Jade, Wine, and Turk training
By Kimetara
Multi-part
Disclaimer: I want FFVII! But of course, it's not mine... *sighs*
AN: Wow, this fic's going a LOT further than I thought it would... ^_^;;
Chapter 6: A glimpse of what's to come
Reno stalked away from the truck and headed for the forest shadows – he desperately needed to be alone to think.
"Hey! Turk!"
*Oh yeah, the idiot.* Reno ignored Josh's voice, instead opting to lean against a tree with his back to the blond. He heard Josh running up behind him, then finally clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, what-"
Reno spun and grabbed Josh's shirt collar. "I'm not in the mood to deal with your stupidity, so I'd advise you to leave," he bit out, his tone dire.
Josh's eyes widened. "Ye-yeah, sure..." he swallowed. Reno released his shirt, and Josh hurriedly backed up, almost tripping over his own feet. Reno watched, amused, as Josh scrambled back to his little campfire.
However, Reno's amusement faded fast as he thought back to the truck. The Turk groaned, and lightly knocked the back of his head against the tree. *What happened there, Reno? How could you let her get to you like that again? Whatever happened to all those years playing it cool, huh?* Reno slammed his fists backward into the trunk.
Slowly, he took a deep breath, calming himself down. *Okay. So I kissed her. No big deal, not as if I did it nicely. If anything, she's probably cursing me to damnation and back.* Reno's trademark smirk returned at the thought.
*So what if I'm trembling from it...* Reno groaned again, staring up at the sky. "You've got something against me, don't you, God?" *You've never been good to me.*
"Alright Reno...it's just because you're not used to her yet," he convinced himself. "Once you hang around her enough, it'll wear off..." *...right..?* In truth, it sounded weak, even to him, but what else was he supposed to think? That she was right? He didn't want to even consider that option.
There was one other alternative, one so foreign to Reno that he immediately dismissed it. Shaking his head, the red-haired Turk crossed his arms and looked up at the stars through the tree leaves, moonlight and shadows playing across his troubled face.
*...maybe I just need her for a good lay...*
~~~~~
*I'm never given a break, am I?* Tifa finally raised her head from her knees and stared into the murky void, her fingers inattentively massaging her slightly swollen lips.
*Why did Reno have to suddenly become so involved in my personal life anyway?* she mused, too tired to actually care about the answer, but asking nonetheless. *It would have been so much easier if he'd just have left me alone...then I could have continued my life distant. Away from pain, away from care...but nope, he has to pick now to start lecturing.* A small smile tugged at the corners of Tifa's mouth, before turning into a sigh. *Turks. Always popping up at the worst times. Well...guess that's it then. I have to start being cheerful, optimistic Tifa again. Can't let my problems drag me down...not when he's been through so much more. Not when so many others have been through so much more...* Tifa realized with a start she had been acting almost exactly like Cloud during the first year. *But Cloud had me. Cloud had a friend to see him through, to take care of him, to listen to him when he needed listening to...*
*Why can't I ever have that?* was Tifa's last coherent thought before slipping away into sleep.
~~~~~
"Hojo?"
"Yes?"
"We've received word from 09 that Tifa Lockheart of AVALANCHE has been captured."
"Mmm...good... What of the others?"
"We're planning to capture them all at a wedding. It'll be easier while they're all in one area and unaware." The man's voice was flat and expressionless, completely uncaring of his news. His Mako blue eyes glowed in the dimness of the corridor.
"I see. When is this wedding, and why was Tifa Lockheart taken separately?"
"The wedding is in February. We have spies tapping the phone lines for an exact date. Ms. Lockheart had isolated herself, and was therefore an easy target. We needn't to worry about her friends looking for her; apparently she's been missing for two years already."
*How convenient.* "How long will it take for her to arrive?"
"Approximately four months."
