Scars of the Past

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I'm sitting here alone up in my room - And thinking about the times that we've been through, oh my love - I'm looking at a picture in my hand - Trying my best to understand - I really want to know what we did wrong - With a love that felt so strong - If only you were here tonight - I know that we could make it right - I don't know how to live without your love - I was born to make you happy - 'Cause you're the only one within my heart - I was born to make you happy - Always and forever you and me - That's the way our life should be - I don't know how to live without your love - I was born to make you happy (Britney Spears - Born to Make you Happy)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 14 - Party Time

Reno slammed his shot glass onto the table top, wiping a hand across his mouth.

"Reno, you have to slow down, you know? You'll run out of free drinks in half an hour at this rate." Rufus moaned as he slumped further into his chair. The red haired Turk smirked.

"Or more precisely, you don't wanna buy me more than ya have to, right?"

"Exactly, so if you would be most generous and pass out now, I'd be happy for the rest of the night." Reno laughed. He patted the blonde on the back.

"No chance mate." He slammed another glass on the table. "I have an idea." He grinned. "I say we should make grouch here," He pointed to Rufus, "Have a drinking contest with someone of my choice, since I'm the birthday boy." The President scowled.

"Alright, if it makes you shut up." Reno clapped excitedly like a little child.

"Yay. Ok I pick........" he looked around the table where everyone was sat, stopping at the blonde Turk. "Elly." She looked up.

"Huh?" She asked.

"Hundred gil says Elly wins." Rude spoke up from where he was sat. Rufus scowled even more.

"I can out drink a girl any day." He mumbled. Reno laughed.

"I bet ya you've passed out before she's even tipsy." The blonde man glared at the Turk.

"You're on."

"Do I get a say in this?" Elena asked. Reno leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"He's already had one, another two and he's gone. I know for a fact that untouched drink in front of you is your first. Come on El, it'll be fun." He leaned away from her ear and sipped another drink he had. She smiled and nodded.

"Alright."

"Before we start this drinking contest........." Scarlet spoke up from where she was sat, staring at her glass. She looked up and smirked. She bent down and picked something up, putting it in the middle of the table. Rufus groaned, everyone else laughed. It was the game of Frazzle. "Ruffie here has one more go to do this game. If he doesn't do it, the game will go Elly to see if she can outsmart the big bad President." The blonde man glared at her. He then turned to the game and took the handle. He managed to move about two inches before the the handle took the metal strip. He swore and threw the handle away from him. It bounced on the table, when the cord it was attached to ran out. Reno sniggered.

"Oh yea fine. Pick on the big bad President why don't you?" Rufus snapped. "I'd like to see Elena do better." The blonde Turk smirked and took the handle.

"I'll have you know I've been practicing." Rufus stared at her and groaned. He mumbled something that no one could catch. Elena went round the maze in record time, without touching the metal. The President groaned even more. Reno laughed. He then leaned over to Elena and without thinking anything of it, pecked her on the cheek.

"And the girls outwit Ruffie." He shouted, sipping his drink again. The blonde Turk smiled. "Let the drinking competition commence!" And that's what happened.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Half an hour later, Rufus was laid on a few bar seats, passed out. Elena and Reno were staring at him. The red head smiled.

"What did I tell ya?" The blonde smiled back.

"He's a sissy." She started giggling. Rude came over and threw the blonde man over his shoulder.

"Everyone's making tracks, so I thought I'd drag this home." He said pointing to the President slung on his shoulder. Reno nodded, as Rude took off towards the door everyone else had already gone out of, leaving the other two Turks alone. The red head looked at the blonde.

"Want me to walk you home?" Elena nodded. They made their way out the door, onto the streets of the upper plate. The blonde looked up at the stars. Reno noticed her staring up into the sky. "Pretty aren't they?"

"Yeah....." She whispered softly. Her gaze wandered to the huge fiery rock, which also plagued the sky. She frowned. She started wondering if Avalanche were going to get rid of Sephiroth and the meteor. That seemed like the only option now. Reno caught her frowning. He put his arm round her and squeezed.

"It'll go away....." He trailed off.

"I hope so." She whispered. "I don't wanna die........" She trailed off. He squeezed her a little tighter.

"None of us do." They stopped at her front door. She found her keys out of her shoulder bag and unlocked it. She looked at the red head.

"Wanna come in?" She asked. Reno smiled.

"Sure." Elena smiled. Reno walked in and vaulted over her couch and sat down, while the room was still in total darkness.. The blonde just giggled and shook her head. She walked over the the sofa, turning on a nearby lamp.

"You'll never grow up will you?" The red head grinned.

"Nope." His face then went serious. Elena frowned. "El, come and sit here with me." He patted the space on the couch next to him.

"What's up?" She asked, timidly. Reno took a deep breath.

"You know how you said if I find someone I should tell them and not leave it too long?" Elena stared at him for a moment.

"Yeah......" She whispered. The red haired Turk looked down at his feet.

"I like you Elena." He whispered. The blonde smiled, putting her hand onto of his, which was resting on his knee. He looked at her.

"I like you too." He looked a bit puzzled to start with. She giggled. "Is that so hard to believe?" He smiled and shook his head. He gazed at her for a minute. She gazed at his face. She was lost in his turquoise coloured eyes. He put his hand on her cheek. She smiled. "You have no idea how much I like you."

