Chapter 16

Hello – I am back! Did anyone miss me…? I'm so sorry about not posting anything in the last few months. It's been difficult to find the time to write – I've been spending all my time working on my Graduate Thesis because I graduate less than two months from now. Clock's ticking!

Anywho, here is the next chapter. It's getting feisty! Hope everyone enjoys!

Disclaimer: Reno does not belong to me. It will never happen…

~ oOo ~

Several weeks flew by for Amalia; she was falling into a rhythm in her newly formed life with Reno that she didn't see each day drift away. The day she had been attacked – again – had come and gone, and with it, Amalia fully moving in with Reno. It had taken a few days before Cloud stated Yuffie had left, in which she eagerly fetched any remaining clothes and anything special she wanted to grab and establish in her new home. Cloud, still being supportive of her relationship with Reno, occasionally messaged the two and kept them up to date in regards to the other group members. Yuffie was still, as Cloud stated, "mad as hell," with Vincent silently by her side, but her older brother knew his feelings were not aligned with those of his wife; Barrett and Cid were beginning to rethink their original thoughts and had spoken with Cloud since the last time they had seen Amalia and expressed their misjudgments.

With the passing of the weeks, Tseng and Rude returned from their mission to inform Rufus that, despite their efforts and everything they had done, both Turks could not find any piece of evidence to support their theory. Rufus was the one to inform Reno, and when he did, the red-headed Turk suggest that Amalia work for Shinra and accompany him to work – mainly so he could keep an eye on her. Rufus obliged to the idea, though he still allowed Reno to take another week off before returning to work to spend some alone time with Amalia. She didn't question anything, and almost two weeks after she had been attacked, Reno and the rest of the Turks returned to work in their main Headquarters in Edge, with Amalia joining three times a week; Reno could not get her join him every day he was there, but was thusly informed that she would also be assisting Cloud more with his delivery business. Though she wouldn't be with him constantly, Reno was still thankful that, if she wasn't with him, at least she would be with her brother.

Thinking back on everything that happened, Amalia stood in the front room of the empty bar, a glass of water grasped firmly between her hands. Scuffing her feet against the floor, Amalia questioned where he brother was. After Reno left for work that morning, Cloud has sent her a message asking to stop by the bar and the moment she arrived, she realized that she was the only one there – so she had decided to wait. Groaning, she looked at the clock and realized that she had been there for nearly half-an-hour and still no sign of her brother. Taking her glass with her, Amalia began to pace the floor before walking upstairs towards the small room Cloud used for an office. Inside, the room had become more of a professional office than it did several years ago. Walking up to the desk, Amalia took one last drink of her water before setting it down and pulling the small calendar out from one of the drawers. Look down at the weeks that had passed, the female counted twelve weeks since she had moved out; this made her smile. With Reno, time flew by but also slowed down. She was never lonely, never sad and always had someone to go home too who made her laugh; it was an experience she had been waiting a long time for and made her smile knowing that she would see it tonight when she went home. Mmm, home…I like the sound of that…even though he works, Reno and I still have PLENTY of time together. Speaking of which, I wonder if he'll have time tonight to…

But suddenly, Amalia leaned forward, one arm resting on the desk while the other clutched her stomach.

Taking deep breaths, Amalia squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to stop the dizzy spell that had suddenly overridden her senses. Several moments passed before she was able to stand without the unexpected wave of nausea coursing through her body.

Still breathing slowly, Amalia began to think out loud. "Well, that was…interesting. I wonder what the hell could've caused that. Wait…?" Quickly grabbing the calendar one more time, Amalia scanned the last several dates but sighed, her lips lifting at the edge of her mouth.

"Ashe? Are you here?"

Glancing up, Amalia placed the calendar back onto the desk and grabbed her water before walking down the stairs. Standing on the last step, she saw Cloud, Tifa and the kids walk through the door; her brother turned, saw her, and smiled. "What're you doing here so early?"

Raising an eyebrow, she said, "What am I doing here so early? What're you doing here so late? You told me to stop by so I came over after you messaged me."

Heading in her direction, Marlene and Denzel ran up to her, each giving her a quick hug, before running up the stairs towards their room. Amalia watched them go before turning back to her brother. "Check your phone," was all he said. Pulling out her phone, there was indeed, another message from her brother stating:

Stop by the bar in about an hour. Taking Tifa and the kids to lunch.

"Oh." Putting her phone back in her pocket, she shrugged her shoulders and drank the rest of her water. "Eh, that's ok. So what's up?" At the faucet, she turned on the tap and refilled her drink as Cloud grabbed a beer from the fridge.

"We have an important delivery next week."

"Oh, sounds good! What kind of delivery?"

Tifa, who was still standing by the door, questioned, "Amalia, do you remember what next week is?"

Turning in her direction, Amalia replied, "Next week? Hmm, other than the delivery Cloud was just stating, it's…ah! No…" Looking at her brother, Amalia scowled. "It's our Birthday!"

"I know," was all he said as he guzzled down his beer and avoided the stare he was receiving from his sister.

"But…but…but!"

"Amalia, I tried to rearrange the dates, but there's nothing I can do. If you don't want to help, I understand. But I won't be here on that day."

Sighing, Amalia took a drink of her water, hating the situation but understanding the predicament her brother was in. "Ugh…I can't be selfish and do that to you. What time do you need me on our birthday?"

"I think around noon should be good."

"I hope you know I'm not happy about this."

"Oh, I know you're not happy about this."

"Good. Then you'll be the one to tell Reno I won't see him on my birthday."

