I do not own FFVII characters – though I wish I did. lol

I do own my own character – Jalyne and other originals.

Authors Note: A shorter chapter but I wanted to vaguely explain the Soul Forge. Reno has to begin to understand what exactly this commitment will be, though he's already felt some of it. I'll make up for the short chapter in the next one - lots of action will go on in it along with a surprise entrance of a guest:)

Chapter 63 – The Conversation

He was agitated, to say the least, as he drove to the penthouse after investigating the mission that was handed to him by the President. It made matters worse, knowing the reasoning behind the assignment. Reno wasn't disputing the information that was needed to obtain, it was that Rufus was purposefully separating him from Jalyne after the simulation catastrophe. At least the President was honest about it – there was that.

It was different now for Reno, all of the emotion he held with just thinking of Jalyne. A year ago, it would never have been this way. He liked the no strings attached and free lifestyle that his bachelorhood gave him. He didn't have to worry about Rufus interfering simply because he didn't care.

Reno narrowed his eyes as he shut the car off and opened the door. He realized that they never discussed boundaries with their relationship. He sighed, shutting the door and walking to the entrance of the building, idly wondering if the President was still there. And there it was.

Reno wanted Jalyne for himself. He didn't want to share, at least not at the moment. Sure, the night she danced for Adrian and him was absolutely fantastic, but the thought of her with Rufus didn't sit well with him. He was a Turk and duty will call and he could accept that, but he wanted just to be with her right now.

Reno entered the private elevator to ascend to her place, drumming his fingers nervously against the metal. Jalyne was ethereal and yet with all of her power and abilities, he saw her as a woman. He didn't care about all of her power. They've been through so much and Reno realized he didn't want to give that up.

The fire red-haired Turk entered the apartment quietly, not knowing if Jalyne was sleeping. It was late, close to midnight, and the place was dark. Reno made his way to her bedroom, taking a deep breath and steeling himself for any situation he was about to walk into. As he rounded the corner, he suddenly stopped at the scene before him. Quietly Reno entered Jalyne's chambers as her lighted eyes turned to face him.

Jalyne was in deep thought when she felt her baelo enter the apartment, though she was curious as to why it took him so long to come to the bedroom. She turned to him as he entered, eyes softly illuminated and she smiled lightly at him. Once within reach, she moved to warmly kiss him, only for him to step out of her grasp.

She raised her eyes to him with barely a question, and stepped backwards, watching him steel himself for whatever she may say. They gazed at each other, neither moving.

"You know I will ask, yo." He began quietly.

Jalyne looked at him, fighting the corner of her lips sneaking upwards. Finally giving in, she shook her head lightly. "Naio."

Eyes widened, Reno stood there shocked before relaxing noticeably with Jalyne maintaining a softer expression, before turning to gaze out the window once more.

"Not that it isn't enticing." She commented truthfully. "I am fond of him." Jalyne sighed. "It is time to have the conversation."

Reno came to stand next to her and looking inquisitively, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"What is it you want, Reno?" Jalyne whispered, turning her eyes to him lightly. "Should we proceed, it will not be easy."

"Are you having doubts, yo?"

"No." she paused. "We need to define the boundaries." Jalyne grasped her hand to his in comfort. "We are Turks. But I am Trerran. We are freer with sex, Reno, but now it is serious. I would not betray trust for anything in the Heaven's."

The red-haired gentleman nodded at her. "That we are. What are you thinking, yo?"

"There will be times where…exclusivity may be called into question."

"I've said it, yo."

Jalyne turned to gaze into those wonderful turquoise orbs. "Where is the line? You know how I work, the seductive power I can wield."

"And?"

She chuckled and sighed, turning once again to the window. "I want no one but you, Reno. My healing, however, sometimes needs a more…intimate encounter."

"You're thinking awfully hard on something, yo." His eyes narrowed. Reno stepped behind her, pulling her at the waist to him. "You are mine, Beloved. I will not give you up, yo."

Jalyne relaxed in his arms and exhaled a breath. "Then you need to understand what you are in for, Baelo."

Reno stepped back, allowing her to turn towards him. Jalyne outstretched her arm, calling her staff to her hand. She closed her eyes and concentrated, withdrawing the purple-blue orb to hover above her palm. Reno instinctively reached for it, feeling it's pull, but his eyes flickered to the other two orbs within the shield of the staff. This time, Jalyne didn't pull away and Reno ran his fingertips over the orbed energy.

"The Forge, yo?"

Jalyne nodded. "It is a combination of our auras."

"You said it isn't complete, yo."

"It isn't." Jalyne touched it lightly, causing the energy to pulse. "It will come with time and when it is complete, this energy will be a purplish color."

"Why?"

"My aura is blue and yours is red. Auras can shift depending on emotion but the core aura is constant. Auras can be a powerful force in and of themselves." Reno looked at her calmly, yet questionably, so she continued. "Once complete, to take it from us can kill either of us or both. Should it be either doing the taking, the other will die."