"I think I have an idea." He whispered. He leaned over to her, edging closer and closer. Her hand trailed down to his shoulder blade as he got closer. She closed her eyes as he pressed his lips against hers, kissing her slowly. His hands found their way around her waist, while hers ended up wrapped in his blood red hair. They parted. Elena blushed a little. Reno smiled and cocked his head. "See, I told you I had an idea." She hit him lightly on the arm, before she leaned over and pressed against his lips again, this time a more passionate than before. He put his hands onto her shoulders and pushed her down onto the couch, still kissing. He stopped and looked into her deep brown eyes. He grinned. She tried to glare at him, but starting laughing instead.

"You're making me nervous with that grin." He gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"You have every reason to be." He leaned down and started kissing her neck, with little kisses. She started giggling. He reached over to where he thought the lamp was. Finding it he switched it off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rufus woke up the next day to find himself in a unfamiliar place. He blinked. His head was thumping like a dance record beat. He laid back down on the bed. Bed? He sat straight back up, giving himself a head rush. He shook his head to try and get rid of it. Opening his eyes, he observed the room. It defiantly wasn't his. He stared at the wallpaper, it was flowery. It had red and pink roses among a cream background. He frowned. Deciding not to contemplate where he was, he laid back down. Sniffing the pillow it strangely smelt of........ His though was interrupted when the door opened. A head poked round the door.

"I was wondering when you would wake up." Rufus looked at the blonde woman with a shocked expression then it changed to a more puzzled look.

"How the hell did I end up here?" He muttered, rubbing his head. She laughed.

"Don't get any ideas." Scarlet said. "I was sleeping on the fold out couch." She laughed again as Rufus sighed in relief. " After you passed out, Rude was going to take you home, but I told him to bring you here since it was nearer." The President nodded, then laid back down.

"Remind me never to do that again." A little red haired boy then ran into the room.

"Uncle Ruffie!" Rufus looked up.

"Oh god no......" He muttered. The boy jumped onto the bed and started bouncing up and down. The blonde just carried on laying there, bouncing around on the bed as Callum jumped. The boy fell on his bottom and stopped. Rufus sat up. "What's he doing here?" Callum stuck his tongue out.

"I'm babysitting. Actually Reno should be here soon." She looked at the blonde man more intently. "I'll get you something for that hangover of yours. You'll need it." He nodded as she left the room. He built up his strength to stand up and follow her to the kitchen. Leaning against the doorway when he got there, Scarlet handed him a glass. He took it and drank it all down in one go, pulling a face when he was done.

"What the fuck is this stuff?" She laughed.

"It works though right?" Rufus thought for a minute. It was working, his headache was already clearing.

"Where did you......."

"Get it right?" She cut him off. "Just something I made once for someone......." She trailed off. She was saved by a knock at the door. She opened it to see Rude and Reeve standing there. She frowned. "What are you two doing here?" Reeve grinned.

"I just heard a little birdie tell me that Rufus was here." Scarlet looked at the bald Turk.

"Nothing to do with me, he just followed." Both of the men walked in.

"You've missed all the fun of the hangover though." She chuckled. She shut the door behind her.

"Actually there's another reason we're here. You have Callum right?" The black haired man asked. Scarlet nodded. "That's all I needed to know." Him and Rude both started chuckling. The blonde woman just looked at them strangely. There was a knock on the door again. Scarlet left the two man to their laughing to answer it. Reno was stood there, smiling like an idiot, with Elena beside him, her hand in his. Scarlet looked behind her, at the other two men, then back at the red head and the blonde.

"Damn it!" Scarlet heard the black haired Shinra Executive shout behind her. She shook her head.

"What you got a party in there or something?" Reno asked her. She let the two Turks in as Reeve was giving hundred gil to Rude, who was grinning. Scarlet stared laughing.

"So that's why you're here." She said. Elena snatched her hand back from Reno's, hoping no one had seen. Rude just started laughing more.

"I bet Reeve that you two would be going out within a month and I win."

"Ah, but only just my friend." Reeve said slumping into a chair near by.

"Aw, now that's just not on." Reno said. Rude stopped laughing. Reno then grinned and put his arm around him. "I'll be fine about it if you buy me a couple of drink with your new found fortune, my friend." He slapped the bald man on the back. Rufus coughed from the back of the room. Everyone looked at him.

"What the hell happened after I fell asleep last night?" He asked.

"You ended up here. enough said." Reno told him. Rufus cocked an eyebrow.

"Hardy ha ha." He said sarcastically.

"After everyone went home, I walked Elly home and ended up stopping there." The red head put his arm around Elena, who smiled.

"And now we go out." She added. Everyone smiled at them. The black haired man decided to interrupt the silence.

"Oh Rufus?" He asked, sat in a chair.

"Yes?" The blonde asked puzzled.

"I was hoping to catch you in your still drunken state, but this will do. I want a raise." He said grinning.

"And what makes you think I'll give you a raise?" Rufus asked, slowly. Reeve patted his top pocket, then pulled a picture out showing it to Rufus, who snatched it out of his hand. It was a picture of Rufus dressed in a bunny rabbit suit. It looked like the photo had been taken quite recently.

"Where did you....." He whispered, trailing off. He then started to turn red. Reeve jumped out the chair and ran out the door. Rufus chasing him, leaving the photo on the floor. Reno picked it up as everyone gathered round to look. They all just burst out laughing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------