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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE - RETURN

'It used to seem to me … That my life ran on too fast … And I had to take it slowly … Just to make the good parts last … But when you're born to run … It's so hard to just slow down … So don't be surprised to see me … Back in that bright part of town … I'll be back in the high life again … All the doors I closed one time will open up again … I'll be back in the high life again … All the eyes that watched me once will smile and take me in … And I'll drink and dance with one hand free … Let the world back into me … And on I'll be a sight to see … Back in the high life again … You used to be the best … To make life be life to me … And I hope that you're still out there … And you're like you used to be … We'll have ourselves a time … And we'll dance 'til the morning sun … And we'll let the good times come in … And we won't stop 'til we're done … We'll be back in the high life again … All the doors I closed one time will open up again … We'll be back in the high life again … All the eyes that watched us once will smile and take us in … And we'll drink and dance with one hand free … And have the world so easily … And oh we'll be a sight to see … Back in the high life again … (Steve Winwood; 'Back in the High Life')'

Mayor's Tent. Shantytown. Afternoon.

She tried burying herself in the stack of reports scattered over the top of Reeve's usually neat desk. Elena was exhausted from the demands placed on her by the citizen groups that were developing— 'Save Wall Market', 'Citizens for Electrical Power', and 'Restore the Shinra Building'. She didn't understand the last group, and was starting to fear that these people would become militant. Rude had been quieter than normal, and she was worried about him as well. She would be so relieved when Reeve returned with Reno and Tifa, if they hadn't killed each other, that is.

"Elena?" As if she had summoned him with her thoughts, Reno walked into the mayor's tent and slouched in a chair.

Elena looked up from the paperwork she was sifting through. "You're back!" She looked around for Reeve. "Where's the mayor?"

Reno smirked as the former Turk looked around for their fearless leader, noting Elena's tired appearance. Sleep and a good lay would do her good. "He's on his way. Don't worry. Your love muffin is fine."

"He's not my love muffin, Reno!" Elena turned the color of the red ink on the reports she had been marking up.

"Yeah, okay, whatever." The smirk was still embedded on his face as the blonde buried herself back in the reports, still blushing furiously. He opened his mouth to say something more, but Elena spoke before he could. He hoped he wasn't losing his touch.

"How did the trip go?" Elena asked Reno when it became obvious that he wasn't going to leave the makeshift mayor's office.

Reno's smirk stayed firmly planted on his lips as he gave her a quick rundown of the trip. "Met up with my sister in Junon-"

"You have a sister?"

"Tsk tsk. The great Elena didn't dig up her facts very well, did she? I'm disappointed in you. Or were you just digging up dirt on Tseng? Jessie. Honorary Turk and acting Avalanche member. Wounded during the Sector Seven incident."

Elena blushed again as Reno pointed the obvious out to her. Despite that she was an information hound, she hadn't gone through any official records to find the dirt she'd used to blackmail Tseng with. Gossip had fueled that mission, and careful research had given her the facts that she needed.

Reno suppressed the laugh that threatened to erupt over Elena's reddened cheeks. "Ran into Strife at the Gold Saucer, and he's returned with us. Got the coal contract. Highwind's the genius who's converted the Corel Reactor to burn coal instead of Mako so he's on his way to Midgar as well. It's going to be an Avalanche invasion."

Elena ignored Reno's commentary of Avalanche, but there was something less militant about his tone when talking of them. She decided to attribute it to the fact that he'd been sleeping on real mattresses and showering in real showers. "Reeve got the coal contract?" She was so proud of him.

"You should be proud of him." Reno smirked at her. "He did a great job of dealing with Wallace. We should have power as soon as Highwind is done 'tweaking' the Corel Reactor and gets his flyboy ass to Midgar."

"I am." Elena responded, turning her attention back to her papers again, pondering something. Reno seemed different. Though he was full of his usual remarks, they seemed to be more directed at her relationship with Reeve, and not at her nature. That was… odd.

"Hey, 'Lena?" Reno asked.

"What, Reno?" Elena asked sharply, wondering what sort of taunting he was going to subject her to now.

"You know when you asked me to be civil to Tifa?"

"Yes." Elena responded, not really surprised that he'd remembered that. Reno rarely forgot anything, much to her usual chagrin.

"And I got angry with you?" Reno's tone was almost that of a small child asking a million questions for the sole purpose of being a nuisance.

"Yes, Reno."

"I'm sorry for getting upset."

"I'm sorry for calling you both my friend in the same thought." Elena responded, wondering where this line of conversation was going. She had never heard Reno apologize, nor had she ever heard rumors of it happening.

"It's okay. I married her. Is that civil enough for you?"

Elena's jaw dropped to the desk, but she quickly recovered. "Don't mess with me, Reno. I've had the worst time with Reeve gone. There are protests over Wall Market, and the blackout, and Rude's been even harder to talk to than usual…" Elena dropped her head to her hands, cradling it. "I don't know how Reeve does it."

Reno's expression was serious as he laid his hand on the desk, sliding his had so that the ring on his finger was directly under her face. He felt like a silly schoolgirl showing off an engagement ring by doing so. However, Elena wasn't likely to believe him unless he did.

"I really did, 'Lena." He spoke softly to her without any traces of his usual sarcastic mirth. "And I was sober at the time."

Elena looked at the Mythril band that adorned his finger and then at his face. Seeing that Reno was, for once, serious, she rushed out of the tent without another word. Despite the ring and Reno's serious expression, there was no way that she was going to believe this until she'd talked to Tifa.

Reno couldn't contain the laugh that escaped as Elena rushed out of the tent. She'd been his partner and friend, but Elena too seemed to have become very good friends with Tifa. He was a little disappointed that Elena had rushed out of the tent so fast since he'd wanted to ask her about digging up some old information, but there would be time for that later. Let the women have their girl talk.

'One more to go.' He thought as he left the tent in search of Rude. 'Fuck.' He thought as words from Elena's earlier ramble sunk in and he realized the date. He really needed to find his friend.