Spitting the contents of the beer from his mouth, Cloud stared open mouthed at his sister. "There is no way I am telling your boyfriend that you have to work on our birthday."

"Oh, come on Cloud I was just joking! I'd never ask you…to…" The scent of Cloud's discarded beer drifted through her nose; Amalia could taste the essence of the alcoholic drink as it seeped into her body. The smell alone was enough to send her nerves over the edge as she scrunched her nose, the smell creating havoc to the inside of her body. Clutching her stomach again, the glass of water fell from her weak grip and shattered on contact with the floor. Dashing towards the bathroom at the base of the stairs, Amalia barely had enough time to make it towards the toilet before unleashing the contents swelling from within her throat. From the other room, she could hear Tifa speaking with Cloud, but her brother was immediately by her side, pulling the long tresses of hair away from her neck and rubbing circles on her back.

"Tifa! Get Ashe another glass of water!"

Oh for the love of god this is disgusting! Amalia thought as she continued to heave over the toilet bowl, her stomach performing summersaults and backflips.

With the last contents released from her stomach, Amalia still held her position and only turned away when she could her Tifa's motherly voice behind her. "Oh Amalia…here. I brought you more water and a towel." Nodding her head, Amalia cleaned her lips and greedily drank the clear liquid that attempted to wash away the burning taste of bile from her throat. When her breathing somewhat returned to normal, she looked up at her brother and reached for his free hand, wanting to stand on her feet. But as she began to move, the blonde could feel her stomach churning and she had to turn to the safety of the bowl one last time before cleansing her stomach of more anomalies.

Ten minutes later and after spending two more times emptying whatever remained in her stomach, Cloud carried his sister up towards his room and gently laid her on the bed. Tifa followed on his heels, placing a damp cloth on her forehead and brought some crackers that would, hopefully, settle her stomach. After the third time she had spent lurching over the toilet, Amalia protested, saying she was fine, but when the fourth time came, she caved. Curling onto her side, Amalia's body felt tense, but other than that, her stomach felt better.

Glancing up, Cloud stood by her side while Tifa took a seat on the edge of the bed, her martial fists softly gracing Amalia's forehead, seeking any signs of a fever. The seconds ticked by before Tifa replaced her hand with the damp cloth. "Hmm, you don't feel warm, so I don't think you're getting sick."

"I know I'm not sick." Amalia protested.

"Says the girl who spent four times in the bathroom throwing up whatever your tiny body could hold."

"No, trust me guys, I feel better." Tifa exchanged a look with Cloud who shook his head. "I know you guys don't believe me but I know why I'm sick."

Looking back at Amalia, Tifa leaned forward and whispered, "Amalia…are you…?" She changed her direction towards Amalia's midsection.

"Huh? Oh, no, no! I'm not! Dear god woman, I'm sick off of old food I ate last night!"

"Food?" Cloud questioned.

"Yes, food. A few days ago, Reno bought some Wutai takeout and it was accidentally left out on the counter all night and it didn't get put into the fridge until we went to bed. Well, I wanted Wutai food yesterday for lunch and decided to have the remaining leftovers from the other night. I'm sick because of that."

"Are you sure?" Tifa asked, but she knew that Amalia was telling the truth.

"I am sure. Trust me, even Reno told me to be cautious about the food but I was so hungry I didn't care what I ate. I'm probably just having a reaction off that."

"You said you had it for lunch yesterday?" Amalia nodded and Cloud scratched his head. "So it took almost a full day for you to be affected."

Tifa joined in. "It probably wasn't bad enough to affect her as quick."

"Hmm…" Amalia could tell that Cloud was still worried but, as usual, he let it slide. Until… "Promise me one thing."

"Ok?"

"I'll call Reno and explain what happened but he has to be the one to drive you home. What time does he get off?"

"Depends on whether he gets his assignments done but…" Looking at the clock on the nightstand, Amalia added, "He should be off in the next few hours."

"I'll call him. You just try and sleep until then." Cloud left the room, phone in hand as he dialed Reno's cell. Tifa followed her boyfriend out and as Amalia watched the two leave, she scoffed at her brother requesting her to sleep. But as she heard the door shut softly, leaving her alone, she snuggled into the bed and was out within the first few seconds.

~ oOo ~

"… – he? Ashe? Baby, you need to wake up."

Groaning, Amalia twitched from her position. She could feel a hand tracing along her jaw, the sensation was comforting and, gradually, she was able to maneuver her eyes to open. When her slits opened, Amalia's vision was at first blurry, but eventually everything formed into their original shape, and she could see clearly. The hand she sensed earlier cupped her cheek and Amalia turned her head just enough to see Reno sitting on the edge of the couch.

"Ashe, are you awake?" Nodding her head, Amalia reached for Reno's hand and he assisted her into a sitting position. Although her body still felt a little tense, her stomach was much better than before – although, her stomach was growling from hunger. Wrapping her hair over one shoulder, she rubbed her eyes, still trying to wake from her deep slumber. When she felt that her eyes could fully open, Amalia looked straight into Reno's and smiled. "There's my angel."

"Reno…? What're you doing here?"

"Cloud called a few hours ago and said that you had gotten pretty sick. He said you'd be fine here and told me to pick you up when I got off." Taking the cloth off her head, Reno checked to see if she had a fever. Tifa had stated that she didn't have one earlier, and Reno could tell that she still didn't. Sighing, he leaned forward and kissed her head. "Baby, how're you feeling now?"

"I'm…better than before. My body is a little sore and I'm hungry. But not like before. How long have I been out?"