"How did your mother survive, yo?" Reno spontaneously questioned, though it was weird to refer to JENOVA as her mother.

Jalyne sighed but held his gaze steadily. "She did the one thing only she could do. She split her soul and power, plunging into darkness." She raised the staff to look at the other powers circulating within the shield. Jalyne reached out, placing a hand over his chest, where her feather resided and nodded lightly, watching his expression become surprised.

"Really, yo?" Reno asked, grabbing her hand over his heart, to her nod as she turned from him once again. "Why? You know this how?"

"I love you, Reno Sinclair. More than I ever could say, and more than I ever thought possible." She began. "No matter what happens – I will always be with you, in this plane and the next." Jalyne tapped his chest lightly.

Reno reached for her, placing a light kiss on her mark, making her smile and shudder. "Beloved." He paused, tickling her with his hair before continuing. "What is behind all of this, yo?"

"I just wanted to know your desire in furthering our relationship." She placed the Forge within the shield of her staff and allowed it back in its place in the corner, orbs on another plane.

"You found something, yo?"

Jalyne snapped her fingers at her left side, calling the archives to her and activating them. The darkened bedroom lit up with a hologram of a place Reno didn't know. Jalyne studied him for a minute before explaining the scene before them.

"From what I gathered, Faterian and Tiemera met shortly after the creation of the Heaven's." Jalyne started. "Yelovria and Azarian did the same."

"Fate and Time. Light and Dark. Opposites attract, I suppose, yo." Reno commented.

Jalyne circled around the hologram of the Ancient texts, enlarging a portion of them for him to see closer and pointed at one particular passage. "But where does that leave us?" she hesitated. "I am supposedly representing balance with you representing fire."

"Does it matter, yo?"

Jalyne looked at him blankly before chuckling. "I suppose not, however, I feel our relationship will be stressed because of it."

"What more can there be, yo?" Reno shrugged, looking at the hologram. "We've stayed together through a lot as it is."

"That we have, Baelo." She assured and pulled her hand to her heart. "It is so strong within me that I cannot ignore it. It hurts at times, being apart from you."

Reno grabbed her hand, moving it to his chest. "You don't have to tell me, yo." He paused. "It's been excruciating sometimes."

Jalyne's eyes widened, the statement confirming what she had hoped. He felt the same way. "You will be Emperor."

"I don't care, yo." Reno moved closer to her, threading a hand to the nape of her neck. "It doesn't matter whether I am or not."

This Turk just had a way of getting under her skin and causing her to be giddy. Jalyne drowned in his eyes as he stared into hers, moving inches from her lips. "If I have to leave?" Jalyne quietly stated.

The cocky grin returned as he leaned in, massaging her neck to relax her. "Rule from here." He suggested. "Or I'll go with you." Reno watched as her eyes widened at the suggestion and sniggered lightly. "You forget, yo." He hesitated, wrapping his other arm around her. "I love you, Jalynemidenovia e Nehaeviendria, and I won't let you go."

His lips hit hers as she inhaled the breath and widened her eyes at the calling of her name. She felt what he intentionally projected, noting the one emotion that stood out. Happiness. He had found happiness with her. Instinctively her hands threaded through his hair and she moaned as he pulled her tighter against him. Reno pulled away from her and smirked.

"Quit overthinking everything, yo. There is time to figure things out."

Jalyne suddenly laughed and collapsed the hologram. "Point taken." She paused. "What do you want, Reno?" she questioned sincerely.

"You." He shrugged sitting on the bed and pulling her down to him. "I want nothing else. I don't need crowns, power, and prestige, yo." Reno nuzzled her neck. "I need you."

"Were you really worried that I would sleep with Rufus?" Jalyne asked suddenly. Reno adjusted her in his lap to stare at her, raising a brow.

"Of course, yo." The Turk replied. "He's the one person I think I wouldn't be able to tolerate you fucking, yo. At least from this point onward."

"That's what made you grumpy this morning?" Jalyne hazarded.

"Yeah." Reno admitted. "It didn't help that the president blatantly told me he was going to, yo. Can't go against the prez."

Jalyne adjusted, straddling his waist. "Astounding loyalty." she stated, easing him backwards. "No faith?"

"In you? Have all the faith in the universe, yo." He paused, inching his fingertips to her waistline unbeknownst to her. "In him, not so much to keep his hands off, yo."

"You know he likes to be…familiar with me." Jalyne pressed.

Reno clenched her hips in frustration. "That, I can handle." He lifted his lips to hers. "Fucking him – no thanks, yo. The green monster seems to rear it's ugly head with him."

Jalyne settled on top of him, kissing him softly. "Take each situation as it comes?"

Reno chuckled. He liked the way she thought. "We're Turks. Who the hell knows what will happen in the next few seconds."

"Faterian does."

Reno paused just long enough to raise an eyebrow before latching onto her sides and flipping her over. Caressing her softly, a smirk drifted to his expression and his eyes glinted to hers in the dim light.

"Don't you—"

The only sound in the night was her scream and laughter.