Violet eyes looked thoughtfully at the ceiling, or what could be seen of it. "Four months to get here...very well. No matter." They abruptly left the ceiling to focus on the ex-SOLDIER before him. "I would like to make sure she receives a proper escort. Dismissed." The ex-SOLDIER bowed and left, leaving his superior in the gloom.
*Four months...three, possibly...ah well, what're a few weeks longer?* Thin lips curved malevolently as his foot absently tapped on the floor. *I'll have to prepare for our 'guests'...* Hojo could feel the beginnings of gleeful laughter tickling the back of his neck.
"Hahaha...HAHAHAHAHA!"
Cid bolted upright in bed, his body covered in sweat and his eyes wild. Immediately, Shera was awake beside him.
"Captain? What's wrong?" she murmured, still half-asleep.
Cid blinked, relaxing as he noticed his surroundings. *My own fucking room, good.* "Nothing. Just some crazy da-" Cid stopped short, remembering Shera didn't appreciate cussing, "some messed up dream," he finished.
"Oh?" Shera was awake now, and moved behind the blond man to wrap her arms around him. "What happened?"
The pilot's brows furrowed before quickly shaking his head. "Nothing. Sorry for waking you up."
Shera raised an eyebrow. "Cid Highwind, I know you better than that. What happened?"
"Eh..." Cid turned, and proceeded to explain his dream to his wife, his anxiety lessening with each word he spoke. By the end, he had completely forgotten his worry.
Shera's, however, had just begun. "Cid, what if it's true? I've heard of premonitions appearing in dreams."
"Couldn't be," Cid shrugged. "I doubt Hojo had purple eyes, and I sure as heck know the last time I saw him, he didn't have a foot to tap with," he spoke thoughtfully, remembering Hojo's final form before Cloud, Tifa, and himself had finished him. "Plus, Hojo's dead," he finished, his tone matter-of-fact.
"But, the Jenova...it allowed that Lucrecia lady to live after drowning..." Cid had explained the entire adventure to Shera beforehand.
"Nope." Cid shook his head. "We didn't drown Hojo, we blasted him to bits. And the rain washed those bits down a storm drain, and that room was not a storm drain. Look Shera, if Hojo's still alive, then so's Jenova and Sephiroth, and we'd of all been dead by now."
Shera bit her lip and frowned. "But if it involves Tifa..."
"Dammit Shera, what do you want me to do?! Search the whole fuc- whole Planet for her!" Cid yelled exasperatedly.
Shera just looked at him.
Cid sighed. "Sorry. But seriously, don't worry so much. It was just a crazy dream, and Tifa's a big girl." He patted her shoulder comfortingly. "C'mon, let's go to sleep."
Shera nodded hesitantly. "Alright..." She snuggled up next to Cid, who was snoring away five minutes later. *I hope you're right, Captain...but I do wish Tifa would show up.* Shera bit her lip. She'd been wishing the same thing for almost a year and a half now, and it had yet to come true. *I know he hurt you honey...Lord, I went through the same thing. But you shouldn't have isolated yourself like that.* She smiled wistfully. Shera wasn't really one to talk, she'd not only ended contact with all of her friends when Cid was angry with her, she'd become his faithful slave. Still...she didn't want Tifa to learn the hard way like her. *There's no need for more than one of us to go through that experience.*
Shera sighed. *Some things just had to be learned on your own, I suppose.* Closing her eyes, she slipped off into sleep. *I'll remind Cid to bring his Venus Gospel to the wedding...*
AN: Whew! That was a hard chapter too...darn writer's block, go away!
*glares at a huge pink jelly cube*
*cube sits smugly*
*sigh* I hope the next chapters are easier to write... R&R please! Reviews are very encouraging.
Oh, and yeah, I went through and made edits throughout the entire fic, because I realized that never in the game did Reno cuss, and because some parts just needed editing. ^_^;; Sorry for the long wait, I'll try to post again soon!
Egh, I just realized I forgot to change the title... -___-;;