"Your brother called about three hours ago, so I would assume you've been asleep since then." Amalia nodded, her senses beginning to come alive again and she braced her hand on Reno's leg as she stood. "Can we go home? All of a sudden I just got homesick…"

"Anything. We'll take the bike and be home in no time." Nodding, Amalia tried to step forward, but quickly lost her balance and fell into Reno. Laughing softly, he held Amalia's shoulders and straightened her out. "Ok, though you seem to be awake, your legs are still asleep. Come on, it'll be quicker this way." Picking her up bridal style, Amalia squeaked as Reno carried her through the apartment and downstairs into the bar; luckily, the bar wasn't open for several more hours so no customers could see her predicament.

Cloud and Tifa stood near the counter, with Tifa cleaning any remaining dishes from the previous night. As soon as Reno walked down the stairs, the couple turned to look up at them and Amalia waved towards her brother.

"Oh, she's finally awake. How'd you sleep?"

Reno answered for her and said, "Like a rock. You know how long I was up there; it took me forever to get her awake."

"Oh, bite me, I got sick."

"And wasn't I the one who told you not to eat the Wutai leftovers?" Reno and Amalia stared into each other's eyes, waiting for the other to back down. When neither did, they both smiled, with Reno adding, "Next time, just listen to me, ok? I've lived off of Wutai takeout a lot longer than you have."

"Yeah, that's true."

From behind the counter, Tifa was openly laughing while she finished cleaning the remaining dishes; without even looking up at the two, she could imagine the looks on their faces. Despite everything that had happened within the last few weeks, she had come to terms with Amalia being with Reno. She agreed with Cloud that, although she didn't fully accept that it was Reno and he was a Turk, she was ultimately happy that they were happy together. And from that day several weeks ago and that afternoon, the martial artist could tell that Amalia and Reno were perfect for each other. The way he sounded worried over the phone when Cloud called him and even the way he reacted when he finally appeared at the bar. Smiling, she said, "Make sure she drinks plenty of water too. She'll become dehydrated if she doesn't."

"Yes mom," Amalia replied in a mocking tone, but looked over at Tifa and mouthed thanks in her direction; Tifa smiled once more.

"Alright, well I'm gonna take this one home. You ain't doing anything tonight except eat soup and watch TV." Reno proceeded towards the front door as Cloud and Tifa watched them leave.

"Does that mean you'll take care of me? Waiting on me hand and foot?"

"If it'll make you feel better, then yes."

"Then I think soup and TV sounds pretty nice."

~ oOo ~

Although Amalia stated that her stomach felt better than earlier, Reno still maneuvered the bike through Edge slower than usual until they reached the apartment; at that time, Amalia could walk on her own, but Reno clasped his arm around her shoulder to keep her steady. As they made their way towards home, Amalia's suddenly grasped her stomach and leaned into Reno's shoulder. "Hey, everything ok?"

"Yeah…" She held a hand over her mouth.

"Oh no, ok, hold let me open the door!"

"No, Reno, it's ok!" The red-head turned towards Amalia just as he inserted his key into the lock. "I don't need to…you know. I told you at the bar, I'm really hungry! My stomach was growling."

"But…you held your hand over your mouth! Usually that indicates…"

"Sweetie, you know how sometimes when you feel so hungry that you suddenly become nauseous?" He nodded. "That time is now."

"Oh. Ohhh, ok, well give me several minutes and I will heat you up some soup." Opening the door, Reno told Amalia to enter first. "Why don't you go and put on something comfy while I make you dinner?"

"Sounds good." Giving Reno a quick peck, Amalia trudged upstairs, noticing that her movements were suddenly slow and sluggish but once she reached the stop of the stairs, she all but collapsed onto the bed. But, food and TV with Reno sounded better than going back to sleep. Heading into the closet, Amalia tore off her jeans and shirt, replacing said clothing with a pair of shorts and the baggiest sleepshirt she had, with a front logo which said TURKS RULE (a gift from Reno several years earlier). Once her socks were on her feet, she headed back downstairs to find Reno placing the fully cooked soup into bowls from the pan he had cooked up. Walking into the kitchen, Amalia leaned against the sink but sniffed the air.

"Oh, that soup smells good."

"I know, yo. So, we eat wherever you feel comfortable. At the table or on the couch?"

"Couch; we can watch TV too. Here, let me help." Amalia tried to grab for the bowls but Reno swatted her hand away. "Nope, I don't think so. I told you at the bar: soup and TV – that's all you get to do tonight. So please baby, go sit on the couch, let me take care of you."

Smiling, Amalia's heart swelled. She knew Reno would always take care of her, but this was the first time she had gotten "sick" while living together and it was, despite being sick, romantic to see Reno wanting to wait on her hand and foot. Standing on her toes, she placed a kiss on his cheek and he smiled too. "Wait, no kiss on the lips?"

"I didn't think you'd want a lip kiss. Remember, I've puked four times today."

"True, don't wanna taste any of that." Amalia swatted his arm before taking her position on the couch. Reno appeared with her bowl and a glass of water only to disappear for his bowl. Reno turned the TV on and tried to find something to watch, but when nothing grasped their interest, he inserted a movie instead.

Heeding Reno's words, she ate slowly and cautiously. Though she had a feeling she wasn't going to become sick again, she didn't want to take any chances by quickly devouring the liquid meal. Each bite she took felt amazing in her mouth and by the time Reno was on his third bowl, Amalia was still on her first. Roughly thirty minutes into the movie, Amalia had just finished the last bite and Reno set the bowl on the coffee table. Wanting to cuddle into Reno and finish the movie, the blonde was suddenly taken over by a strange feeling; first it coursed through the pit of her stomach and gradually risen towards her throat. At that moment, the only thing she could mutter was "oh god" before rushing towards the closest bathroom.

