn to gawk at the red-head. "All this time you were seriously ok with that?"

"Well why not? I'm aware of the type of person I was and who I have connections with. Look, Amalia, does that all really matter now? After the last couple hours we've had, I personally think we're in a better place. Everyone knows and now we can resume our lives without having to worry about someone discovering us and causing a dramatic scene – because that already happened and so it's out of the way."

Reno was awarded with Amalia genuinely laughing now. Wrapping an arm around her he pulled her close as she rested her head against his shoulder. "Reno…did you really mean what you asked me back at the bar? That you want me to move in?"

"Of course I did. Do you doubt me now?"

"No, not at all! I'm sorry I guess…I'm still slightly in a state of shock. My friends have basically deserted me because I have a difference in opinion then they do…I guess I'm just scared that you only said that to prove a point towards everyone."

"No," Reno whispered, understanding her meaning. "I was being serious. Amalia Strife, I want you to move in with me." Pulling her away from his shoulder, Reno cupped her cheek, wanting her to know that he was being sincere and honest. "I honestly wish it didn't have to come to this with your friends but…I think this was meant to be. Please, Amalia, move in with me. At least, move in the rest of your stuff because, if I remember correctly, you stated that you have more clothing at my apartment that you do at yours."

"Reno, I'm sorry. I never wanted to doubt you but, once again, yes, I'll move in with you." She leaned forward and kissed her red-head as he slid his hand behind the back of her head. The mouths linked in unison as Reno pushed his tongue forward, granted access as Amalia opened her mouth and their tongues collided. Placing his hand on her lower back, Reno pulled Amalia as close as he could, wanting more of her than he was allowed to take in that particular moment and when a sudden bulge appeared in his nether regions, he pushed back and abruptly stood from the ground. Holding his hand for Amalia to take, which she did, he pulled her up as well and crashed her body into his.

"Do you think we should finish this back at our place…?"

Amalia smiled even more as she stood on her tip-toes and whispered into his ear, "Then you better race home."

Within a few seconds, Reno had magically placed Amalia into her spot on Shiva and was racing back down the path towards Edge. It had been maybe an hour since Reno had originally left Seventh Heaven and in that time, he and Amalia had agreed that there was nothing they could do about her friends. They had their opinion and she had hers. But Reno couldn't shake the feeling that there was more he could do.

Which brought his memory back to earlier in the day when he was about to ask his lover a very serious question.

Looking back, Reno, personally, was glad Rufus had called at the moment he did. Although the red-head was going to ask Amalia for her hand, Reno now felt that it was better that she he didn't. With her friends treating her as if she was a traitor, Amalia had enough on her plate as is, especially with the nonsense that was happening back at Shinra Headquarters, though she was still unaware of what was occurring. As he drove back into the city, Reno sucked in a deep breath and gently blew it out. Earlier, Rude's voice had echoed through Reno's mind, asking when he was finally going to marry Amalia and it still was; the red-head was unable to shake the question from his head.

I can't simple ask her now. No. The best thing right now is to move in together – take our new relationship one step at a time. Once all this nonsense with her friends calms down I think I'll do it then. She needs to be able to breathe knowing that she doesn't technically need to hide our relationship anymore. She can now be free and open that we're together.

Turning his head slightly towards the female clutching her arms around his waist, Reno smiled, knowing that she wouldn't leave him. Amalia would stay with him forever. And for Reno, that meant he had enough time to think about when to ask Amalia and how. For now, Reno was content with simply living with her. He didn't want to rush anything – this was all new to Amalia just as much as it was new to him.

And Reno was unquestionably certain that he didn't want to screw up the chance to finally achieve the happiness he sought to deserve.

~ oOo ~

All along I had wanted to place a chapter in here that had nothing but verbal fighting and I hope I achieved what I wanted. I tried my hardest to ensure that everyone stayed within character but I might've gone a little OOC with a few such as Cloud and Yuffie. Sorry – I'm not a big fan of Yuffie so I personally wanted to portray her as someone who is still slightly immature. But that's just me!

Please read and review, I would love to hear what everybody thought of this chapter!

Chocobocolina ~ out! :3