Reno was on her heels and pulled her hair back as she emptied the newly placed contents of her stomach. Tears formed in her eyes and ran down her cheeks; Amalia didn't know when it would end. Her stomach hurt and as she firmly clutched the toilet bowl, she prayed to the Lifestream to make it stop. Several minutes passed before she could lean back, and when she did, Reno had grabbed the hand towel and wet the corner just enough to wipe her mouth. Weakly, she tried to move his hand away but he hushed her, repeating soft and gentle words to her. Nodding, Amalia allowed Reno to care for her in a way she hadn't been treated since the last time she had seen her mother. Her stomach was still upset, but the waves of nausea calmed – at least for the time being.

Quickly leaving, Reno grabbed her water and squatted in front of Amalia, instructing her to drink. Unlike earlier that afternoon, she took small sips here and there; the coolness of the liquid dissolving any leftover bile and soothing her now raw throat. When he was done, Amalia turned her head away and Reno put the glass on the counter. "How're you feeling?"

"Stomach icky…" was all she could mumble.

"I think it's time to go to bed."

"But it's too early, you'll be wide awake."

"I don't care." Picking her up, Reno carried Amalia upstairs and gently eased her into her spot of the bed. Retrieving a hair-tie from the bathroom, her carefully braided her thick locks in case she had any spells throughout the night. Pulling the blanket over her, Reno traced the contours of her face as Amalia looked into his. He placed a longing kiss on her forehead and by the time he pulled away, she was sound asleep.

Early the next morning, Amalia opened her eyes to find the sun blazing through the blinds of their window. With enough memory of last night, Amalia came to the conclusion that she had slept hard enough that she had stayed in the same position all night – on her side facing the edge of the bed. Stretching her legs out, she flew her hand to Reno behind her, only to find the spot vacate, the sheets barely warm to indicate that he had been gone long enough. Gently, as not to disturb her stomach, Amalia sat up on the bed and stretched her arms over her head. Though still a little sore, she felt better than she had after she had taken a nap at Cloud's. Bracing herself onto her legs, Amalia walked downstairs and found Reno on the couch watching the news. At the sound of her feet, Reno looked to find Amalia and stood to join her.

"Hey, I think you should go back to bed."

"Why?"

"Because you got sick again last night."

"But I feel so much better this morning."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I heard those words yesterday as well."

"I promise Reno!" Sitting on the couch, Amalia took Reno's hand and cuddled into his side. "I promise, I feel much, much better. All I wanna do is cuddle with you."

Sighing, Reno wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. He had a knack for knowing when Amalia was being truthful and, in that moment, she was. He couldn't deny her anything and, though he tried to tell her what to do, Amalia would do what she wanted. She was headstrong in that manner.

"So what're your plans for today?" Her question pulled his mind out of his thoughts.

"I actually need to go into work today. Yesterday I told Rufus you were sick and he said I could go home early, and I did. But there's something I need to finish before the weekend." Looking down at her figure, Reno kissed the top of her head, already knowing her answer. "Wanna go in with me? You can see Elena."

"Yes! I wanna see Elena!" Reaching forward, Amalia kissed Reno's cheek with such force that her lips formed a POP when she pulled away. "Oh don't worry, I also wanna go in just to be with you."

"Oh sure, thanks." He smiled and pulled her up as he stood from the couch.

They made their way into the shower and, after spending a considerable amount of time with each other, they stepped out of the tub when the hot water decided to freeze on them. Reno donned his usual Turk attire – black slacks, black suit jacket with an untucked white shirt – while Amalia chose jeans, her ankle boots and a basic blue shirt. Once ready for the day, the blonde and the red-head traveled down their apartment building and raced away towards the new Shinra Headquarters on the opposite side of town. Around eleven, Reno maneuvered Shiva into the small parking lot off to the side, already noticing the other cars parked there – everyone was already at work.

Though she spent several days a week working within the same office as Reno, it still amazed her to see the new Headquarters. When Rufus was still in hiding several years ago, they used Healen as their office, but when Amalia and Cloud defeated Sephiroth for the second time, Rufus was healed of his Geostigma and ordered the construction of the new building. As she walked out of the elevator and stepped onto the floor that belonged to the Turks, Amalia compared the old Headquarters to the new one. Yep, the new one is much better. It doesn't have that "We're controlling you and this city with mako!" kinda vibe anymore.

Right outside the elevator sat Tanya, the main secretary for the Turks. Reno waved in her direction as did Amalia, who earned a smile in return. As they maneuvered the office, Amalia gradually drank the coffee Reno had purchased down in the lobby; at first it was delicious, but the more she drank, the more bitter it became, causing Amalia's face to cringe with every drink. Handing it to Reno, he greedily consumed any remaining liquid then tossed the cup in a nearby trash can.

Once they walked down through the hallway and into the specifically large office which housed a desk for each Turk, Reno sat down in his seat and counted down from five. 5…4…3…2…1…

"AMALIA!"

The blonde had just sat on the corner edge of Reno's desk before she was trapped by the arms of the other blonde she was friends with. From behind, Elena squeezed her friend with as much strength as she could muster and squealed; obviously excited to have another girl in the office once again. Turning within the arms still wrapped around his midriff, Amalia threw hers around Elena's neck and the two girls squealed with delight.

"Amalia it's been too long!"

"I know it has! Feels like forever."

And from the desk behind the two blondes sat the fiery red-head who sat in awe at the spectacle before him. "You two do realize that it's only been…two, three days since you've seen each other!"

"Oh, what do you know Reno! In girl world that's like…forever!" Elena stuck her tongue out at the red-head whilst he did the same; with the best friend and girlfriend in the middle, Amalia simply shrugged her shoulders and resumed her spot on the edge of the desk. "Right, Amalia?"

"Huh?"

"You agree with me don't you? That's it's literally been forever since I've seen you?"

Switching her gaze between Elena and Reno, Amalia choice the only option she could think of. "Let me put it this way, both of you; this is how I see it. Elena and I haven't really seen each other because of all the random missions Rufus has sent you on and in the last few weeks, I've moved in with Reno and we've started to begin our life together. So, therefore it technically does seem as if it has been forever since we've really done anything together."

"Good god woman, it's only been two days since you were last here!"

Craning her neck off to the side, Amalia noticed Rude and Tseng appeared from Rufus' office, with Rude stating the comment that had just been spoken. Shaking her head, Amalia rebottled Rude's statement with, "Hey, I'm simply trying to please these two knuckleheads over here!"

"Hey!" said knuckleheads stated at the same time. Reno and Elena glared at each other as the blonde crossed her arms and turned her head away.

"She was talking about you, you know," Reno stated slyly, as he placed his dirty work boots onto his desk. Cockily, he draped both arms over his head and winked in his girlfriend's direction.

"Oh, geez…" Amalia whispered as she tried not to laugh.

"Tseng, has Reno arrive yet? Or is that just Elena talking with herself again?" Amalia could hear Rufus' voice before he appeared from his office doorway. Elena was trying to tell her boss what his comment did to her but, as usually, he pretended to listen whilst ignoring her. Spotting the couple at his desk, the boss smiled and beckoned Reno and the other Turks to follow him; but he wouldn't ignore the blonde.

"Amalia, as usual, it is good to see you."

Nodding her head, she replied, "And you, Rufus."

"I need to have a small chat with everyone, mind if I bother Reno for a few minutes?"

"Nah, go for it, I know you'll remind him that he should be wearing cleaner boots when he comes into work."

"Hey!" Reno sat straighter in his chair as he hid his boots from view. Flattening any wrinkles he noticed with his shirt – which, by the way, was one he picked off the floor earlier that morning – clearly stated, "I think the boots represent the best qualities that I have."

"And that would be, what? An outer representation of how dirty you are on the inside?" Everyone in the room began to bark with laughter as Reno cocked his head from side to side. Standing to his feet, Reno slowly walked around the edge of the desk while the other Turk members wiped tears from their eyes – other than Tseng who so desperately tried to keep his manicured composure. Reno, now looking down into the face of a giggling Amalia, picked her up by her hips and threw her over his shoulder.

"Reno!"

"That was uncalled for missy, I will only let you down the moment you agree that you like my dirty side." Unable to think clearly, Amalia hung off of Reno's shoulder, her face immediately turning the shade of an apple for everyone else in the room to see. Stealing her seat on the edge of the desk, Reno firmly held one arm around Amalia's waist, waiting for an answer. "I can't hear you."

"I didn't say anything, now put me down Reno!"

"Not until I get any answer. One…"

"Reno…"

"Two…"

"Reno!"

"Three." SMACK – Reno swatted his hand across her rump as Amalia squeaked, her high pitched voice echoing across the office with the other Turk members, and Rufus, bashfully turning their heads away, but chuckled nonetheless.

"Reno! Don't do that again."

"Hey, this would all end if you just answered my question."

Pouting, Amalia tried to cross her arms, but ended up dangling them in front of her instead. "I don't wanna…" she mumbled.

"All right then – I warned you." SMACK.

"Reno!"

"Ashe!"

"…you're mocking me, aren't you?"

"I'm gonna smack you again."

"No, please don't!" She could hear the snickers of the other Turks – her embarrassment in the moment had never been higher. Taking a deep breath, Amalia turned her head as far as she could towards Reno and quickly stated, "Fine, you win! What I said was wrong – although it was really funny – I shouldn't have said it!"

"And now we're on to something. So what do you say?"

Narrowing her eyes, Amalia muttered, "I'm sorry – whoa!"

Reno dropped Amalia back onto her feet and grabbed her shoulders, steadying her as she readjusted to standing on her feet. "I graciously accept your apology," leaning down, he quickly kissed her cheek then dashed towards Rufus' office, waiting for the rest of the Turks to join him. Sighing, Amalia held the bridge of her nose, but a soft chuckle escaped her lips. Eyeing the rest of the Turks, she said, "Ya'll enjoy the show?" They rapidly nodded their heads and she immediately sat down in Reno's chair. "Well show's over, so shouldn't you go have your meeting?"

Laughing, Rufus, Tseng and Rude walked after Reno while Elena stayed behind. "I gotta say, girl, seeing the way Reno acts with you is tremendously funny, and cute."

Leaning back in the chair, Amalia scratched her cheek then proceeded to place her elbows on the desk. "I'm glad everybody got a laugh out of that." Though after her statement, she continued to wiggle in her seat.

"Your ass hurt?"

"He really knows how to slap hard!"

Winking, Elena began walking towards the meeting before replying over her shoulder, "I bet he does." As she walked away and closed the door behind her, Amalia let loose a laugh and swiveled around in Reno's chair. Though Rufus said the meeting wouldn't be that long, she had a feeling it would – because they usually did. As the chair slowed to face the computer, Amalia extended her arms and grabbed the edge of the desk, pulling her closer. Grabbing the mouse, she awakened the sleeping computer and began searching for her regular pastime game – solitaire. Clicking through the normal files, Amalia cursed and questioned why she had never created a shortcut through the desktop, it would save her minutes just looking for the damn thing.

"Ah! Gotcha!" After several moments, the familiar icon appeared before her eyes, and as she moved the courser to open the application, something on the computer screen caught her attention. Several file folders above the game application were labeled "AMALIA: TOP SECRET". Tilting her head to the side, Amalia questioned the purpose of such a file and, without thinking of which action to take, she quickly clicked on the file and immediately leaned back in her seat.

Once the file opened, Amalia noticed it contained images, documents, notes, videos, and anything else that could be stored virtually through the computer.

Not knowing what to do, the blonde glanced her eyes upwards towards Rufus' door; everyone was still in the meeting and probably would be for some time. Transferring her eyes from across the room to the screen directly in front of her, she began looking through each file, beginning with the images. There were pictures of her when she first began to work at the Shinra Co. several years ago, when she and Cloud first left Nibelheim, pictures during the Sephiroth catastrophe two years ago, some of her and Reno throughout their entire relationship and even some that seemed to have been taken within the last few months. Covering a hand over her mouth, Amalia closed all the pictures she had opened and moved on to the documents; unfortunately, those only made her stomach convulse more. Each document seemed to be one written by one of the Turks – Reno, Rude, Elena, Tseng, and even Rufus – all discussing different ideas, missions, goals, setbacks, even plans on how to keep her safe. Save…me? From what? What the hell is all this…? And why would it be labeled 'TOP SECRET' with my name on it?

Maneuvering through all the documents, Amalia noticed that the earliest dated occurred almost one year ago; which meant that, whatever had been going on, all the Turks had kept it a secret from her. With her stomach still growing sicker by the second, she decided to move onto to the videos; after stealing a pair of headphones from the drawer, Amalia fastened the device around her head, plugged it in and clicked on the video that had the earliest date – which seven months ago. Each video only last for several minutes, with the longest last nearly ten and by the time the final video ceased to play, Amalia's eyes swelled with tears; there was only a singular thought transgressing through her mind at that exact moment.

Someone's trying to kill me…

But it wasn't the idea that someone was out to get her, oh no; ironically, it was the fact that all her buddies here at the new Shinra HQ had been lying to her all along. Straightening her back in the office chair, Amalia mentally tallied each time Reno and the other Turks had been away on "missions". But then, it clicked in her mind.

"Don't fret my lovely, I plan to attack you as long as I need in order to learn everything about your skills."

"No, not until I've had my way with you. I must follow my master's orders."

"But, no matter, I shall report this back to my master and he'll decide what he wants to do next."

"Revenge."

"Yes, she'll be out for the next few hours from the pain, but this is exactly what he asked for."

Thinking back, the random attacks from an opponent she didn't even know, his comments about "not being strong enough," "needing more power," it all had something to do with this. His statements were clues and, until now, Amalia had no idea what it meant – what any of it meant. Looking back at the screen, Amalia saw a blur of words and file names; after everything she had just scanned and witnessed, there were no words to describe the bubbling emotions pounding within her chest. Anger, frustration, denial, pain…betrayal. All were ready to burst forth and she could feel her first forming in her lap, her nails digging deeply into her skin. Placing the headphones back into the drawer, Amalia decided to keep the files open on the screen; she had been lied to for long enough, it was time for her demands to be answered; and they would be answered, one way or another.

Hearing the click of the door, the blonde glanced up to see that the meeting had concluded and everybody was exiting Rufus' office, including the President himself. Perfect… was all the ex-SOLDIER thought. Tseng and Rufus were still muttering to themselves, but quickly shut their lips as they reached Reno's desk; i.e., the spot where Amalia was currently residing. Add that to the list of oddities that have occurred within the last year.

"So whatcha been doing out here, Amalia? Have you beaten your score on solitaire yet?" Elena was peppy, that much was certain, but what Amalia finally noticed was the way her smile seemed a little too tight; the way Rude was watching her through his thick, darkened sunglasses; or even the sideways look Tseng was providing as he spoke with the President. They're all keeping tabs on me, watching me, waiting for something to happen so they can prevent whatever they believe will occur. What I now know might occur.

"Hey sweetie, did you miss me?" Stretching across the desk, Reno chastely kissed her temple; Amalia flinched for a moment before being able to recompose herself, though she had a feeling the red-head noticed her recoil.

"So…" She could feel her voice was weak. With her heart thumping in her chest, a sudden nervousness crept over Amalia and held a death grip on her throat. "How was the meeting? Anything important?"

Rufus stepped in, quicker than the blonde had anticipated. "Oh nothing too important, just discussed future plans we have for the Turks and assignments that are coming up."

"Huh…sounds interesting." Laughing, Amalia scratched her head, and laughed some more. All the emotions were bubbling deep within her chest and she had no idea how to control the rage. Taking a look at each one, an overwhelming sense of loneliness was mixed into the bag of unwanted feelings.

Raising an eyebrow, Reno noticed Amalia's upper lip twitching and the way she was folding and unfolding her hands. Something was on her mind, and it wasn't good. "Amalia…is everything ok?"

Taking a moment to close her eyes, Amalia narrowed her eyebrows before directing her attention towards the red-head, the one person who was supposed to be open and honest with her; the one she was supposed to trust wholeheartedly; the one who was supposed to love her unconditionally. But, by the time she opened her mouth, Reno was not expecting her answer.

"No."

No? What could have happened in the last fifteen minutes or so for her to… Reno's thoughts trailed on but his gaze was cast onto the computer screen, and his brain began piecing her actions together. Oh, son of a…!

"Would…somebody please care to explain…" Amalia grabbed the computer screen and, with the speed of a snail, turned so everybody in the room could view the file she had opened for viewing. "…what the fuck this is?" Rufus' eyes shot open, Rude turned his head and readjusted his glasses, Elena covered her mouth as a small gasp escaped and Tseng stood motionless, but his eyes betrayed his perfect stature. Reno, on the other hand, his face turned beat red; from anger or embarrassment, Amalia couldn't tell.

The room stayed silent; each individual afraid to speak, afraid to utter a single word. All eyes turned away, except Reno's. He found Amalia's within the instant she turned the screen onto them and he could tell in that instant that what they had was crumbling between them. Reno could read the emotions flooding her eyes and he knew he had betrayed her. When the room stayed in utter silence, Amalia bowed her head and stood, her voice echoed across the room; the venom dripping from each word sliced through the silence no one dared to break.

"I can't believe I trusted each and every one of you!"

Still…there was silence.

Walking away from the desk towards the exit, Amalia could feel the unshed tears burning her eyes, but she would not let them fall – at least, not in front of these people. But as she took her first step forward, the fingers of one of her betrayers formed around her arm, pulling her back. "Amalia…please, wait…"

"Don't touch me," was her reply.

Turning on her heels, Amalia socked Reno straight in the jaw, sending him flying backwards until Rude caught him and steadied the red-head on his own two feet. Chest heaving and arm still extended from the blow, Amalia's rage was building within her and she could feel the power deep within her boiling over. Raising her gaze, Reno was still trying to gather his surroundings and when he could stand without Rude's assistance, his fingers trailed up to his mouth to find a trail of blood seeping from his lip. Looking between his fingers and up towards his beyond furious girlfriend, Reno muttered, "Yeah, I probably deserved that…"

"Yes, you fucking did! Seriously…what the hell is all the shit, Reno?!" She pointed towards the computer for emphasis. "Is this why you've been on long missions for the past year? Is this why each and every one of you acts differently when I'm around?!" All Turks opened their mouths to protest, but Amalia was in no mood for them to form their opinion on the matter. "Either you shut your mouths now, or I'll shut them for you."

And they all diligently closed theirs lips – except one.

"Amalia, please…listen to us. We had to do what we did…" Reno tried to reason with her, but the red-head knew it was a lost cause. She had discovered every piece of information they had on her; everything they discussed, their notes, opinions, plans – all the evidence was out and on display.

"No, Reno. I won't listen to you! How could you keep this from me?"

"I didn't want to keep this from you!"

"Then why did I have to find out in this manner? Huh? Why couldn't you come clean when all this happened… say, oh…" Looking at the screen, Amalia recalled the earliest dated document she had discovered. "…seven months ago?!"

"I…" Lowering his head, Reno stared at his hands – hopeless, defeated. The red-head knew that, in that moment, he had lost her, and there was probably no going back. "I…"

"Just…stop, Reno. I don't want to hear it."

"Ashe, please!"

"Amalia…will you listen to me?" The blonde searched the room for the voice and landed on the other blonde. Elena held her hands close to her chest, tears were brimming her eyes and if the incident wasn't regarding the information she had just received, Amalia would've held her friend and questioned what was wrong. When her friend didn't reply, Elena took that as her acceptance to speak. "We didn't want to tell you because… we didn't know how."

Raising an eyebrow, Amalia nearly scoffed at her friend's testament. "You didn't know how, huh? Really?"

"Please…try to understand, Amalia. How were we to approach you with news such as this? What were we supposed to say?" It was Tseng who spoke this time, and Amalia could tell that all Turks were trying to be open and honest. Thing was, it was too damn late for that; they had seven months to come clean.

"No. I'm done – I don't want to hear it."

"Ashe!" Once more, Amalia had turned her gaze towards Reno, noticing that he was slowing making his way in her direction. "Listen to me. All of us were scared and didn't know how to react. All of this happened out of nowhere and we thought, to keep you safe, it was best

to keep you in the dark."

The blonde closed her eyes. It had only been about twenty minutes but her head was about to explode; all the newly placed information, the testimonies of the Turks, and now Reno trying to come clean after so long. But...she just couldn't accept it. "What d'you want me to say, Reno, huh? That it's ok everyone kept this a secret from me? That there's somebody out there wanting to kill me? Or, that it's ok you lied to me this entire time?" When he didn't answer right away, she countered her own statement with, "Well, which is it?!"

"Dammit, woman, I was trying to protect you!"

With wide eyes and a mouth that formed a small "o", Amalia didn't know what to say. Normally when Reno had called her his "woman" she would've been excited, hell, even turned on. But in that moment, she felt cheap and pathetic, as if she couldn't protect herself and needed someone to do so for her. In all her life, she had never begged for anyone to serve as her protector; if people volunteered, fine, but Amalia always had a sense to trust herself in order to survive. "Trying to protect me…" her voice was barely a whisper, but the anger coiled within was hinged on every word.

"I wanted to make sure you were safe – we all did! Everyone here has done everything they could to ensure that nothing would happen to you! Standing there, you're not even trying to understand our side."

But she quickly rebutted. "But are you trying to understand mine?! All of you are stating your own reasons for keeping this from me. But try being in my shoes and finding out in this manner. How does that feel?"

All eyes turned to the ground in shame – except Reno; being the red-head that he was, there were, at some points, he would defy Amalia. And this was one of them.

"Babe, I do, I understand completely."

"You weren't that one who was betrayed, Reno."

"Please…Ashe, will you listen to me?!"

"No, Reno! You just...you just don't do this! I may not be as experienced at fucking people like you, but I know from personal experience that you don't fuck over someone like this!"

At that, everyone in the room raised their eyes and looked between Reno and Amalia; Rude knew the backstory as did Elena, but Rufus and Tseng could easily tell that something was amiss between the couple; and it wasn't pretty.

Growling, Reno roughly threw a hand into his hair. "Gods woman! All I was doing with this was trying to stop the person behind this and what do I get? All those nights I stayed up watching you, in fear I could wake up the next morning and you would be gone? Was that all for nothing? Because you don't seem to give a damn!"

"What are you wanting, my sympathy? Because too bad for you, I don't have any!"

"Why do I even bother – you'll never understand! You're just a fearful little girl who hides from her fears instead of facing them like the soldier you claim to be!"

Dead silence.

Reno knew he had gone too far, and when his eyes matched Amalia's, his heart knew she was gone.

Grabbing a spare pen from the top of the desk, Amalia leaped in Reno's direction. Seeking the strength deep within her, she accepted the new power she had been experimenting with for the last few weeks. The raw, un-mastered strength which seeped into her arms and down her legs flowed through her blood and beat into her heart. Tightly grasping the pen, she flew it towards the window on the opposite side of the room, the glass instantly shattering into a thousand broken shards of clear diamonds. With legs bounding against the common office carpet, Amalia surged forwards, not wanting to be around people, not wanting to be seen by people. As she passed Reno, she dodged out of the way as his arm reached to grab hers; but as it missed, the blonde's heels dug into the ground and she pushed with all her might, diving through the now open window. Calling upon the strength of the mako deep within her veins, her body circled with the wind as she landed on the pavemen several stories below and, without glancing back towards the Turks who were calling her name, she jumped onto Shiva and raced out of Edge; the dust from her tracks the only visible evidence she had even existed.

From the window, Tseng and Rude pulled back and cast their gazes towards the other members in the room; Elena was struggling to keep her balance against a desk as her eyes glowed with tears; Rufus idly stood in the same position, his face expressionless; and Reno…the man was starring deeply into his hands, hoping to change the course of the last ten minutes. No one uttered a single word; the tension in the office was as thick as dense fog and no one dared to breathe. Until…

"I told you this would happen!" Reno lunged towards his boss and threw him against the wall, his hands tightly gripping the front lapels of his coat. With all his might, Reno lifted the man off the ground, his blue eyes narrowed in anger at the man who told him to keep everything a secret. "You're the one to swore me to secrecy. You're the one who said she didn't need to know and look at what happened!"

"Reno, put me down!"

"No, sir! Amalia has left, because of you! She won't listen to any of us and our relationship is most likely over!"

"Reno!" Rude ran up to the side of his friend and frantically pulled his arms away from Rufus, allowing the President to rest his feet firmly on the ground again. "Reno, let him go!"

"Why, just so he can fuck over everything else!"

"That is not the most important, Reno! You were the one who drove her away!"

Reno could feel his arms lacking the strength and they feel to his side. He didn't think Rude's words would affect him so quickly, but hearing that it was him; he was the reason she fled. "Oh my god, I…" With shaky hands, the red-head covered his eyes and howled, his voice echoing throughout the office. "I pushed her away…my words, why…why did I say those words!"

"Reno!"

Pulling on his shoulder, Tseng directed Reno's attention towards him. He knew the pain his Second-in-Command was experiencing, but at the moment, there was one key aspect they needed to consider. "Where would she go?" But Reno didn't answer. "Dammit, Reno, tell me! You know her better than anyone else on all of Gaia; so tell me: where would she go?!"

Shaking off his insecurities, Reno fully looked Tseng in the eye. The elder Turk was right – right now, they needed to find Amalia. Amalia…please…please forgive me for what I have done. All I have ever done was to protect you so I…

Pushing away from the wall, Reno walked towards the window Amalia had smashed with a mere ballpoint pen. His emotions suddenly overwhelmed his senses and one clear liquid of sorrow fell from one eye and the red-head let it fall towards the ground of shattered glass. As he looked at the floor, Reno could vaguely see the image of himself and Amalia in that moment; shattered, heartbroken, betrayed. Both were scared and both had the right to be. Amalia was afraid of Reno not being honest and breaking her trust whereas Reno was afraid to lose her if he told her the truth. But as the man glanced through the clear window, he knew, somewhere deep inside his aching heart, that everything would be alright.

"There's only one place where she would go."

"Good! But where would that be?"

Despite the want of punching a hole through the wall, Reno grinned and a small chuckle escaped his lips. He could hear Rude yelling at him, saying that "This isn't the time to laugh, you asshole!" But it didn't matter; Reno knew where she was and he was going to save her. Turning back around, he noticed all eyes were on him; all the Turks and the President were relying on his ability to read and analyze Amalia's movements. They needed him to find her; but Reno needed them to reach her. Amalia had taken Shiva, which meant that she would be going against the wind; and he would need something just as fast.

"Ready the chopper."

~ oOo ~

Again, I'm sorry for the late update. As this is my final semester in my Master's Program, I am beyond stressed out. Since I updated last, I've had surgery, got engaged (that's right I'm getting married!), in the midst of planning my wedding, as well as finishing my Graduate Thesis.

I hope everyone understands that I'm not giving up on this story. It's just getting good! I just need some time before I'll be able to update more regularly. But I graduate next month. Yay!

Until next time!

Chocobocolina ~ :3